Dogs are fascinating animals to keep as they are so friendly to everyone. Many people rear dogs for different purposes such as security, pets, hunting, and some just for pleasure. Fortunately, from the improvement of technologies and inventions from human beings, dogs nowadays are reared to serve a different purpose like racing, and some are presented in auditions.
Like any other animal, dogs are made of various breeds, with each having distinctive characteristics. Some countries like Ireland and Britain breed Greyhounds. It refers to dogs that are bred to participate in coursing games or racing, which is a popular sport in Ireland. These dogs are unique having impressive features. The Irish government invests heavily in greyhound racing from racing tracks to breeding them. Thousands of people turn out to watch greyhound racing with some betting on the same.
Features of greyhounds in Ireland
– A Male Greyhound weighs from 65-70 lbs while the female weighs between 6o-65
– They have a desirable height where males are about 30 inches while the female is 28 inches.
– They usually have a long face.
– They always have a quiet disposition
– They are brilliant and content as they spend most of their time sleeping.
– They are so flexible enabling them to run with a speed of 40 miles per hour
– They are made up with long tails
– They usually have a smooth and short coat that is very easy to maintain, unlike other dogs.
– They are less aggressive compared to other dog breeds
– They have folded rosy ears that lay flat against the neck
– They have a narrow waist compared to other dog breeds
– They have a streamlined body giving them great athletic ability.
History of Greyhounds in Ireland
Greyhounds are one of the oldest breeds of dogs. They are believed to have traced back in ancient days like 8,000 years ago. The origin of Greyhounds remains to be doomed as many people give different explanations. Some suggest that the first Greyhound was initially grey while others suggest that the name greyhound might have originated from the term Greekhound.
In Ireland, greyhound racing first originated from Britain in 1926 and first raced in Manchester, which then spread to Ireland and Northern Ireland after ten years. In 1927, the first greyhound race took place in Ireland tracks, starting with Celtic Park, then Belfast in the second month, and finally followed by Dublin after one month too. As the race continued to be popular, more tracks were opened to ensure that many people enjoyed watching greyhound races. Other tracks were opened at Harolds Cross, Dublin, and others in Dunmore stadium.
In 1928, which was one year after the introduction of Greyhound racing in Ireland, the aegis who used to supervise the ancient coursing games and now with the Irish Coursing Clubs, decided to come in and control greyhound racing. Also, they went ahead and published the Irish Greyhound Stud Book that contained more information about Greyhounds.
In 1958, the government decided to form the Irish Greyhound Board, whose aim was to control, operate, and promote all greyhound races in Ireland. However, the Irish coursing club continued with its role in regulating Greyhound racing in Northern Ireland. To protect and improve on the welfare of Greyhounds, the government decided to come up with the Greyhound Act in 2019, giving the Irish Greyhound Board additional task and authority to take substantial actions to anyone found interfering with the specified welfare.
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The Republic of Ireland has 20 Greyhound racing tracks where 17 are under the control of the Irish Greyhound Board while the remaining three tracks are under the of the aegis, the aforementioned Irish Coursing Club in Northern Ireland.
How to bet on Irish greyhound racing
Betting for greyhound racing can be done worldwide, mainly when you use online bookmakers which offer you comprehensive future markets like Irish greyhound derby, among other events. To be able to come up with clear bets, it is recommended to watch your television as greyhound racing in Ireland is now televised all over the world when you channel in. You can also find out more about Greyhound betting in the guide from Thepunterspage.
Betting on Greyhound racing is deeply embedded in the sport, just similar to horse betting. Often you can still bet visiting the races in person, so it is not essential to register at an online platform for placing a bet on your favourite. But if you happen to not live in an area where Greyhound racing is common, online bets are your best choice.