Barnfield

[galty]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/20...89520-20310558/

 

[jgear]

Well lets hope he gets this kind of care when he stops winning money.

 

[galty]

Well lets hope he gets this kind of care when he stops winning money.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I for one would have thought YES

Then again I dont no any of the owners SO COULD NOT SAY.

Would just say that all of my dogs when finished racing where well loked after when I took them home.

You might no of these owners and no im wrong.

 

[bertha]

Well lets hope he gets this kind of care when he stops winning money.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I for one would have thought YES

Then again I dont no any of the owners SO COULD NOT SAY.

Would just say that all of my dogs when finished racing where well loked after when I took them home.

You might no of these owners and no im wrong.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I sincerely hope he has a happy retirement, you never know do you. A grey is the best dog in the world when it's winning, worthless when it's racing days are over. My personal view is that there are too many greys being bred and discarded. Too many have a sad end. :unsure:

 

[kris]

i tried to open this but the page is unavailable? :unsure:

 

[galty]

i tried to open this but the page is unavailable? :unsure:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Hi Kris

From past experiance might be your computor.

paste artical below

Why Barnfield the wonderdog is heading for glory as the world's greatest greyhound

By Jenna Sloan 06/02/2008

Barnfield the Greyhound (DM)

Related Articles

Rescuing old greyhound racers

More Top Stories

What are you talking about? Get published

News picturesHe breakfasts on specially-prepared sardines on toast, works out with a personal trainer, relaxes by his swimming pool, then has a massage and manicure.

And they call this a dog's life?

But the pampered pooch in question - who sleeps on a warm, fleecy blanket in a specially-heated kennel - is no ordinary dog.

He is Barnfield On Air, Britain's - and quite possibly the world's - fastest greyhound.

Advertisement

Twice as quick as the fastest man on earth, he is a record-breaking sensation, and the closest thing to a dead cert the dog track has ever seen.

A winner at the 2007 Greyhound Of The Year awards, he has won 14 of his last 17 races. He also holds four track records - at Belle Vue, Coventry, Walthamstow, and Brighton and Hove.

Racing Post greyhound editor Paul Brown says: "He's one in a million. I've not seen a dog like him in 30 years.

"Top greyhounds sell for up to £40,000 but Barnfield On Air is worth at least double that. But if he was mine I'd never sell him, he's priceless."

His owners clearly feel the same way about Barnfield - or Jack, as he is known when he's not whizzing around a track.

Part-owner Darran Keefe admits: "He has the life of Riley. He is a fantastic dog, by far the best I've ever trained.

"As soon as you get him out of his kennel you can see a change in him.

Greyhounds are placid dogs but at the sight of his leash his heart starts to pump and he's quivering with excitement.

"He's so competitive, he just loves to win."

Recruitment agency boss Sam Poots owns the Barnfield Kennels in Billericay, Essex, where Jack lives his life of luxury. He has a 25 per cent share in the wonderdog, along with Darran and fellow syndicate members Mark Hodgson and Steve Murphy. Sam, 43, has 11 dogs, including one part-owned by Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp.

He says: "I bought Jack from Tipperary after a tip-off from a buyer I know in Ireland. As soon as I saw him I knew he was special. He just flew over the track. That's where I got the 'On Air' name from.

"I must admit he is my favourite. I let him into the house, the kids and the wife love him, and I always bet on him in a race. Most of the winnings go on champagne, though, as we always have a good celebration after his victories. I would never sell him, not if someone offered me £1million."

The interest in Jack has also sparked a revival in greyhound racing, which has seen a long-term decline in trainers and interest.

Darran says: "I'm 28 and Sam's 43 so we're relatively young to be in the business. It's not all old men in flat caps, it's an exciting sport. If Jack can get more people interested then so much the better."

Jack's next race is at Walthamstow dog track in east London on February 12. Then it's off to a worldwide dog derby in Florida next month and the Irish Greyhound Derby later this year.

But this could be his last season as a racer.

Jack could well retire as a stud dog in Ireland, where his puppies would sell for five-figure sums - if his owners can bear to part with him, that is.

Sam sheepishly admits: "We sent him to Ireland in December for four weeks in preparation for the Derby to see how he'd settle outside the kennels. But after a week we were desperate to know he was OK, so Darran and I jumped on a plane to go and see him.

"It would be terrible to see him go, the place just wouldn't be the same without him."

Jack would probably miss his superstar lifestyle, too.

He brought home £42,000 in winnings in the last year alone and needs to be well looked after - hence all the pampering.

Dedicated Darran wakes Jack up at 7.30am in his palatial kennels.

After a morning weighin, to make sure Jack remains at 33kg, Darran prepares his doggy breakfast of toast, sardines and a meaty broth.

Then Jack has a nap and is woken again at 10am for a 30- minute walk, or a gallop across his 300 metre practice track if it's nearing a race day.

He then has another kip and is woken for a lunch of beef and a high-protein dog biscuit at 2pm.

After a wander around the paddock, Darran starts Jack's beauty regime. He cleans his teeth and ears, files his nails, grooms his coat and gives him a massage. Jack then has a workout on his treadmill After a sleep, he goes for another walk around the paddock at 8pm, has two digestive biscuits and it's lights out by 9pm.

After all that walking and eating, we guess he's dog-tired...

Every dog has his day

7.30am: He is woken up and weighed then given a specially-prepared breakfast of sardines on toast and broth.

10am: He goes for a 30-minute walk.

2pm: Lunch is served - beef mixed with high-protein dog biscuits.

2.30pm: Teeth and ears cleaned, nails filed, massage and coat groomed

8pm: A walk around the paddock, two digestive biscuits and time for bed.

HOUNDS AND HISTORY

The word greyhound is thought to come from the Old English word "gre-hundr", meaning dog hunter.

Egyptians worshipped greyhounds as gods, depicting them on murals in tombs of kings.

Greyhounds were exported to the mid-west of America in the 19th century to chase down jackrabbits, which were destroying crops.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (below) were greyhound fans, even granting a private audience to Master M'grath, threetimes winner of the Waterloo Cup.

On your marks..

The world's fastest animals are...

Peregrine Falcon can reach up to 200mph in a vertical dive

Cheetah 70mph

Pronghorn Antelope 60mph

Ostrich 35mph

Human 23mph And the slowest... garden snail at 0.03 mph

Barnfield in numbers

40mph

His top speed

33kg: Barnfield's ideal racing weight

27.2 seconds

Quickest time around a 470m track

14:RACES won out of the past 17

£42,000

His winnings last year

features@mirror.co.uk

Print this

 

[Happy Humber]

I have watched this dog run on the telly and he is almost perfectly balanced,his running action must be very nearly perfect.

I should think he will go off to stud when his race days are over.

 

[kris]

thanks for that galty. :thumbsup: any pics of the lad?