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Racing clubs in
the Czech Republic
Among other racing clubs, the Czech Greyhound Racing Federation (CGRF),
which is a direct member of the World Greyhound Racing Federation (WGRF),
organizes greyhound races.
The CGRF - The Czech Greyhound Racing Federation is a non-profit club, uniting
greyhound owners. It is club type of a community.
The CGRF - The Czech Greyhound Racing Federation is uniting greyhound owners.
It is a racing club however it is not a breeding club (uniting greyhound
breeders).
Our organization - the Czech Greyhound Racing Federation (CGRF) - is rather
unique organization as it is not a member of the FCI cynology organization,
represented by the CMKU, a national branch of the FCI in the Czech Republic.
There are also some breeding / racing clubs incorporated in the CMKU / FCI (Bohemian-Moravian
Cynology Union / Fédération Cynoloque Internationale). These clubs focus on
breeding and racing of various dog breeds.
The Czech Greyhound Racing Federation is not a member of the FCI or a member of
the Continental Greyhound Racing Confederation (CGRC).
Greyhound race
tracks in the Czech Republic
There are four race tracks in the Czech Republic (three racetracks have got
grass surface of tracks and one with sand surface of the track):
- CMKU/FCI races
– greyhound race tracks in Lednice, Mladá Boleslav, Kolín.
The race tracks are made of grass surface (the
FCI racing rules allow multiple starts of one greyhound in one day)
The FCI racing licences are required for racing.
The tracks are located on public properties (owned by towns, etc.)
- CGRF/WGRF
races – greyhound race track Praskacka
It is the only sand
race track in the Czech Republic. (the CGRF racing rules allow only one start
of a greyhound in one day)
The CGRF racing licences are required for racing. (Also WGRF licences
are accepted – IGB, GBGB, etc.).
The race track is located on a private property.
Note:
Praskacka race track has always been a private property and it has
always been rented to certain racing clubs.
Grounds (public and private) are rented to the civil associations (clubs,
federations) which run and maintain according to their capabilities.
There is common that association of people (civil association) rents the racing
areal in the Czech Republic and they run this areal for the other associations
- breeding clubs that haven’t got own track - breeding club organizes races
there.
The Praskacka race track is rented by the CGRF (civil association). Greyhounds'
owners run and take care of this area. The principle of operation is not for only “costumers” but for partners.
Racing hounds -
breeds
• In the CMKU/FCI race all breeds of greyhounds (Afghan Hound,
Russian Greyhound -Borzoi, Persian Greyhound -saluki, whippet, greyhound, etc.)
• In the CGRC's race greyhounds and whippets
• In the CGRF's race only greyhounds
Numbers of
greyhounds in races in the Czech Republic - according to the breeed
There is a lot of racing hounds in the Czech Republic, if we count all
breeds of hounds.
There are less dogs if races are organized with whippets and greyhounds but on
the other hand there is more dogs if they are organized with only one breed -
greyhound (according to the standard of the FCI title: England hound; but in
the WGRF – they don't use this term - they use greyhound industry)
There are not many racing greyhounds in the Czech Republic and races that
are fully filled of the racing greyhounds is quite common view.
Statistics for
2009 - numbers of greyhounds in the Czech tracks:
Note. There were 34 active
racing greyhounds in the Czech Republic in 2009 and there were 200
"retired" greyhounds brought from Ireland.
For example in 2009:
• In the Czech track (WGRF) in
Praskacka
ran
17
greyhounds.
• In the Czech track (FCI/CMKU):
- in
Lednice
ran
8
greyhounds in 2009,
- in
Mladá Boleslav
are about 2 seniors and about 2 active greyhounds,
- in Kolín are about 5 greyhounds,
owners of greyhounds usually rotate between FCI tracks in the Czech Republic,
that means there are the same greyhounds in other numbers.
(We use portal's statistic, which public racing results from the racetracks).
Not fully filled races are anything unusual in the Czech Republic. Also
anything unusual is that the greyhound races were held in a racetrack and there
were only one greyhound between other breeds of hounds in the race day.
The CGRF don't consider it as a shame even if some people think this way in the
Czech Republic. People like that there are different breeds of hounds - not
only greyhounds. Historical situation in the Czech Republic is difficult and nobody
can decry it.
Historical situation: see link (CZ): http://www.cgdf.cz/cs/historicky-ceremonial-v-upominku-na-elegantni-tricata-leta-minuleho-stoleti.html
It is useless if there rise or there lower numbers of greyhounds in
racetracks. We cannot reach high counts of greyhounds in the Czech Republic.
Purchase of the greyhound race track - expensive thing
Greyhounds are always expensive matter for racing communities in the Czech Republic. The place that is needed for the racing is difficult to find and everybody wants to have quality equipment. Public places are often rented for symbolic price per m2. Properties that are not public but private are not often rented for the 1 CZK per m2. Racing Track Praskacka is the example of the economic sell.
What is the
greyhound racing Greyhounds catch
"running rabbit". "Running rabbit" is the lure that is
leaded on the tow rope. They start running from the starting boxes (in the
Europe 6-chamber, in America 8-chamber). Greyhounds do what they should to do
or what they were breed for - they prosecute what is moving, even if it is only
a plastic tassel. It is better to let greyhounds to go wild on the race track;
the best for them is the sand race track. We prevent that a greyhound starts to
pursue something what is moving for example at home, at backyard - it is
dangerous for its foreign cats, rabbits, pheasants, etc.
Pack of greyhounds pursues the lure on the race track - hare (as in the past) and which hit the finish line as the first - wins. (Dog catches
"the lure" as the first).
Veteran racing greyhounds (English Greyhound) in the Czech Republic
Greyhounds in the continental
Europe (amateur) end the racing career when they are 8 years old.
Veteran racing greyhounds (English Greyhound) in the countries of the Greyhound IndustryGreyhounds in the rest of the Europe - Ireland and England
race in the Greyhound industry (professional). These greyhounds end racing at
the age of 3,5 - 4 years when they lose the shape and owners leave them in the
shelter. These greyhounds are looking for new owners in the adoption program.
They are healthy, beautiful animals with rare exceptions. Greyhounds from the
adoption program are accustomed to regular exercise. It remains to them minimally
4 years (often even more) of running.
There spread out the coursing in the Czech Republic (pursuing of the lure on
the meadow). Greyhounds catch (mostly in the two) lure that is leaded on the
tow rope propelled by an engine. The tow rope with pulleys is not hidden in the
construction of the fencing. It can be hidden in bushes. It is because of the
protecting dogs.
In our opinion coursing is unsuitable for racing greyhounds. On the other hand
- greyhound that is use to coursing can jump over the fencing and it can run in
the middle of the racing circle.
There are some problems with greyhounds - exhibitionist (greyhound that is
breed for shows) when it appears on the racing circuit - it happens that it
cannot run.
Coursing - cheeper variant of the oval racingThere spread out the coursing in the Czech Republic (pursuing of the lure on the meadow). Greyhounds catch (mostly in the two) lure that is leaded on the tow rope propelled by an engine. The tow rope with pulleys is not hidden in the construction of the fencing. It can be hidden in bushes. It is because of the protecting dogs.
In our opinion coursing is unsuitable for racing greyhounds. On the other hand - greyhound that is use to coursing can jump over the fencing and it can run in the middle of the racing circle.
There are some problems with greyhounds - exhibitionist (greyhound that is breed for shows) when it appears on the racing circuit - it happens that it cannot run.
If you want to buy the greyhound without possibility to frequently run on the racetrack - we cannot recommend it.
Choice of the racing organization
Before of the buying of the greyhound is necessary to think about what to do after buying of dog and choose according to it. Future owner should be decided where they want to race. We cannot recommend buying of the greyhound without the possibility to let its run.
There are owners that join to the organization (they even pay fees, work there, sponsor them, etc.) and then they want to use the work of the members of the other association - they want to run they greyhound in the racetrack that is closer to their homes. They also use this racetrack because of the mother association hasn't got the sand race track.
We can find owners of greyhounds that anyone can come to the Praskacka (or to the Greyhound Park Motol in Prague) because it is only for the chosen! But they forget to mention that they are members of other organizations. It is similar to the worker that is working for one automotive company and they want to work in the other automotive company and also have same benefits and after that they slander the second company.
Abusing of the results of the work of members of the CGRF for other organizations
None of
the other organizations haven't ever entered a contract with the CGRF
about working for other organization - training of greyhounds for racing or
breeding for another organization.
None of subjects have ever entered a contract with the CGRF about using of
results from training, races holded by the CGRF for usage of foreign legal
entity, for managing of the breeding, commercial or othertradesof foreignentities.
Published 2010, release 19.02. 2013
Related links:
http://www.cgdf.cz/en/basic-fact-about-us.html
http://www.cgdf.cz/en/greyhound-welfare.html |