The History of Greyhound Racing in New England


Book Description

Chapter One Greyhound Racing Comes To New England Before pari-mutuel greyhound racing came to New England in the mid-1930s it had a long uphill battle to overcome the regions puritanical resistance to gambling and what many felt was a moral injustice inherent in the sport which was promulgated by the image of dogs hunting down rabbits in what was known as coursing. With these objections in mind it is necessary to write a brief history of the reasons why the greyhound first came to America and how greyhound racing came about and evolved into a flourishing sport. Later chapters will explain in depth how its critics and changing consumer tastes eventually brought the sport down. A Brief History With the great western migrations of the mid-nineteenth century and the increased use of farmlands to feed the growing populations came the problem of protecting the crops from jackrabbits was paramount. The solution came from the railroad workers and settlers, many of whom emigrated from England and Ireland and were familiar with the greyhounds and their hunting skills. They began importing greyhounds and selling them to the farmers where they became valuable economic assets by keeping the rabbits away from their cash crops. Another purchaser was the U. S. Cavalry, including George Armstrong Custer, who utilized their skills for scouting enemy movement and hunting down game. Sources say that Custer coursed his greyhounds the night before the 1876 Battle of Little Big Horn and that the dogs survived the next days battle. Meanwhile, the farmers, looking for entertainment diversions, started racing their greyhounds in what were called coursing meets in which the greyhounds chased a live rabbit. Gambling at these meets was extensive. Coursings popularity spread rapidly, and not just in the farmlands. There even were meets in such locations as the mill towns of Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts and, of course, gambling was part of the action. There was also a spreading humanitarian backlash to coursing . As Frank G. Menke wrote in the 1942 edition of The Encyclopedia of Sports, Opposition to this form of sport developed. The humane people of the state rebelled at the idea of killing of the rabbit just to perpetuate a gambling diversion. They implored officials to make coursing null and voidand this was accomplished. The Mechanical Lure The next giant step to overcoming these objections and turning greyhound racing into a sport that quieted many of the humanitarian objections was accomplished by a gentleman named Owen Patrick Smith. He is one of the key figures in the history of the sport and was profiled in a long Aug. 27, 1973 Sports Illustrated article by Robert Cantwell. O. P. Smith (1869-1927), as he came to be known, was once hired to organize a coursing meet to promote the city of Hot Springs. He then turned his full attention to the invention of a mechanical lure for greyhound racing and in 1910 was granted a patent for the Inanimate Hare Conveyor. His breakthrough came at Emeryville, CA where a boxing promoter and businessman named George Sawyer built a track in 1919, utilizing the new device. In his Sports Illustrated article Cantwell writes of the 1,600 pounds of machinery to carry a one-pound rabbit which at times jumped the rail. Smith had another problem with the dogmen, Cantwell relates. They were of the belief that their greyhounds would feel deceived once they knew they were not chasing a live rabbit and never run ag




Going to the dogs


Book Description

Greyhound racing emerged rapidly in Britain in 1926 but in its early years was subject to rabid institutional middle-class opposition largely because of the legal gambling opportunities it offered to the working class. Though condemned as a dissipate and impoverishing activity, it was, in fact, a significant leisure opportunity for the working class, which cost little for the minority of bettors involved in what was clearly little more than a ‘bit of the flutter’ , This book is the first national study of greyhound racing in Britain from its beginnings, to its heyday in the 1930s and 1940s, and up its long slow decline of the late twentieth century. Much of the study will be defined by the dominating issue of working-class gambling and the bitter opposition to both it and greyhound racing, although the attractions of this ‘American Night Out’ will also be examined.




The History of Harness Racing in New England


Book Description

New England has played a prominent role in the history of harness racing in America. The greatest horses, owners, drivers and trainers competed here and the sport reached its height of popularity following the legalization of pari-mutuel wagering in the mid-1930's following 300 years of Puritanical resistance to gambling. Today harness racing is barely hanging on as a viable commercial entity. This book details the history of the sport, tracing its rise and near-final fall and the possible solution to saving it.




The Pilgrims Would Be Shocked: the History of Thoroughbred Racing in New England


Book Description

For 40 years the most attended sport in New England was thoroughbred racing. Since1933 when pari-mutuel racing was legalized in the region after 300 years of puritanical opposition there were 16 tracks in operation in five New England states. Today there is only one track left and its barely surviving. The Pilgrims Would be Shocked: The History Of Thoroughbred Racing In New England traces the rise and near fall of the sport, beginning with its puritanical background when people were put in the stocks and fined by the Pilgrims for merely racing horses, with or without wagering. Finally, in 1906, a meet was run at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire which was financed by John Bet A Million Gates. His million dollar bet proved to be a loser as the track was quickly closed down by authorities because of gambling at the facility. Wagering had not been legalized by the state legislature and church leaders and others demanded it be stopped. In 1933, Lou Smith, an amazing immigrant son of impoverished Russian parents, came to the Granite State and, through his power of persuasion and political savvy, convinced the legislature during the hard economic times of the Depression to legalize pari-mutuel racing. The enabling legislation was passed and the first race meeting was an unqualified artistic and financial success, producing top quality racing, high employment and significant revenue to Salem and the state of New Hampshire. Seeing the tremendous success of New Hampshire, Rhode Island legalized the sport in 1934 and Massachusetts in 1935. The tracks produced significant tax revenues and employment for these states as well. For the next four decades the greatest horses (including three Triple Crown winner), jockeys, owners and trainers competed throughout New England, producing the highest caliber of racing. There was no shortage of incredible occurrences during that time, including the closing of Narragansett Park by the National Guard on orders of the Rhode Island governor, and a man who ran out in front of the horses at the finish of a stakes race at Suffolk Downs in East Boston. Beginning in the late 1970s the sport began its decline for a number of reasons. This book analyzes the factors contributing to its fall in popularity and possible solution to saving it from extinction.




Greyhound Nation


Book Description

Edmund Russell's much-anticipated new book examines interactions between greyhounds and their owners in England from 1200 to 1900 to make a compelling case that history is an evolutionary process. Challenging the popular notion that animal breeds remain uniform over time and space, Russell integrates history and biology to offer a fresh take on human-animal coevolution. Using greyhounds in England as a case study, Russell shows that greyhounds varied and changed just as much as their owners. Not only did they evolve in response to each other, but people and dogs both evolved in response to the forces of modernization, such as capitalism, democracy, and industry. History and evolution were not separate processes, each proceeding at its own rate according to its own rules, but instead were the same.




The Story of Sport in England


Book Description

A fascinating history of the English experience of sport, from its earliest beginnings in social play and pastimes, via its adoption as an alternative to the clockwork routine of urban life, to its consumption as the product of a global business.




Sports Betting and Bookmaking


Book Description

Horse racing in America dates back to the colonial era when street races were a common occurrence. The commercialization of horse racing produced a sport that would briefly surpass all others in popularity, with annual races such as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes growing to rank among America’s most celebrated sporting events. From the very onset, horse racing and gambling were intertwined. As the popularity of racing and betting grew, so, too, did the controversies and corruption. Yet, despite the best efforts of social reformers, bookmakers stubbornly plied their trade, adapting and evolving as horse racing gave way to team sports as the backbone of their business. In Sports Betting and Bookmaking: An American History, Arne K. Lang provides a sweeping overview of legal and illegal sports and race betting in the United States, from the first thoroughbred meet at Saratoga in 1863 through the modern day. The cultural war between bookmakers and their adversaries is a recurring theme, as bookmakers were often forced into the shadows during times of social reform, only to bloom anew when the time was ripe. While much of bookmaking’s history takes place in New York, other locales such as Chicago, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City—not to mention Cyberspace—are also discussed in this volume. A comprehensive exploration of the evolution of bookmaking—including the legal developments and technological advancements that have taken place over the years—Sports Betting and Bookmaking is a fascinating read. This informative and engaging book will be of interest to anyone wanting to learn more about America’s long history with gambling on horse racing and team sports.




History of the American Greyhound Derby


Book Description

Traces the American Greyhound Derby from its inception in 1949 up to the last race in 2012, using photographs, illustrations, articles and actual American Derby racepages. Source of material provided from the private collection of David Jeswald.




The Evolution of English Sport


Book Description

This work uses original material from clubs and sporting organizations to illuminate the evolution of sporting activity nation-wide. It relates these documents to themes such as commercialism and club fortunes. It concludes by discussing the outlook for English sport.




Brooklyn Goes Home


Book Description

The true story of how one greyhound sparked a movement to close the worst dog track in the world and finally found his forever home with greyhound advocates. We once met a dog that changed the world. His name was Brooklyn. It’s hard to imagine that a spotted dog would become the inspiration for a worldwide fight; that the campaign would be successful, and that after a decade of suffering, he would come home to us. And yet it happened. In fact, the thirteen short years that Brooklyn spent on this earth would turn out to be one of the most consequential periods in history for greyhounds, and for the broader debate on non-human animal rights. The life of this one dog signaled not only the end of greyhound racing in the United States, but also the emergence of the first successful movement to outlaw an animal abuse industry that was powerful, culturally resonant, and economically significant. This history is based on the memories and reflections of Christine Dorchak and Carey Theil and describes twenty years of working together to help greyhounds. The two of us grew up more than a decade apart, on alternate coasts, one raised very traditionally and the other quite liberally, one an animal loving “Jersey Girl” turned lawyer, the other a poet and chess master turned political strategist. This Yin and Yang turned out to be a curious balance of opposites that is perhaps the reason that the organization survived and then succeeded against very great odds. Brooklyn Goes Home is the story of the rise and fall of commercial greyhound racing in the United States and an account of how our small non-profit emerged from to make an impact. It is also a remembrance of three glorious years spent with a magical dog. We hope that readers will find inspiration in our chronicle, and perhaps discover new paths to making positive change in the world.




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