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An Introduction To The Greyhound~

Slender legs reaching, stretching, consuming the ground, then, almost quicker than the eye could see, gathering and stretching again, the Greyhound streaked past, lost in the sheer joy of physical exertion. Faster and faster he went until his need was satisfied, then he slowed and explored his surroundings, ever alert for a foolhardy rabbit that may try its luck against his speed.

A Greyhound in full stride, muscles bulging under thin skin, his attention focused on a prey animal, is a creature of rare beauty. In sharp contrast to this insatiable drive to hunt and to run, a Greyhound in the home is a pet of uncommon sweetness and gentility.        

Among the most ancient breeds, the Greyhound can be seen in Egyptian tomb carvings dated back to 2751 BC. These carvings depict the dogs attacking deer, a prey it was well-adapted to hunt.

Although the Greyhound also appears in various Celtic, British, Irish, and Scottish pictures and literature dating from the 9th Century, its slender build, deep chest, and thin skin suggest a warm climate origin for the breed.

The Greyhound developed as a sight hunter in the arid and semi-arid lands of North Africa and the Middle East, and the Arabs selectively bred him for increased speed. His hunting ability locked in his appeal to the aristocracy, for sport hunting was the province only of the upper classes.

Although the breed name "Greyhound" seems to be a reference to color, its origin is not so simple. Some attribute the name to a derivation of Graius or Grecian. Others trace it to the old British grech or greg, meaning dog and hundr, meaning hunting. Still others prefer the simpler explanation -- the original color of the dogs was gray and the name simply means gray dog .

No matter his color or the origin of his name, the Greyhound was definitely an aristocrat in whatever country he resided. Indeed, the English Parliament protected the status of the breed with a law in 1016 that prohibited ownership to "meane persons" and allowed only conditional ownership to "freemen." The value of a Greyhound exceeded that of a serf, and the punishment for causing death of a Greyhound was equivalent to the punishment for murder.

The Greyhound can hunt hoofed game and wild canids, but his specialty is rabbits. The English sport of coursing -- hunting by sight instead of scent -- has roots in ancient Greece, and is a sport valued for the contest more than the catching of the prey. The Greek historian Arrian wrote more than 1800 years ago: "For coursers, such at least as are true sportsmen, do not take their dogs out for the sake of catching a hare, but for the contest and sport of coursing, and are glad if the hare meets with an escape."

The sport of coursing led directly to the spectator sport of Greyhound racing with the invention of the mechanical rabbit in 1912. With the advent of racetracks and gambling on the outcome of the contests, Greyhound ownership passed from the aristocracy to the general populace, and, like other breeds with some lines bred for work and others for the show ring, the breed has diverged into conformation dogs and racing dogs.  

     

  Ch Windrock Go Go Gadget JC CC embodies the raw essence of the Greyhound. Greyhounds have been bred for centuries  to hunt for Man.  Looks like rabbit is on the menu tonight!

 

 

 Greyhound Tidbits of Information

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The greyhound is the only dog to be mentioned in the Bible - King James Version, Proverbs 30:29-31   Greyhounds are the oldest purebred dog, dating before the Pharaohs. The first records of greyhounds are about 8,000 years old. All greyhounds alive today are descended from a dog called King Cob, who lived in the 1700's.   A law passed during the reign of King Canute stated that no commoner could own a greyhound. The law also called for capitol punishment for anyone causing the death of a greyhound.   The racing greyhound is the only breed of dog reputed to have no recorded cases of hip dysphasia, a common genetic disease in large breeds.   Fredrick the Great of Prussia asked in his will to be buried with his beloved greyhounds. The graves remain today.   Greyhounds are quiet and calm. They seldom bark. They curl up into a remarkably small space to sleep. The greyhound returns the love you give him many times over. Few things in life are as satisfying as the companionship shared with these wonderful dogs.

The actor John Barrymore always kept a house full of greyhounds as pets. The actress Bo Derek owns several retired racers, and is a great advocate of these dogs.   Greyhounds are by far the fastest breed of dog, reaching speeds well in excess of 40 miles an hour. They can see clearly more than half a mile.   Greyhounds do not cause allergies, and can be kept by people who are allergic to other pets. Greyhounds do not sweat & do not have a doggie odor.   Throughout history, greyhounds have been the treasured pets of nobility.   Greyhounds do not make good watchdogs. They are bred specifically to be even tempered and good natured. As a result, they love everyone and view every stranger as a new friend.

About The Greyhound~

The Duke's  writing portrayed the sleek, muscled and racy Greyhound, admired for its speed for thousands of years. Tombs of Egypt from the Fourth dynasty, between 4000 and 3500 BC, show drawings of dogs similar to Greyhounds and Salukis, making it obvious that dogs of this type were much esteemed during this era. During the ensuing centuries, Greyhounds proved to be in great demand as an item of barter, and spread through the Near East and Europe. They were developed to standard in England, where they became a status symbol.

A Welsh proverb states, "You may know a gentlemen by his horse, his hawk and his greyhound." The source of the Greyhound name is accredited to various plausibilities: from as simple an explanation as the breed's early colors or the Latin word gradus, i.e., swiftness; to the Old English grech or greg meaning dog; or a corruption of "gazehound" or "great hound."

The dog was a favorite of English nobility, who limited ownership by the common folk under the Laws of Canute formulated in 1016: "No mean person may keepe any greyhounds, but freemen may keepe greyhounds so that their knees be cut before the verderors of the forest, and without cutting of their knees also, if he does abide 10 miles from the bounds of the forest." In wide flat expanses, a hunter was handicapped—no brushy forest to conceal the human presence or to hamper the animal as it attempted to bolt. With its powerful eyesight and great speed enabling him to overtake the quarry, the Greyhound proved an invaluable aid. One of them, "Bang" by name, jumped an astounding 30 feet while coursing a hare.

When dogs became more than a means to a full cooking pot, the Greyhound excelled in coursing, and later track racing, hitting a speed of nearly 46 mph, maintaining its reputation as the fastest dog on earth. Only the cheetah and pronghorn antelope tops him for speed in the animal world. His track abilities have given him an advantage over all other breeds. The racing Greyhound is the only recognized dog breed in America not afflicted with the curse of hip dysplasia. Several Greyhounds made their fame and their masters' fortune on the track, some winning as much as $50,000 during their racing peak. The sale of one dog, "Indian Joe,^" copped the biggest price in dogdom: $72,000.

 

      BEST FRIENDS!

Despite being orginally bred as one of the most capable hunting machines ever to course game, many devout fanciers feel the Greyhound is second to none as a Companion.

The Greyhound is equally at home as a gentle and mild mannered pet in the house as it is running after prey.

These darling boys are sharing their playmate's bed and toys, and it appears that the Greyhound Spicy is wearing one of the boy's jackets!

 

                 The AKC Greyhound Breed Standard

Head
Long and narrow, fairly wide between the ears, scarcely perceptible stop, little or no development of nasal sinuses, good length of muzzle, which should be powerful without coarseness. Teeth very strong and even in front.

Ears
Small and fine in texture, thrown back and folded, except when excited, when they are semi-pricked.

Eyes                                                                                                                                                                     Dark, bright, intelligent, indicating spirit.

 Neck
Long, muscular, without throatiness, slightly arched, and widening gradually into the shoulder.

Shoulders
Placed as obliquely as possible, muscular without being loaded.

Forelegs
Perfectly straight, set well into the shoulders, neither turned in nor out, pasterns strong.

Chest
Deep, and as wide as consistent with speed, fairly well-sprung ribs.

Back
Muscular and broad.

Loins
Good depth of muscle, well arched, well cut up in the flanks.

Hindquarters
Long, very muscular and powerful, wide and well let down, well-bent stifles. Hocks well bent and rather close to ground, wide but straight fore and aft.

Feet
Hard and close, rather more hare than catfeet, well knuckled up with good strong claws.

Tail
Long, fine and tapering with a slight upward curve.

Coat
Short, smooth and firm in texture.

Color
Immaterial.

Weight
Dogs, 65 to 70 pounds; bitches 60 to 65 pounds.

Scale of Points

 

General symmetry and quality	10
Head and neck	20
Chest and shoulders	20
Back	10
Quarters	20
Legs and feet	20
Total	100

 

                              

Another Description of the Greyhound~

The Greyhound is a fleet galloper, aristocratic in demeanor and elegant yet powerful in appearance.  Mobility, quality, balance, and athleticism are abundant and unmistakable.   One of the oldest breeds, the Greyhound has hunted game from hare to boar to stag all over the globe.  Centuries of diversity of game and terrain have resulted in a range of size and style in the breed.  The Greyhound maintains a functional balance between extremes of power and beauty: strong, agile, confident, yet never cumbersome, low on leg, plain or common; beautiful, but never frail, weak, nor unsubstantial.  All parts should flow smoothly together forming the distinctive but unexaggerated curves and smooth transitions that are the hallmark of the breed.  There should be a strong and instant impression of noble bearing.

HEAD - The head is long with a flat skull and moderate width between the ears.  Muzzle and jaw are long and well chiseled, but strong enough to grasp prey.  The back skull and muzzle approach nearly parallel planes as viewed from the side.  The stop is slight, and there is little or no development of nasal sinuses.
Faults: Coarse head, heavy head, Roman head, down faced head, prominent flews, snipey muzzle, lack of underjaw.

TEETH - The teeth are strong, of good size, well aligned, and form a scissors bite (preferred) or a level bite (acceptable.) 
Severe Faults: Overshot, undershot, wry mouth.

EARS - The ears are small, fine, and rose-shaped.  The ears are normally carried back with the top edge of the ear level with the top of the skull but when alert are lifted and resemble gull wings. 
Faults: Low set, high set and close together; flat, heavy ears, prick ears.

EYES - The eyes are almond-shaped, keen, kind, and intelligent.  While darker eyes are preferred, dilute coat colors are often associated with lighter eyes, which should be in shades harmonious with the coat color.  Both eyes are of the same color.  The overall expression is valued more than the detail of eye color.  A superior specimen must never be overlooked for a lesser animal on the basis of eye color alone. 
Faults: Blue or blue-flecked eye(s).  Both eyes not the same color.

NECK - The neck is long and elegantly arched, flowing and widening into the shoulders.  The neck must be strong enough to serve as a fulcrum at the gallop and capable of stooping to prey. 
Faults: Short, thick, throaty neck; spindly, poorly attached neck.

FOREQUARTERS -  The shoulders are as well laid back as is consistent with speed and have good flat muscle without being loaded.  The upper arm should be of approximately the same length and angle as the shoulder blade,  allowing for a front assembly that has the width necessary for greater muscle attachment.  Elbows are well attached, not projecting or loose from the body, nor pinched in but set well under the dog and in line with the top of the withers.  Front is filled, showing no hollow between the front legs, but not so filled as to create a prominent fore chest. 
Faults: Upright or forward-set front assembly, as neither allow for adequate muscle attachment nor are they properly laid back on the body; lack of front fill, extreme fore chest.

LEGS - Front legs are long, straight and strong and are of good substance, with bladed bone consistent with aerodynamics.  Pasterns are of moderate length with slight spring.  Elbows, pasterns and feet turn neither in nor out whether standing or moving. 
Faults: Round, heavy cumbersome bone; weak, bird-like bone; crooked legs, bowed legs, over at the pastern, weak pasterns.

FEET - Front and rear feet are more hare than cat-like, more oval then round.  Well knuckled-up toes, thick pads and strong nails are crucial for good running gear. 
Faults: Flat loose feet; too-tight inflexible feet.

BODY -  The body must simultaneously convey a look of strength and elegance, power and agility.  The back is broad and muscular, with ribs well sprung from the spine.  The ribs extend well back on the body and descend to form a modified egg-shaped ribcage if seen in cross section.  The depth of chest on an adult reaches the elbow but not below, as extreme depth interferes at the gallop.  Chest space comes more from depth and length than from width.  The body must be capacious enough for good heart and lung room but never so wide as to resemble a draft animal.  There must be a gentle but defined rise over powerful, muscular loins.  The underline flows into a tight tuck-up, adding to the "S" curve look of the body.  The length of the dog in back or in the loin may vary, as long as the proportions always look strong, purposeful and capable of the double suspension gallop.  The entire length of the topline, flowing from the withers onto the back to the loin to the croup must be cohesive, strong and flowing.  The distance from withers to elbow is equal to or less than leg length from elbow to ground.  The length from sternum to buttocks, in combination with the height of the dog, results in an outline ranging in appearance from square to slightly longer than tall.  The Greyhound must always look the part of a fleet hound, neither low and heavy nor frail and up in the air.  He must display the gentle curves and distinctive outline (topline and underline) that distinguish him from other breeds.
Faults: Barrel ribs, shallow ribs; narrow or pinched chest.  Arch starting too far forward on the body, roached topline, or wheel-backed topline, as each of these interferes with extension at the gallop and transmission of power from the rear to the front;  flat topline is atypical.  Length of body either too short or too long-coupled for easy, sustained galloping.

HINDQUARTERS - The croup is long and slightly sloping.  Thighs should be heavily muscled, matching the well muscled second thigh in length.  Stifles are long and well bent.  Hock joint is well bent, with hocks straight and well let down.  Stifles, hocks and feet point straight ahead.  The natural stance puts the hock behind the dog.  The rear should give the impression of being capable of propulsion and agility. 
Faults: Cowhocks, sickle hocks; rears that are over-angulated, under-angulated or poorly matched to the front assembly.

TAIL - The tail is long, fine and tapering, with a slight upward curve towards the end.  The tail should flow smoothly from the croup, and must be strong and flexible, as it is the visible manifestation of the spine and is used for balance at the gallop.  The tail is carried low even at the trot.  Long tails are often prone to injury and broken tails or missing tips may be viewed as honorable scars. 
Faults: Gay tail carried above the back.

COAT -  The coat is fine and smooth.  Scars are immaterial.  Coat color is immaterial.  Neither color nor markings should affect judging.  Markings may sometimes mislead the eye, requiring hands-on examination of the actual structure beneath the markings.

GAIT -  The working gait of the Greyhound is the double suspension gallop.  The  Greyhound trots in the style of a galloping hound in a light, elastic, low-stepping and open gait with effortless timing and good forward movement.  There are no exaggerations or wasted movements either in the front or in the rear.  Coming and going is clean and easy, tending towards convergence of the legs as speed increases. 
Faults: Hackney action, erratic movement, restricted movement.

TEMPERAMENT -  Greyhounds are not often given to public displays and may appear reserved in public.  In the ring, showmanship (use of ears, intense baiting) must never be confused with true quality.  Quiet excellence must be preferable to flashy mediocrity. 
Faults: Shyness or aggression.

SIZE -  Since the Greyhound historically hunted prey in scope from hare to wild boar and stag, there is an allowable and understandable variation in size in the breed.  The Greyhound must not be mistaken for a Whippet nor a Great Dane but instead always demonstrate his own true type.  Whatever the size, bitches are feminine, dogs are masculine and all should display balance, harmony, and quality.

The foregoing describes parameters for the ideal Greyhound.  Deviations from this ideal should be penalized according to the extent of the deviation, always keeping in mind the contribution of the feature to the historic, original purpose of the breed.  Flaws of a cosmetic nature must be weighed less important than structural faults.  Old scars or injuries, the result of work or accident, should not be penalized unless they affect balance or soundness.

Males have two normal-sized testicles descended into the scrotum.

 

 

Kim and BIS/SBIS Greystone's Barcelona in the ring at Westminister

Ever wonder about all the titles before and after a dog's name and what they mean?  The guide below will help shed some light on the subject.  Titles are given to dogs that have earned a certain level of success or ability.  WINDROCK aspires to breed greyhounds that are not only successful in the show ring but also on the coursing field, the dogs that obtain Championships in both endeavors are crowned "Dual Champions".   Very few (usually less than five greyhounds) earn that rare distinction annually--and most years WINDROCK bred greyhounds are included in that elite company!

Guide to the title abbreviations
Prefixes (before the dog's name)
BIF	Best In Field in American Sighthound Field Association event
BISS or SBIS	Best In Specialty Show
Ch	Show Champion (American Kennel Club = AKC)
Can Ch	Canadian Show Champion (Canadian Kennel Club = CKC)
FC	Field Champion (AKC)
DC	Dual Champion (AKC) indicates AKC show and field championship
Suffixes (after the dog's name)
CC	Coursing Champion (National Open Field Coursing Association = NOFCA)
CD	Companion Dog (AKC)
CDX	Companion Dog Excellent (AKC)
CGC	Canine Good Citizen (AKC)
GrandFCh	Grand Field Champion (ASFA) [no longer offered]
CM	Courser of Merit (NOFCA)
FCh or F.Ch	American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA) Field Champion
FChX	Field Champion Excellent (usually CKC but this was at one time an ASFA title as well)
JC	Junior Courser (AKC)
JOR	Junior Oval Racer (NOTRA)
GRC	Gazehound Racing Champion (Large Gazehound Racing Association = LGRA)
LCM	Lure Courser of Merit (ASFA) As points are accumulated, multiple LCM titles may be earned, such as LCM3
MX	Master Agility Excellent (AKC)
NAJ	Novice Agility Jumper (AKC)
OA	Open Agility (AKC)
OAJ	Open Agility Jumper (AKC)
ORC or ORCh	Oval Racing Champion (Canadian Amateur Racing Association = CARA)
ORM	Oval Racer of Merit (CARA)
RTD	Registered Therapy Dog
SC	Senior Courser (AKC)
SOR	Senior Oval Racer (NOTRA)
SORC	Supreme Oval Racing Champion (NOTRA)
SRCh	Straight Racing Champion (CARA)
SRM	Straight Racer of Merit (CARA)
TD	Tracking dog [scentwork] (AKC)
TT	Temperment Tested (American Temperament Testing Society)
UD	Utility Dog (AKC)
VC	Versatility Certificate (Greyhound Club of America = GCA)
VCX	Versatility Certificate Excellent CA)

Racing & Coursing Greyhounds in the Show Ring

Racing Greyhounds are judged by a stop watch. The fastest dog is the best dog. Coursing Greyhounds were judged on a point system determined by the rules of coursing. But Show Greyhounds are judged against a written description of the ideal Greyhound that is called a breed standard. The first dog show was held at Newcastle, England, in June of 1859. It had no class for Greyhounds but in short order Greyhounds started to appear in the show ring. At the earliest dog shows coursing men acted as judges and the winning dogs were coursing dogs. The red dog Judge, winner of the Waterloo Cup in 1855 won a second prize at a show at the age of ten. The white dog Canaradso, winner of the Waterloo Cup in 1861, won a first as the Islington Show. Lady Sarah, mother of Master M'Grath (who won the Waterloo Cup in 1868, 1869 and 1971, was successfully shown at the Dublin show in 1872. And Fleetfoot, a son of Master M'Grath, won at the Dublin Show and the Crystal Palace in 1873. By the late eighteen nineties the coursing judges had been replaced by all around judges and Greyhounds were being kept and conditioned just for shows. These were still coursing bred dogs. Real Jam, born in 1891 and a granddaughter of Misterton, won eighteen first prizes and her Championship at shows. Gradually the show bred dogs began to diverge from their original coursing stock and be bred just for success in the show ring. Meanwhile the first Greyhounds shown in America were also coursing bred dogs. Champions, Memnon, Balkis and Mother Demdike were show winners in the 1880's. All three were British imports. By the 1920's show bred Greyhounds from England were imported to the USA and were mainly shown in the New York area. But while the Greyhound competition in the New York area was dominated by English show bred imports, other areas of the country still had entries of American bred coursing dogs. In 1925 a Greyhound named John O'Groats won Best in Show at the Stockton Kennel Club in California. There was a sizable Greyhound entry that day with names like Sadie O'Groats, Champaign, Martlow Punch and Scotch Rickie. John O'Groats was owned by Dr. Fred P. Clark of Stockton. Ch. John O' Groats, Imp. (Husky Whisper x Janella) was the only Greyhound to win both the California Cup and an all breed Best In Show and he did it in the same year. He also won the 1925 California Cup (The biggest coursing event of the year) with one of his puppies, Kid O'Groats, winning runner up to him. In an ad for the dog Dr. Clark wrote, " John O'Groats is considered by all who have seen him to be the fastest dog in America, both in the park and on the plains. He won the St. Francis Champion Stake and also the Christmas Champion Stake at San Pablo, Cal; the Washington's Birthday Champion stake "Open Plains Meet" at Fresno, Cal. In 1925; the California Champion Cub Stake "Open Plains Meet" at Marysville, Cal, Nov 1925; and other important stakes. He is fast, clever and stick. He is Champion of the Bench, and on two occasions won the cup for the best dog of all classes in the Show. His pups are exceptionally fast and clever-one of them, Kid O'Groats, was runner-up to him in the California Cup Event." Fortunately there are three photos of John O' Groats that show him to be an Irish-marked red dog with tall white socks and VERY long white tip to his tail. And it is nice that the photos include Dr. Fred P Clark, his son Asa M. Clark and the organizer of the hospitality at the California Cup and owner of the runner up, Mr. Manuel Gomez. In 1926 Miss N.C.A.G.A. won the Sporting Group in South Florida. (NCA were the initials of the National Coursing Association.) And Mon Ami won the Sporting Group in New Orleans. In 1936 Kathryn won the group in Oakland, CA to finish her championship. While New York exhibitors were showing dogs with names like Lansdowne Butcher Boy and Gamecock Duke of Wales, the rest of the country was showing Greyhounds whose show names were Lankey, Wistful, Queen, Flash, Grey, Pedro, Little Worth Lepus, Dusty, Trixie, Willow Wild, Kum Bak, Happy, Dan, Speed, Ruby, Nosey, Ama Leader, Fawnella, Fire Fly, Christo Pinnocchio, and King Dodo. After the stock market crash of 1929 we also get Greyhounds named Depression and Prohibition. The Stock market crash caused a dip in show entries and shows became smaller. In the 1930s San Francisco's Golden Gate Kennel Club invited the racing kennels at Belmont race track to enter some Greyhounds. The racing owners put 100 Greyhounds into the show. Western Kennel World's account reads: "The Greyhound men brought 100 to the show, not with the idea of winning anything, but just out of their desire to cooperate. One of the 100 was Mrs. Edythe Miles' Damon, a big good looking fellow with a battleship grey coat and a white vest. Damon came out of the show with eleven ribbons pinned on his collar. The judges looked at him a long while before they decided he wasn't the best dog in the show. Two weeks later, Damon repeated this win and took the Variety Group in Oakland under a different set of judges. Later Damon became one of the outstanding stars of the Belmont spring meeting." In the same article he tells about another racing Greyhound, Gwendolyn. "An idea of what a Greyhound can do for exhibition purposes was furnished at the San Mateo Dog Fancier's Association's recent show at Beresford. One of the most talked about dogs in a show of 500 was Mrs. B.F. Stairley's Gwendolyn, an imported bitch, whelped in Australia in October, 1931. Now, Gwendolyn came here for the Belmont races and like most lady athletes claimed to be speedy, not beautiful. Entered in the San Mateo show, Gwendolyn was judged Best of Breed, an award that carried victory over a dog which had recently carried off the topmost honor" (Best In Show). Gwendolyn's litter brother, Gay Ted, was Best Opposite Sex to his sister. Gwendolyn's sire was Gay Foot and his sire was British Foot. The article says that both sire and grandsire were Waterloo Cup winners. The cover photo accompanying the article shows Gwendolyn to be a white and black bitch. After their wins, Damon and Gwendolyn went back to racing but in 1936 Ch. Mutual Friend (Fast Friend x Leading Donna) was Best In Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mutual Friend was owned by Mrs. H.D. Simms and bred by F.W. Jones. He was two years old when he won Best In Show and was shown quite extensively in the Midwest. In 1937 Ivy Dolan showed one dog to its Championship and his Companion Dog title. He was the first Greyhound Companion Dog, Ch. On-Da-Way Skipper CD. (Ch. Trerice Bango of Windholme x Hot Haste.) Hot Haste sounded rather as if she might be a racing dog so I traced her back. She was sired by CH. Killearn Final Word x Riva. Ch. Killearn Final Word was an English import (Butcher's Spring x Butcher's Bonita) that had been Winner's Dog at the 1923 GCA specialty. (He was also sire of a large part of the entry). The owner of Killearn Kennels was Mr. Alfred B. Maclay, a breeder of hackney horses and president of the National Horse Show. Riva, however, is considerably more interesting. Riva was an English import. She was sired by the 1922 Waterloo cup Winner Latto. Her dam was Binomial. Latto not only won the 1922 Waterloo Cup but he was the sire or grandsire of the majority of the Waterloo Cup winners in the following decade. Riva was a coursing bitch in the days just before the advent of Greyhound racing took over the coursing bloodlines of the National Coursing Association. That makes Skipper, the first CD Greyhound, ¾ AKC bred and ¼ NCA bred Prior to the 1940s it was common to show coursing bred (NCA) dogs in all the parts of the country except the New York to Philadelphia region. In that area the Greyhounds shown from 1905 to 1940 were from English import show lines. Gradually the English import show lines spread across the country, first to the West coast and then to points in between. The showing of NCA and later NGA bred dogs became rare. Until the late 1940s you could take a Greyhound to a show judge to have him certified as looking purebred, register him with the AKC and show him. A number of AKC Champions have parents listed as unknown x unknown. This practice was replaced with the Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP) number in the late 1960's. With the ILP number you could compete in performance events only. But with the earlier system you could also show and breed the dog. (And that dog could be a racing bred dog or a dog of unknown ancestry.) In mid 1935, the race track owners required that National Coursing Association (NCA) Greyhounds be registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) in order to race on the tracks in six states. This was an attempt on the part of the race track owners to break the NCA registry. In 1935 AKC Greyhound registrations jumped from one or two a month to hundreds each month. In December of 1934, one Greyhound was registered with the AKC. In December of the following year, four hundred and thirty three Greyhounds were registered with the AKC. And that registration rate goes on into the late 1940s. When it became apparent that the NCA was not going to go away as the registering body for racing Greyhounds, the dictate to register racing Greyhounds with the AKC was lifted. At that point the NCA offered to provide NCA papers in exchange for AKC papers. In order to keep owners from delaying turning in their AKC papers, the NCA set a deadline of 1 October 1949 after which they would no longer provide NCA papers in exchange for AKC papers. It was this AKC vs. NCA turf war over the income from registering Greyhounds that led to the AKC's eleven year long ban on AKC registration of NCA dogs. In retaliation for the NCA calling a halt to NCA registration of AKC Greyhounds, the AKC closed its studbook to NCA registered Greyhounds. In July of 1960, the Greyhound Club of America proposed to the AKC that they again grant AKC registration to NCA bred dogs. The request had been made to the club by Mrs. Lorraine d' Essen. Mrs. d' Essen was the head of Animal Talent Scouts and owned the mascot of the Greyhound Bus Company. "Lady Greyhound" was actually a NCA registered bitch named Steverino. Steverino had been bred to the show Champion Rudel's Victor, belonging to Dr. Elsie Neustadt, secretary of the GCA. The resulting litter of particolor puppies were both attractive and intelligent. They were also the puppies in the widely published photo of the puppies in socks pinned to a clothesline with their proud mother looking on. Unfortunately the litter could be registered with neither the NCA nor the AKC until the AKC complied with the request of the Greyhound Club of America to reinstate the granting of AKC registration to NCA dogs. The AKC Gazette Greyhound columnist wrote the following in the July 1960 issue: "The Greyhound Club of America currently has a proposal before the AKC to honor registration certificates of the National Coursing Assn, our field counterpart. In a day when the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unreal-but-true separation of bench and field type in many breeds, the need for this admission of our coursing cousins is strongly brought to my attention by Mrs. Lorraine d"Essen. Mrs. D'Essen, head of Animal Talent Scouts, owns the nation best-known Greyhound. Steverino was served by the Drs. Neustadt's Ch. Rudel's Victor, and Mrs. D'Essen assures me that the puppies are not only attractive but extremely intelligent. Unfortunately these puppies are eligible to registration in neither the AKC nor the NCA, although both the parents are registered dogs of the same breed. Should the AKC re-open its doors to NCA Greyhounds, as it once did, these and other "cross-registry-bred" Greyhounds could be registered and we could get closer to the dog that should be our ideal: a handsome individual that can do a job." AKC registration of racing Greyhounds has been possible for all of AKC's history except for the eleven years from 1949 to 1960. The racing bred show champions are listed here: 1932 Ch. Hero's Trojan (D) (Only Hero x Romp Home) 1932 Ch. Kathryn (B) (King F x Frenchies Favorite) 1934 Ch. Mutual Friend (D (Fast Friend x Leading Donna) 1935 Ch. Range Officer (D) (Galway Ranger x Happy Beauty) 1973 Ch. Chris E Kraft (D) (Cactus Noel x Show Queen) 1979 Ch. Chariot Flash (B) (Race Bandit x BJ White Dream) 1988 Ch. Hot Jazz (B) (Share Profit x Snooty Tooty) 1988 Ch. Morley's Sue CD F.Ch. LCM2 (B) (TNT Tony x Annie Up) 1988 Ch. Tyline's Ino Lucky (D) (Speed Ticket x Ino Blondee) 1988 Ch. Bar-Wick's Speed (D) (Burnt Wood x Diona) 1991 Ch. Royal Harmony (D)(Royal Plum x Mary Bowman) 1993 Ch. Crest of A Knave (D) (Provenzo x Jock's Yankee) 1996 Ch. Carlyn's Charm (B) (Rv Sherman x Sail On Amber) 1998 DC Godspeed Qui Tam SC ORC(B) (Bartie x Jumper Sox) 2000 Ch Windrock Go Go Gadget JC CC  (D) (Bels Montana x Windrock Chynna   Doll) 2000 DC Windrock's Outlaw Josie Wales MC (B) (Bels Montana x Windrock Chynna Doll) This is hardly a number that is going to overwhelm the genes of the 2600 show Greyhounds that have won their championships since the start of the AKC. While it is still fairly rare for a racing bred Greyhound to be shown to its Championship, there is an area of showing that has seen an enormous increase in participation by ex-racing Greyhounds, and that is the performance events like obedience and agility competition. The vast majority of obedience title holders are racing bred dogs