UK Greyhound Racing - A Booming Industry
Greyhound racing may not be as popular as it once was in the United States, but the sport continues to go from strength to strength in the UK. In 2023, the US will sadly be down to just two racetracks, a far cry from the popularity it once garnered in the country.
Fans of greyhound racing in the US can thankfully still be involved in the sport, with online websites offering the opportunity to follow the industry that continues to flourish across the Atlantic in the UK and Ireland.
UK Greyhound Racing's Popularity
Greyhound racing has been known as a very niche sport in the past, but with betting on greyhound racing now available worldwide, new fans are finding out just how entertaining watching the action can be.
The UK and Ireland have had a special affinity with greyhound racing for some time now, and the popularity of the sport in that part of the world shows no signs of waning. In fact, the sport is as popular as ever and continues to attract a younger audience with the betting industry playing a huge part.
Image Credit: Flickr
What Is Greyhound Racing?
Greyhound Racing has been around since the beginning of the 20th century, and although the safety and welfare of the greyhounds have improved greatly, the rules of the sport are basically still the same.
Depending on what part of the world the racing is taking part in, a total of 6-8 dogs load up into specially designed traps, before being unleashed to follow a mechanical hare around an oval track. With different race distances included, dogs with either speed or stamina, or a mixture of both, all have races to suit their individual attributes.
The English Derby
Those involved in the industry and anyone with a fleeting interest in the sport will have heard of the famous English Greyhound Derby. The most prestigious race in the world of greyhound racing takes place at Colwick Park in Nottingham, England each year, and offers a huge winner's purse of £100,000.
Any greyhound trainer and greyhound owner with aspirations of becoming a Derby winner must see their greyhound progress through six rounds of qualifiers before taking their place beside the five other best dogs in the game.
Other prestigious races, or 'Classics' as they are known in the UK, include the English Greyhound Oaks and St Leger. The Oaks is similar to the Derby but is confined to female greyhounds (bitches), whilst St Leger is the premium stayers race, where competitors must travel over the maximum distance.
Greyhound Welfare
Image Credit: Flickr
Greyhound welfare has become a feature of the sport that is just as important as the racing itself. For years greyhound racing received huge backlash for the welfare of the dogs, particularly after they had retired from action.
Thankfully there have been huge strides made in this area and there are now strict regulations regarding the welfare of the animals.
The improvement of these welfare issues, coupled with the sport's popularity from a betting point of view, will hopefully continue to attract new fans to the thrilling spectacle that is greyhound racing.
(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)