Bend Racing

[Markamys]

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We are half way through our third year racing and for us the most exciting racing is on the bend. Our two most memorable days racing were at the Independant on the bend last year and the last champs, we love it. However we have heard that Stanborough has finished racing so no bend there now, one of my local clubs Honeyhills, who has a great bend is not doing one this year because "nobody will come" and another important bend is being reconsidered. Why is the most exciting form of the sport in my opinion, coming to an end?

If we just keep to straights won't it just be the same dogs winning all of the time, bend racing at least gives others a chance, once again in my opinion.

 

[slimfast]

We are half way through our third year racing and for us the most exciting racing is on the bend. Our two most memorable days racing were at the Independant on the bend last year and the last champs, we love it. However we have heard that Stanborough has finished racing so no bend there now, one of my local clubs Honeyhills, who has a great bend is not doing one this year because "nobody will come" and another important bend is being reconsidered. Why is the most exciting form of the sport in my opinion, coming to an end?
If we just keep to straights won't it just be the same dogs winning all of the time, bend racing at least gives others a chance, once again in my opinion.

:thumbsup:

 

[Trish]

We too prefer bend racing , beats the boring straights , all mine seem to enjoy it more too :thumbsup:

Thank goodness for the WRCA that still have 2 events and our home club H.O.E that have numerous bends throughout the season .

In the winter we enjoy running ours on the greyhound tracks and the Non Peddy clubs always include us Peddys in their opens :thumbsup:

 

[Markamys]

We too prefer bend racing , beats the boring straights , all mine seem to enjoy it more too :thumbsup: Thank goodness for the WRCA that still have 2 events and our home club H.O.E that have numerous bends throughout the season .

In the winter we enjoy running ours on the greyhound tracks and the Non Peddy clubs always include us Peddys in their opens :thumbsup:

We feel the same, we're really looking forward to the HOE bend and really enjoy the WCRA bends.

We're hoping to get to one or two of the non-peddie opens this winter, firstly to watch Vicky's dog run and maybe enter our boys at the same time.

 

[IanGerman]

Bend racing has ALWAYS attracted fewer runners than straights. And although it undoubtedly is a much greater spectacle, there are solid reasons for the smaller entries, both at Open and club level.

There is far more stress on the dogs joints and muscles when racing around a bend, and once a dog has picked up an injury, a lot of owners, although willing to run their dogs again on a straight, are reluctant to take the extra risk of running them on a bend.

Our dogs, with luck will have racing careers lasting up to their tenth year, so it makes sense to try to preserve their longevity by only exposing them to the slightly less risky straights.

I DO regret the slow demise of bend racing, and applaud those organisations that still provide bend events, but with a dwindling pool of racers in general, it is inevitable that bend racing will continue on a downward spiral.

 

[Markamys]

It is a shame though it's such and exciting race and as i'm normally the trapper i get to see the finish for a change :lol: . I've been told many stories and seen DVD's with great bend races but not many about great straight races, I'm sure there are a few. It seems like we joined the sport 20 years too late .

I know what we'll do we'll get a non-peddy for the winter bend racing and keep the peddies for the summer straights (w00t) Nobody tell Sandra please :lol:

 

[naylorwhippets]

I too love the bends they are so exciting as you can see everything pan out.

But like Ian said once you have had a dog with a bad muscle injury you are more cautious as to still run your other dogs on the bend, & believe you me my heart is always in my mouth.

We have been very lucky as we have the Westhoughton greyhound track just in the next town to us & all ours have been schooled on that bend, without that practice I'm sure I wouldn't of had the good bend racers that I have had. I know a lot of people don't like to run on the greyhound/sand tracks, but in many ways I think they are safer than a grass track.

Also many clubs can't run a bend as they have not got the ground to allow them to do so, so up & coming young dogs can't get the practice, it's such a shame

 

[springfield]

Totally agree with Ian's comments, Some events now have longer straights I enjoyed the Npwra's 200yards straight this year some really testing results changing from 150-200yards. More clubs run straights than bends and as a few have mentioned the injuries seem to increase. Would a responsable owner run a dog that hasn't run a bend for months in a open/champs?. Access to scholling at seems to be the problem

 

[finalez]

Totally agree with Ian's comments, Some events now have longer straights I enjoyed the Npwra's 200yards straight this year some really testing results changing from 150-200yards. More clubs run straights than bends and as a few have mentioned the injuries seem to increase. Would a responsable owner run a dog that hasn't run a bend for months in a open/champs?. Access to scholling at seems to be the problem

:thumbsup:

 

[Darcia]

I really enjoy watching bend racing but sadly for many of us there are not enough clubs locally to train and properly school dogs around the bend. When we first started racing we held many bend meetings at Oxford so our boys were running on them from a young age but for quite a while there have been limited opportunities and the last thing any of us wants is to not only run risk to our own dogs but to the dogs of others that would be running with inexperienced dogs. It is a real shame though, like Springfield said above, it is good that we are having the oppotunity to run over longer straight distances, would love to see more scratch opens myself :thumbsup:

 

[Vicky]

I can never understand why pedigree racing on greyhound tracks has never taken off. They are surely safer that running on grass bends by being prepared by experienced groundsmen and cambered to assist the dogs in cornering the bend, are much easier to maintain during hot summer (ha) months when grass tracks are hard or when there's lots of wet weather and grass tracks are waterlogged.

 

[IanGerman]

" we'll get a non-peddy for the winter bend racing"

Thought you already had one? I've seen Bentley's times (w00t)

And before anyone gets offended ........................ joking!

 

[Trish]

I can never understand why pedigree racing on greyhound tracks has never taken off. They are surely safer that running on grass bends by being prepared by experienced groundsmen and cambered to assist the dogs in cornering the bend, are much easier to maintain during hot summer (ha) months when grass tracks are hard or when there's lots of wet weather and grass tracks are waterlogged.

Well said Vicky , totally agree :thumbsup:

 

[Derekrfc]

This is only my opinion as a lot of people have said already the amount of dogs who get serious injuries from bend racing ( Whether on grass or Geyhound tracks ) is in my opinion one of the most serious factors of the demise of bend racing but also the lack of tracks available is also a massive contributer.

This being the case a lot of dogs don't get enough practise which results in them not being prepared physically or mentally for what is involved in bend racing even if a dog is lucky enough to get out fast and miss the scrap at the first bend is no gaurantee that it will remain injury free.

This picture of our Gazza ( Rch Blue & White Dynamite ) was taken in the Final of the 4th Wcra Champs of 2008 and if you look closely you will see that his front leg is at a very acute angle and the foot turning as the leg moves from front to back and it is taking the strain of ALL his body weight.

For this reason and that i was unfortuanately present at a Club meeting when a young dog broke its leg at 12 months old when its owner decided just to trial it from traps to full round the bend. I was so sickened that day that l left before i said something i would regret.( the dog should have been trialled for weeks around the bend starting from 1/4 way then 1/2 way, 3/4 and full before coming from traps.)

I agree that bend racing is a great form of racing for the spectator but in hind sight it is much more dangerous for the dogs ( even in greyhound racing the amount of serious injuries is very high ) i do not agree that there have not been some GREAT straight races as i have seen some crackers and have only been in the sport for 7 years.

My opinion if you can get plenty of practise and time to build up your dogs to take the strains involved then by all means race bends but i can see where seasoned veteran dog owners are coming from by not wanting their dogs to run bends.

What ever you decide is best for you and your dogs i wish you ALL safe injury free racing.

Derek

 

[Markamys]

When i started the thread i thought that the lack of tracks and injuries would be the main reason. I really wanted to get a feel on peoples attitude towards bend racing.

Unfortunately i have another question to ask :lol: . In a sport where we ask our dogs to come out of traps, run their hearts out on all different types of grass tracks, in all types of weather and crash into each other at the end, is there any evidence to show that there are more injuries on a bend than on a straight?

I accept that i'm fighting a losing battle and bends eventually will probably stop altogether, but i'm new and keen and love them and want to know if there is anyway of saving them.

 

[Darkling]

Iamtotally inexperienced in bend racing, have watched a fewtimes and run my little champion lightwt bitch once ona ben d [ after a lot of schooling, before anyone jumps in!! ] and that was the only time she was ever injured. I would be tempted to try my boy on a bend, if there was a club near me where one could train thoroughly to lessen the risk of injuries.

I so agree with derek and could not have put it better , the risks are obviously greater with the extreme stresses on joints and muscles, just look carefully at derek's photo of the huge stress that foot is under, with the whole body weight of a not tiny dog[!!] on one foot while it is twisted in a completely abnormal position. Talk to Sandra.. a very experienced greyhound vet about some of the horrific injuries she's dealt with. I love bends as a spectator sport, but when I saw more of it in my early days.. far too many people gave their dogs a clearing trial , and then put them in a bend open or champs. to the risk to life and limb of not only their dog but everyone else's as well.

Like Darcia, ,I wish more Clubs would put on Scratch racing and longer distances.. 200yds makes for some wonderfully exciting racing.

 

[IanGerman]

Me again.

I don't know if there are MORE injuries per race run, bends over straights, but where I am coming from personally is that once your dog has had a semi serious injury, then avoiding bends in favour of straights is REDUCING the chance of ruining the dog altogether.

If you take my own dog Billy, who is recovering from a dropped hind muscle for instance - the greyhound vet specifically said that there would be more strain on the muscle, when cornering than if running in a straight line - that this particular muscle, helps to keep the back legs parallel when cornering. So for Billy - straights only from now on. Probably :-

BTW - good thread Dave :thumbsup:

 

[Garry Comber]

Some of the comments on this thread refer to lack of schooling opportunities and practice!

Last year Heart of England put on a special “Bend training weekend”, :thumbsup: what can I say other than it was poorly attended!

 

[Steve Bryant]

Just my opinion...............I agree that Bend racing is a greater spectacle, when I started in the 80s the majority of racing was on the bend. I agree though (through personal experience) that there is a greater risk when running bends compared to straights. So I think this is defintely a factor in the demise of bend racing.

Some tracks (eg Independent) are lucky in that they have a permanent bend set up, however for clubs less fortunate, when a bend meeting is run there is a huge amount of work setting up the track. In addition to being very labour intensive, I also believe its not an easy task. Peter Spokes used to set up the bend track I have ever seen, at Oxford - he was a knowledgeable guy and the bend was as safe as could be. It is a huge responsibility and getting it "wrong" is not an option - the consequences dont bear thinking about.

In my experience of being involved in running clubs it is hard enough to find helpers to run a club meeting, let alone people who would be willing to turn up a couple of hours earlier to set out a bend - just my opinion.

So maybe if bend racing is to continue, Greyhound Tracks are the future - permanent set ups, where we can just turn up and race. The down side I guess is that its no cheap to hire a greyhound stadium for the day

 

[Darkling]

totally agree Steve. good memory of peter Spokes.