WHIPPET RACING.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1926, Page 1

WHIPPET RACING.

(By Basil To/.er in. the “Daily Mail.”;

Whippet racing becomes more and more popular in the northern counties. And if ever the “sport” of rabbit-coursing is made illegal, I am assured in Lamtishire that whippet racing will become the chief sport of the north-country miner and working man who love dogs and enjoy training them.

At a meeting which I attended last Saturday la worn-out railway carriage served as grand stand and admission to the “enclosure” was sixpence and a shilling. You don’t moel the artistoeracy Ist whippet-racing meetings, but you meet some uncommonly good fellows with whom the love of sport is inborn. There were several women owners too, tremendously keen. Tu the train we had twenty-four passengers and fourteen dogs. And the pride those owners took in their dogs was certainly as great ns the pride a Pacehorse-owner takes in his thoroughbreds. , Five owners talked to me at once, each detailing the feats achieved by his own miniature greyhound and extolling the Bog’s merits. The owners run from the startingpost to the winning-post, waving towels of different colours which their dogs know by sight. They shout, whistle, and scream to their imhnals held in check at the starting-post, while every dog on the course barks and yelps frantically. A whistle sounds, a pistol-shot, rings out, and on the instant the clogs are tearing down the course towards their masters. The excitement of whippet-racing is intense. In two ways the sport differs front horse-racing. First, every dog is out to win. (Don’t tell me they don’t know they arc racing !) Secondly, un-looked-for incidents occur during , a whippet-race which never happen in a horse-race. For instance, the favourite and an outsider may stop half-way to indulge in a brief “scrap.” Or almost at the winning-post a clog may spring on to a rival las they race almost neck and neck and roll him over and over, drawing a yell of execration from the distant crowd. And almost always after the post is passed several of the runners will start a battle royal and have to he torn apart. Great sport. And a good, clean sport. I have never yet hrt.ipd of a racing whippet being doped, “got at:,' * or ill-treated.