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Whippet Racing was going on way before the KC came about. Greyhounds were coursing dogs and the oval track hadn't been invented.
History is a little muddy about what exactly came about (and unfortunately so is the facts about whippets as time passes). But in an era of cock fighting, ratting pits etc and gambling, it appears that some fancied betting on dogs racing in a sprint. This become quite lucrative with hundreds of dogs attending meetings and susbtantial amounts of money being wagered. If you look at some of the big events on the videos you'll note these aren't all poor pitmen, there was gentry participating as well.
Later dog showing become popular and the KC came about. Naturally some dogs were shown and were granted KC registration. Accounts by some older members on K9 state that numbers become low of KC registered whippets after the war and the books were opened to accept some more ''non-ped'' whippets. There are whippets in KC registered pedigrees that were both shown and raced, Blue Peter being one of them but the likes of Judy (K9 Admin), Vicky and whipeteerthe1st on here will be able to name many, many more. (there'll be other members as well who know, especially those who's families have been racing for generations) These pedigrees have been offered to the likes of the whippet archives but it appears that time is passing to a degree where folk are in denial of their existance.
The KC, operating a closed stud book I suspect wouldn't of accepted all non-peds (and to be honest most of the owners as racers wouldn't of had the inclination to do so) As you can see from Pathe some of these dogs were substantially large and the KC specified a certain height limit. It is likely that this was because the more 'inbred' the racing whippet becomes, generally they become smaller. As we all know the KC are very much into inbreeding to maintain type. Unfortunately meeting the restrictions of a breed standard does cast out a lot of genetic diversity that is known to keep a breeed sound and disease free. Breeding clones is dangerous and the more detailed and specific a breed standard is, the more likely this is to occur. What's happened with the KC registered whippet is that speed was bred out of it (the standard seeing large muscle composition as undesirable, a trait which is essential to a competent sprint racer).
The term non-ped has been something thats come from K9 as most lay people do not understand the difference. The KC wouldn't stand a cat in hells chance of trying to get the likes of The British Whippet Racing Association or the New National Whippet Racing Federation to change their names. Personally I think any breed that gets KC registration should immediately be given a new name because over time, the dog ceases to be anything like it's original creation.
Instead we all describe these original breeds as working or non-ped, farsical considering they're all the real deal.
big money back then,,,,and beyhound,,,,,racing whip,s have been going on for such a long time,,,,i hear it all the time there just racing dog,s,,,,,go back 100+ years ,,,thats what they were,,,,and good rabbit dogs,,,they were one and the same thing :thumbsup:
