How Opens Came About

[Amanda Worcester]

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for some people it is not a choice of wether to travel or not in this current climate it is not just the price of petrol going up, all bills are going up. Many of us are forced to or considering taking up second jobs that means working evenings and weekends. Sometimes the choice is wether to eat or not this week let alone go open racing. Its not like we can choose to race at our club as there is not racing, trials and puppy training only. I for one would like to see more club racing as if our financial situation gets any worse we won't be able to travel to any opens at all soon.

We would have racing at club level if people enter dogs, I dont make the rules just try to uphold them 4 dogs for a club handicap. As you state trials, whereby we have a fair few dogs but never 4 of a kind for a handicap. In recent years we have a lurcher side of racing running alongside our non peds and also terriers which help keep our club going. With insurance at 449.00 pound per year,and payment to the council for the track, if it wasnt for the supporter side of things (watch out Paulines after you again for a raffle ticket) then the club would be in a sorry state with just dog entries.

My understanding as club/regional secretary is that a club may hold one Whippet News Top Ten open per year be it a bend or straight open but not both. A region can hold two again 2 straights or 2 bends or a mix of both.

A few years ago Charity opens were disregarded for Top Ten. Last year and again this year they have been awarded for certain opens.

We are among the lucky few, three of us travel together so can share the fuel costs, but have to save hard for events further afield. I hate to think what our racing cost last year up to Highgate went from 60 pound of fuel to 80 pound overnight.

I for one would also like to see more club racing, with the four main championships per year central so as most people can attend ( I also know how hard it is to obtain and hold on to ground to race on). But if club/regions were not allowed Top Ten status would they survive, as people chasing points may be the difference on the day.

 

[GRAHAM PEM]

lack of atendence is due to lack of people in the sport now also peeps travel if there dogs good enuff or chasing points each to there own as long as its enjoyable

gaz you should be living in 10 downing street. (w00t)

 

[lydford]

The main reason people are leaving the sport imo is all the nasty people on this site :angry: who can't live with the fact that some peoples dogs are faster then theirs. :angry:

Who would want to come into a sport with so many NON sporting people. :rant:

 

[lydford]

:blink:

 

[mutley]

theres nasty folks in all sports but think the good outways the bad everyone pulling and working together is the key to a good racing future

 

[deeva1]

The main reason people are leaving the sport imo is all the nasty people on this site :angry: who can't live with the fact that some peoples dogs are faster then theirs. :angry: Who would want to come into a sport with so many NON sporting people. :rant:

:unsure: I have no idea who you are, but, I will say that there are more GOOD people in the sport than BAD! I notice that you are new member, so, I would ask you to wait until you know folks better, because not everyone is Nasty. Believe me! By the way, Welcome to the world of Whippets! ) :wub:

 

[emma7091]

for some people it is not a choice of wether to travel or not in this current climate it is not just the price of petrol going up, all bills are going up. Many of us are forced to or considering taking up second jobs that means working evenings and weekends. Sometimes the choice is wether to eat or not this week let alone go open racing. Its not like we can choose to race at our club as there is not racing, trials and puppy training only. I for one would like to see more club racing as if our financial situation gets any worse we won't be able to travel to any opens at all soon.

We would have racing at club level if people enter dogs, I dont make the rules just try to uphold them 4 dogs for a club handicap. As you state trials, whereby we have a fair few dogs but never 4 of a kind for a handicap. In recent years we have a lurcher side of racing running alongside our non peds and also terriers which help keep our club going. With insurance at 449.00 pound per year,and payment to the council for the track, if it wasnt for the supporter side of things (watch out Paulines after you again for a raffle ticket) then the club would be in a sorry state with just dog entries.

My understanding as club/regional secretary is that a club may hold one Whippet News Top Ten open per year be it a bend or straight open but not both. A region can hold two again 2 straights or 2 bends or a mix of both.

A few years ago Charity opens were disregarded for Top Ten. Last year and again this year they have been awarded for certain opens.

We are among the lucky few, three of us travel together so can share the fuel costs, but have to save hard for events further afield. I hate to think what our racing cost last year up to Highgate went from 60 pound of fuel to 80 pound overnight.

I for one would also like to see more club racing, with the four main championships per year central so as most people can attend ( I also know how hard it is to obtain and hold on to ground to race on). But if club/regions were not allowed Top Ten status would they survive, as people chasing points may be the difference on the day.

Sorry amanda I should have worded it different I wasn't trying to cause offence, I know you do a lot of work for our club and I'm extremely grateful. I just merely wanted to point out that if it were possible to have racing at our club it would be so much better for us in terms of finding to money to travel all the time just to get the chance of a race. Some people have suggested that they prefer the challenge of open racing but I honstly would be just has happy for my dogs to win in a club handicap as an open. For me the joy of the sport comes from seeing how much my girls enjoy it win or lose and the company of good people. Its nice to travel and mix with people and dogs I don't often meet but I get just as much pleasure socialising at our club and wish that more could be done to encourage more racing. I know that many people, yourself included have done a lot to try and encourage new members to the sport and I honestly don't know what more can be done. All I know is that money is getting very tight and i'm in a completly different position financially to three years ago when I joined the sport. Even in that short amount of time we have gone from attending as many opens as possible and not worrying about the travel to having to pick and chose where to go and what we can afford. All i meant to say is that club racing would provide another option for us.

 

[sherry]

still nobody has answered the question... how did certain opens come about? just a for instance il use wallsend harry seymour been goin for as long as ive been racing but who was harry seymour and how did wallsend get that open etc etc? the red mills cup @ stockton how did that come about and how long? again as long as i can remember.

 

[sherry]

still nobody has answered the question... how did certain opens come about? just a for instance il use wallsend harry seymour been goin for as long as ive been racing but who was harry seymour and how did wallsend get that open etc etc? the red mills cup @ stockton how did that come about and how long? again as long as i can remember.

 

[sherry]

still nobody has answered the question... how did certain opens come about? just a for instance il use wallsend harry seymour been goin for as long as ive been racing but who was harry seymour and how did wallsend get that open etc etc? the red mills cup @ stockton how did that come about and how long? again as long as i can remember.

 

[lydford]

The main reason people are leaving the sport imo is all the nasty people on this site :angry: who can't live with the fact that some peoples dogs are faster then theirs. :angry: Who would want to come into a sport with so many NON sporting people. :rant:

:unsure: I have no idea who you are, but, I will say that there are more GOOD people in the sport than BAD! I notice that you are new member, so, I would ask you to wait until you know folks better, because not everyone is Nasty. Believe me! By the way, Welcome to the world of Whippets! ) :wub:

i joined in 07 so i do not class my self as a new member :angry:

 

[milly]

The main reason people are leaving the sport imo is all the nasty people on this site :angry: who can't live with the fact that some peoples dogs are faster then theirs. :angry: Who would want to come into a sport with so many NON sporting people. :rant:

:unsure: I have no idea who you are, but, I will say that there are more GOOD people in the sport than BAD! I notice that you are new member, so, I would ask you to wait until you know folks better, because not everyone is Nasty. Believe me! By the way, Welcome to the world of Whippets! ) :wub:

It looks like your the k9 rookie Dee in this instance :lol:

 

[Vicky]

Maybe instead of flooding the calendar with bog standard opens every club could concentrate on just the one open (do away with additionals) do it right, spend more time preparing for it and give more back to the people who are supporting your events.

If the calendar was full last year why have even more additionals sprouted wings this year?

Why do the BWRA, NNWRF and Classics get first dibs on all the prime dates yet people keep harping on about the support for clubs?

I appreciate the calendar must be a total nightmare but would it be worth considering halving the calendar and running opens on alternate years if no-one wants to drop any.

Could dates not change each year so that everyone gets a chance to hold their open at a time when is suitable to them and doesn't clash or fall too close to big events.

 

[rocky]

To further answer Carols questions - Harry Seymoud lived and ran at Wallsend so at his passing a trophy was in rememberance of him

Stockton for the Red Mills because it is the club of Malcolm Clark, the GB Red Mills Manager.

 

[dart]

Maybe instead of flooding the calendar with bog standard opens every club could concentrate on just the one open (do away with additionals) do it right, spend more time preparing for it and give more back to the people who are supporting your events. If the calendar was full last year why have even more additionals sprouted wings this year?

Why do the BWRA, NNWRF and Classics get first dibs on all the prime dates yet people keep harping on about the support for clubs?

I appreciate the calendar must be a total nightmare but would it be worth considering halving the calendar and running opens on alternate years if no-one wants to drop any.

Could dates not change each year so that everyone gets a chance to hold their open at a time when is suitable to them and doesn't clash or fall too close to big events.

Spot on vicky less opens pay more of money back and at these big event run a maiden event side I think you get big turn out to many opens with 40 dogs or less I like to watch good racing not solo every weekend to many opens must be cut back

 

[ahorsnall]

i dont think add opens affect who travels too other opens at all .there was no add opens or other opens on this weekend and you only have to count all dogs racing over the weekend at clubs there was plenty that raced but didnt just choose to travel.a club is going to do what its members wants and cant be told by any one else what and when to do any thing :thumbsup: the back bone of racing is a strong club some times also when you run a club you cant always cancel to travel as if you did you would not have a club then were would racing be :thumbsup:

 

[Vicky]

i dont think add opens affect who travels too other opens at all .there was no add opens or other opens on this weekend and you only have to count all dogs racing over the weekend at clubs there was plenty that raced but didnt just choose to travel.a club is going to do what its members wants and cant be told by any one else what and when to do any thing :thumbsup: the back bone of racing is a strong club some times also when you run a club you cant always cancel to travel as if you did you would not have a club then were would racing be :thumbsup:

Whippet News can't dictate what clubs do no, but it can choose whether to accept an advert and calendar entry.

 

[ahorsnall]

since when was it deemed that whippet news decides what clubs do.vicky get over it you cant tell people to travel to an open if they dont choose done right like youres or wrong like the other opens :thumbsup:

 

[rodders]

Am I green or what.Why would Chris choose not to accept an advert? The magazine has to pay for itself,and would have thought advertising goes toward this.Expecting the editor to not accept an advert is daft.

 

[dart]

Am I green or what.Why would Chris choose not to accept an advert? The magazine has to pay for itself,and would have thought advertising goes toward this.Expecting the editor to not accept an advert is daft.

I hope your not off colour Karen