Why Club's Fold?

[sharon whincop]

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We were having a chat today and this came up. So I thought I ask why you as racer's think club's are closing.

A lot of people say it's to do with to many top ten open's but the club's go on a evening during the week and don't interfear with open's. Personally I think if everyone Kept just 1 dog they don't think is open class and ran it at their club then the club's will stay open. To many people just giving dog's away couse the arn't fast enough. While we carn't keep them all just 1 each would keep club's open.

Even if you have nothing to run support your club's by helping out or buying raffle tickets if they have them.

Personally I prefer club racing to open racing even thought I do both. And with so many club's folding where will we all run at.

 

[JOHNG]

sharron the trouble is everybody wants an open class dog it's nothing to do with too many top-ten opens, a lot of people myself included won't race there dog at club level if it's open class for the fear of getting injured i only use my club to get the dogs fit for the new season then if they are good enough for the open scene they won't be entered anymore that year .

when i first started 35yrs ago we had 60+dogs at west auckland on a sunday morning and about 90 members out of those only about 6 or so went open racing so that loss did'nt matter,but know all the members go open racing and clubs suffer.

but maybe this year i might be club racing a bit more the way my dogs are shaping up :lol: :- "

 

[unwanted]

well they put this weight handicap thing on for dogs to run and that as made no difo still not the dogs runnin and by the amount of puppy's been bred round the country there should be a lot more on the handicap wether it be weight or time,lot more pups bred than there was years ago

 

[Karen-Coral]

Maybe something like this.... :blink:

Isn't it a general society thing...? the way we/some are today.....

Limited time, selfishness....laziness????

Do we really want to be bothered doing things for nothing?

You've been at work all day, do you really want to drag yourself out again especially during winter months for largely the benefit of others, when maybe you could just as easily train your own dogs alone and turn up at opens with no other commitment than to run your own dog/dogs and leave?

Another e.g-

Parents out there will probably remember 'Playgroups' where parents/carers were expected as part of membership to 'take their turn' helping run the group once or a few times per week.....

Due to other commitments work etc...these groups rarely exist anymore where I live. but we do a have an abundance of private nursery care etc where children are dropped off and the privilege is paid for.

Not saying this is totally my view on things but i do know it is a view many others hold????

On a personal note...I find club racing rather boring...though Steve likes it and would quite contentedly 'just club race'

I know what your saying though Sharon....it's sad that clubs are closing etc but times/people change.

You know what hard work it is to keep things going, and 'many' simply don't want that-eh?

Karen

 

[mutley]

simple answer is not as many people racing now

 

[Karen-Coral]

simple answer is not as many people racing now

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yep, that as well.

 

[sherry]

i personally dont think its down to the top ten opens. westerhope club shut recently becoz they only had 3 or 4 dogs racing each week well if 2 r injured u only have 2 racing, we ended up with 2 of those dogs @ the rising sun. we dont close the rising sun club thru the winter or wotever we didnt even have a handicap on thru the week last year just trialling and out of a possible 52 weeks we actually raced 36 weeks some were cancelled becoz of top ten opens like the english derby, scottish derby, champs etc but if theres no opens on up this way we will normally be on and yes a few of our dogs r open class. bigges maine is hardly ever cancelled normally only if the rising sun has an open on or bad weather. so the reason imo why clubs shut is like gary bailey said lack of people & dogs.

 

[wild whippies]

Well I love club racing! I actually look forward to it as a means of breaking up my working week. We all have a good natter whilst setting up and we usually go in the club for a drink afterwards. Club racing is really important to me because I have 3 peds that wouldn't race anywhere if it didn't exist and getting rid is not an option as far as I'm concerned. As for my young non-ped, if it wasn't for fellow club members coming along then I can't see how I would manage to train him.

Maybe the Ginpit stays popular due to it's midweek schedule in summer and the bend racing at wessy on a thursdays in winter. There's also the benefit that pups trained there can work they way up from training against the likes of my peds to other open class dogs so their owners have the confidence that if their dog does reach 'open class' they should be going into their first open with a wealth of experience.

I have heard 2 owners at opens 'brag' that this was their first dogs ever race, now fair enough they might be blagging but if there is any truth in this then to me they're total idiots risking both their own dogs and others.

 

[lyds]

GOT TO AGREE NOT HAS MANY IN RACING NOW. BUT WITH OUT YOUR CLUBS HOW DO U HAVE OPENS?

 

[Fleesh]

We've always enjoyed the handicap at Manton. It is yd/lb handicap and so easy to understand, I like to be able to see the mark my dog is off and I can keep track of when they move back.

We've been lucky in that our dogs have always been there and there abouts at the opens and been able to gain heats, classes, supreme wins, and Championship and/or r-up position at opens.

I guess you're right about some people not wanting to run their open class dogs at club. Personally I find club racing fun, you can have a good laugh and joke and if you move back on the handicap, you've made yourself a bit of cash in the process, if you move forward, bonus - you might get to win next time off a better mark.

Our handicap is run over alternating distances 150/165/175yds and the handicap is broken up by trophy races which can be 150-175yds handicap or 100-220yds off weight marks varying handicaps (ie yd/lb). There's a time trophy too and one off a pre-war handicap.

Currently I have one off 25lb (17lber) two off 27lb (21lber & 22lber) and one of 39lb (28lber). We all at the club have a good laugh at poor Blaze she's giving a minimum of about 7 yards this year. But then again if she can run off the Scr mark over 150yds giving 14yds away to an open class 17lb dog and win then she must deserve the mark she's given.

Hence why it's called handicap and hence why it's open to all :thumbsup: - plus the bonus of it being a handicap is it's designed for the dogs to cross the line together thus reducing the risk of injury as can be seen at opens when the other dogs pile in on the lure after crossing the line a couple of yards after the winner.

Although I'm sure there's one or two on here that'll be quick to jump on and tell me how wrong I am :- " There's no pleasing everyone

 

[JOHNG]

Do we really want to be bothered doing things for nothing?

You've been at work all day, do you really want to drag yourself out again especially during winter months for largely the benefit of others, when maybe you could just as easily train your own dogs alone and turn up at opens with no other commitment than to run your own dog/dogs and leave?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

even though i rarley race my dogs at newton aycliffe i still go week in week out rain or shine and do the lure,and that's another problem with the sport not many of the younger one's want to get involved in the running of the club i.e. lure driving ,trap pulling. ) like you say there are far too many just want to race there dog and leave everything to the usuall workers.

at aycliffe we have a good set of members who will muck in and help out :thumbsup:

 

[Karen-Coral]

Do we really want to be bothered doing things for nothing?
You've been at work all day, do you really want to drag yourself out again especially during winter months for largely the benefit of others, when maybe you could just as easily train your own dogs alone and turn up at opens with no other commitment than to run your own dog/dogs and leave?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

even though i rarley race my dogs at newton aycliffe i still go week in week out rain or shine and do the lure,and that's another problem with the sport not many of the younger one's want to get involved in the running of the club i.e. lure driving ,trap pulling. ) like you say there are far too many just want to race there dog and leave everything to the usuall workers.

at aycliffe we have a good set of members who will muck in and help out :thumbsup:

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Fair play :thumbsup:

Pity there aren't more who are prepared to do the same eh?

 

[Vicky]

I love my club racing, i always manage to drag at least one demic off the couch to make up numbers :- " Summer nights at Gin Pit are ace, nothing is taken serious, no-one is bothered whether their dog wins or loses. We don't have a huge amount of members and it's nice for the dogs that aren't open class to still get a bash at winning (without being disheartened by losing in opens every week) it's also lovely to watch the babies learning their trade and watching them progress from a couple of slips to actualy going in with other dogs. For me though nothing beats the buzz of open racing, club racing & open racing to me can't be compared - at club level you have the laid back atmosphere and everyone knows everyone and their dogs, open racing there is just that air of excitement, going home knowing my dog has giving an open class dog a good race even if they got beat is a good feeling. The feeling of actually winning at an open - nothing at club level comes close imo.

I don't really blame people for going open racing more than club racing it's just something you have to accept, years ago there was more to club racing that turning up and running with the same 5 dogs whereas years ago you'd be glad to go home with the winner of a 60 dog club handicap.

I wouldn't swap either for the world :lol:

 

[jade scott]

another problem with the sport not many of the younger one's want to get involved in the running of the club i.e. lure driving ,trap pulling. )

I used to travel an hour on my own every wednesday to Fordingbridge run the lure up and down for most races and pull the traps or attempt to do the lure, and i never even ran a dog. I was often helping at opens on photo finish etc.

But for me i always found it scary trying to learn to do these things or you just presume someone else is going to do it, but whats worse is when people start presuming you are going to do it all and you get no help.

I am sad to say i am not even a member of a club anymore which guts me i used to love club racing and open racing, luckily when i started racing Tig i had the likes of :

Nowt but a daisy 32lb

Babeesha 28lb

Buncie Boy 28lb

Classic Action 26lb

Celt 30lb

Force n Styles 28lb

Lordshill Lady 30lb

Bitch Cassidy 35lb

Cat Balou 40lb

Spiders Lady 30lb

Mayhem 26lb

and probably a few more not a bad handicap section for a tiny club hey? Every week just winning a heat was like winning an open!