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Location: peel, isle of man
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 432
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Originally Posted by
I-mac77
I didn't know it was on, but would have probably watched it if I had. Was the program just referring to flapping tracks?
I have to disagree with the comment about letting a family pet race around a track at 40mph. Serious injuries don't occur that frequently at proper tracks (compared to the number of dogs out there). Jade has had thousands of injuries by being our pet dog all her life, but allowing her to do what greyhounds do, run! We also had a rescued greyhound that raced for 4yrs, came home with us, 9months later, due to a tragic instance whilst not running around was no longer with us. So my point is, accidents can happen anywhere anytime, especially if you allow your dog to be a dog.
Although I do agree, the conditions of flapping tracks and the people involved were appaling, I haven't been to one for several years. so can't comment on how they are in general today, but I do doubt they have improved.
Originally Posted by
mse2ponder
Yep I-mac77, It was a sort of "case study" of Highgate Flapping Track (South Yorkshire). Having never been to a race, I have to say it was exactly how I expected it to be. I'm slightly confused though, as to what the film-maker was trying to achieve?
I love to see dogs in their element, doing what they were bred for, and like working the GSPs, there is always going to be an element of risk involved (obscured barbed wire, potholes, dogs running through thick cover etc.). However, if I had a greyhound, I would never run a dog on an untested track like the one on there. Surely there must be measurements, calculations and even advice available for creating a safe track, but the guys on there, although they seemed to have good intentions, didn't consider the dogs' safety to be paramount. Yes, after the accident they amended the track, but it didn't seem to be their first priority, and not having a vet on site reiterated this.
So yes, unsurprising but definitely worth a watch, even if only for the afghans!
Imac it was just a flapping track the programme dealt with.
About the family pet thing- I was not suggesting I would let MY pet greyhound run at any track- flapper or NGRC. She is neither trained nor probably fit enough. The point I was trying to make was that in the program many of the flapping men themselves referred to their (currently racing) Greyhounds as family pets that slept on the bed. Make of that what you will but given that they also admitted in the program that many greyhounds were destroyed when their useful days are over and not retired to said bed I think I can be forgiven for doubting their integrity.
I'm not anti-greyhound racing in principle and I'm more than aware of the difference between NGRC (licenced) tracks and flapping tracks so I don't want to be drawn into a general greyhound racing debate. I too love to watch dogs do what they were bred for!
I've kept Greyhounds for a lot of years now and I know how easily they injure themselves by just running and playing around -my wound management and bandaging skills are now second to none!
However the conditions at the Highgate track were awful by any standards and as mse2ponder says, the dogs welfare didn't appear paramount.
Anyway if you are able to catch it again, have a watch and see what you think.
mse2ponder- I wondered exactly what it was that the film maker was trying to achieve also. In the end it seemed to me to mostly be a sort of socialogical portrait of a dying working class interest? And perhaps by extension a changing working class? But I'm not even sure about that!
It certainly didn't really appear to be making any particular comment about the sport itself except that it was in trouble!
And the Afghans were great weren't they!