Top Ten

wild whippies said:

What is going on with all this divide and conquer behaviour?! Can you not see we're killing the sport?!
Splitting Top Ten Points?!

Holding more events / additional events further splitting whippet racing?!!

New organisations popping up??!! (Come on, I'm not numb!)

Currently we have 3 youngsters (just turned 2) They aren't crap, but they're not world beaters either. They're experienced to race, but they need the confidence to know if they try hard, they could win.

We don't have lightweight dogs which makes some events a waste of time for us to attend.

We don't or rather won't, start rehoming dogs / selling them on etc etc until we get a flying machine. We believe the dogs are our pets.

What, if anything do you think is going to persuade me to attend an event to run these dogs?, Someone who actually likes whippet racing?

Where exactly is the motivation for a newcomer to start whippet racing?!

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I think you have hit the nail on the head Jac. Everybody wants to own a flying machine but you are very lucky to own one we feel very lucky to have had one, but for me people including us are not going to take extra dogs to an open knowing they are going to get beat week in week out just beacuse there is a load of money to the winner at the end of the year, for instance we have 2 scr dogs which do 830ish every week at our track but are not open class in my eyes so for me to see them pulling there guts out getting beat 4/5 yard is not fair on the dogs, but if these dogs were eligable to run in maiden event untill they have won 3 classes then we may take them knowing they will be in the pack and may win a heat now and again, having maiden opens is a way forward for me,

As for the derbys its not about the money its the prestige, when Cara won the english derby Paul pulled me at the bar before the presentaion and jokingly said he had lost the prize money on the horses my reply was im not bothered its the prestige of winning it and having the dogs name in the history books that counts, For me winning classics/ titles/derbys/ are brilliant but to win the top ten is the pinicle, and if people say that not always the best dogs win it looking at the list of winners everyone would want theses dogs in there kennell/ house, because they are all top class animals in their own right, you dont have to run your dog into the ground to win it this has been proven, but if there was £2000 at the end of it for the winner how many dogs that should be laid off with a niggle end up running and running untill it breaks down or god forbit anyone be tempted to use something to mask injuries to gain that few extra points that could mean winning £2000.

Mark

It's easy enough to suggest a split to Bend/Straight and from a selfish perspective I'd be all for it, Moany's Pleasure has nowhere near the stamina, or the craft (or brains) for the bend to compete with the likes of Tinkersmill, Black Diamond, Push the Button and the likes but on the one or two occasions she's been 100% fit on the straight she's indicated that she could be there and there abouts.

However, I do think there is enough diversity in the competition to give bend dogs opportunity to make up points, as well as this there is also the NNWRF competiton which has a comparable amount of events on bend and straight, is it so unfeasible that a dog scoring on the straights only could be overtaken by a dog that has scored soley on the bends ? There was also the BWRA competition that scored not only adults, veterans and scratch, but pups and yearlings too meaning that dogs were recognised in every category for their achievements, not sure if this comp still runs, but I suppose that's because personally I've never felt in a position with my own dogs to be paying attention to such things.

There are a lot of non-major straight events (ie opens) that a dog can score at and possibly out-score a dog that runs soley in high-points competitions and vice versa a dog entering only the "big" events, if successful enough can rack up the points to beat those running mainly at other opens.

Perhaps the economic climate is a big plus, lots more dogs are staying local to their own region, running in their local events which possibly means that more dogs are scoring points due to the diversity of competition in each area. This makes the Top Ten itself more exciting as winners from each area are coming together at the biggest events and doing battle for the bigger points that may push them ahead of their competitors in the competition.

I did once suggest, when we were discussing attendance at events that perhaps a consolation Top Ten would be something to perhaps introduce as a trial, I do remember seeing the peds with some kind of consolation competition with one of their points systems. It may encourage more to race, to give young dogs that are too old for yearlings, yet inexperienced another chance at a competitive race as well as encouraging owners of dogs that continually come across that one really fast dog in their group to attend an open as they have a second chance to win.

For example, I have been running my two at bend opens at Highgate, the biggest factor has been the two runs for £5-£6. Freya can't bend for toffee and Trudy's got it tough at 26lb jumping straight in with the adults at 18mths old. If I hadn't got the two runs for my money then neither would have run despite the track being so local to me. Off the top of my head, other than the champs, Freya has run in 4 other bend events, managing a surprise class win at one when I travelled away. Of the other three, she has been well beaten in her classes but entered the consolation in all 3 and has won 2 consolation races which would score her at 2 of the 3 events she was beaten at in the first round.

Mark's maiden idea is good too, some clubs may wish to run this alongside, and Carole introduced a time event at one of the north east opens, if memory serves the first wasn't too well attended but the second attempt had two good heats. I know people that travelled cited this as an important factor to their attendance in that they could not only run their open class dog but could also race their other dogs in an environment which was competitive for them too.

Anything that encourages more dogs to be entered at an event, in whatever category is surely a bonus and these "extra" dogs, that are loved and trained no less than their open winning counterparts surely deserve some kind of recognition for their achievements. It would perhaps also prevent dogs from being passed over by the owners who look for the next headliner since there would be more opportunity to be a winner.

Now that's a bloody essay, I haven't read it back, hope it makes sense, don't come on here slagging me off for my opinions, I'm going to nurse my hangover.

Elise.

good post fleesh so in short u think bends and straights cud b spilt, there shud b consolation racing and a cons top ten, and maiden and time trial races 4 those that want them? now im off to work give my brain a rest lol :thumbsup:

folks who want it split will be those whos dogs cant do both those who want it left is those whos dogs can do both its horses foer courses really

Everything you've said make sense to me Elise.

I think we should be working with what we've already got and i agree that the top ten does need altering, but we seem to be going round in circles here with nothing being done.

Would it not be worthwhile Chris if you got a group of people to sit down with you and throw some ideas round?

mutley said:

folks who want it split will be those whos dogs cant do both those who want it left is those whos dogs can do both its horses foer courses really

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correct and iam one of them!! but that is not the main reason why i would like two seperate competitions bend/straight.

im not bothered either way john so what is the reason not being funny just wondering

ok john ive got it and think your right

mutley said:

folks who want it split will be those whos dogs cant do both those who want it left is those whos dogs can do both its horses foer courses really

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It would be very upsetting for someone with a bitch that broke every six months -

The way it is now gives big dogs and little dogs a chance ---

Splitting it would make sure middle/heavy would not be in with a look on straights --

Therefore making it less likely those with bigger dogs would bother to travel at all--

Mix in a few races run on times -

Make Top-Ten just twelve meetings ------4 bend----- 4 straight ------4 time --see what comes of that --

one a month

plus Champs!!

steve

mutley said:

folks who want it split will be those whos dogs cant do both those who want it left is those whos dogs can do both its horses foer courses really

Click to expand...

It would be very upsetting for someone with a bitch that broke every six months -

The way it is now gives big dogs and little dogs a chance ---

Splitting it would make sure middle/heavy would not be in with a look on straights --

Therefore making it less likely those with bigger dogs would bother to travel at all--

Mix in a few races run on times -

Make Top-Ten just twelve meetings ------4 bend----- 4 straight ------4 time --see what comes of that --

one a month

plus Champs!!

steve