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HOW IS THE BEST WAY TO GET STARTED IN THE GREYHOUND BUSINESS?

This topic was chosen first as it is appropriate as a starting place.  Realize that my answer is my own opinion which comes from the past 49 years I have experienced in every aspect of greyhound racing.

Before I can answer this question, I have to assume you are asking about becoming a greyhound owner.  If you are thinking of becoming a farmer, kennel operator or anything else, then I have to know the goal you have in mind first.  It is strange how many people never know what their goal is in greyhound racing.  They simply want to own greyhounds, and face each turn in the road as it happens. So, let’s set a goal of your wanting to be a greyhound owner with plans to lease your greyhounds to a racing kennel to perform for you.

There is nothing wrong with being a greyhound owner as your only goal in mind.  It is the best position of all to be in.  If you have received my previous articles, then you know I have stood on this position all the way.  A kennel operator will lease your greyhounds at a quality track, and pay you 50% of the gross purse earnings.  By the time the kennel operator pays all the bills as relates to your greyhounds, then he has to be very successful to earn somewhere between 5% and 10%.  That is a very good deal for a greyhound owner as the kennel operator provides all the work, and uses his expertise to represent you, and you pay him nothing extra for doing it.

You can believe that no kennel operator would do the above, unless he had many greyhounds returning that 5% to 10%.  That is a must for him to remain in business, and make his efforts worth the service he provides.  Try following his footsteps for one week, and you will change your entire attitude of how demanding this job is should you not know that answer by now.  Then, count your blessings if you can find a kennel to represent you in the top echelon of racing.

What all this means is one must look at the entire picture to make the right decisions.  This isn’t about owning one or more greyhounds, then think you already have it made.  Let me assure you that you could purchase the best pups in the nation, then completely be out of luck, unless you raise and train them on quality farms, and have a successful kennel race them for you. You can eliminate 80% of all farms and kennels if you want to be successful in this business.  The other 20% will dominate the entire industry.  The idea is to be associated with one of them, or to become one of them, and you can make it in this business.

You cannot cheapen anything in this process, and produce quality greyhounds.  This is the next lesson that eliminates those who defy it.  It may be the most costly aspect of all, because most people look for the cheapest way out, instead of finding ways to make their greyhounds the best they possibly can be.  Kennels do the same thing, and farmers do, also.  If you are with those who care more about winning, and producing the finest athletes possible, then count your blessings again.  They will feed the finest food, hire to top help, and work harder than those who awaken every single day to simply get by.

So, my advice to you is to seek out the best farms no matter what you have to pay them, and run your greyhounds with the best kennels who are booked at the top paying tracks.

I realize that I am taking you far beyond your buying and owning a greyhound, but you desperately need to look at the entire picture.  Anyone can own a greyhound.  It is what you do with it that counts the most.

This leads to you having to make two decisions to get started; (1) to purchase the greyhounds you wish to own, and (2) to study and work the industry until you can find the best possible farm to raise pups for you.  Later, you will have to do your research to locate a racing kennel you can negotiate with to race your greyhounds for you.  The IRS requires that you treat this as a business should you wish to take advantage of writing off expenses.  One agent told me that they consider the equivalent of one litter of greyhounds as being large enough for a business consideration.  You will get different answers each time you ask, so I will leave that subject up to you to put into your own tax structure.

When I first began in this business, I can say that I looked at the big picture as I wanted to be involved in every aspect of this industry, but made many mistakes along the way to learn just what it takes.  My main goal was to be a kennel operator and to reach the level to compete with the best there is.  I could not do this without a top notch supply line, so began the farm program many of you were part of for many years.  My idea was to provide breeding expertise, the best broods I could get my hands on, the best farms to raise and train our greyhounds, and to run the best kennel operation possible.  This was a greatly needed service I could see; especially, since the computer was just coming of age, and served as a means of communication to bring our people together.  We held parties, and many different activities to keep this exciting, including the position we took in the NGA Meets and Auctions.  Later, we benefited from becoming a major part of the stud industry, etc.

Realize that the greyhound industry was once the 6th largest spectator sport in the nation.  Horse racing was #1.  I do not know the ranking any longer, but can only tell you we have taken a blow from the lottery interest that sprung up throughout the nation.  Then, casino interest became an important aspect toward keeping us alive.  Some tracks have card rooms which came with the poker boom, and made this more competitive again.  I still have high hopes for the greyhound industry, but we need leadership in the worst way.  Since we are referred to as an agricultural industry, then I have always felt we should move the NGA into, or become a part of the Farm Bureau, or some larger entity which already have their own lobbyist in place, etc.  We could get far more accomplished, and have much better representation with each race track, legislature, and so on. Each time I have ever mentioned this there was little concern.  All I got were stange looks. Regardless, I have never given up my interest, and still continue to own greyhounds just like you do.

I had to share the above to provide you with the knowledge and reasons to become a greyhound owner in answer to your question. And, I still say that being a greyhound owner is the very best position to be in when properly done.

To accomplish what I would do will require that you do a little research to determine which are definitely the best producing farms in the nation, and which kennels are definitely the best racing kennels in the nation.  This isn’t that difficult to do if you would spend a little time to make these decisions.  I assume you visit the website of each track you have an interest in.  Make a list of the AA greyhounds racing at that track, then find out who raised them.  Study the starts and wins of each kennel at those same tracks, and look for the best percentages.  Those things don’t just happen.  It comes from hard work.

Again, remember this is how I would personally begin as a greyhound owner.  Until you find a farm to work with, then you don’t have to spend time locating a kennel to begin this process.  Knowing that a top farm is raising your pups will make it far easier to place your greyhounds with a top racing kennel, anyway.  Racing kennel operators know who the best farms are. They compete with the greyhounds they produce every single day. You might try this in reverse, and start the kennel process first by asking for referrals of top farms they would recommend.  When the time comes for your pups to go to the track, then you already have an association for the kennel operator to consider.

Spend $4.00 and order a phone directory from the NGA.  A new one is produced each year, and everyone who is anyone will be listed in this directory.  It is easy to contact them when you are ready.

I realize that I am having you do all this work, and you don’t even have a greyhound as yet from what I have written.  That will be the next thing we will address here.

When considering the purchase of a greyhound, you must realize that the racing ability and the breeding ability (genetics) of a greyhound may be completely different.  If you are not astute in bloodline studies, and are going to chance any bloodline which is not proven to be a top producer, then you are not playing the percentages you should.  For the novice, stick with pups sired by greyhounds at the top of the sire standings, and you will automatically pick up a strong percentage from there.  The female, however, is just as important and even more important in most cases.  Buy pups from females which are already proven provided they are not too old.  Try to find pups from females that came from solid litters, and wasn’t the only good greyhound in the litter she came from.  If the dam and grand dam were both quality racing stock, then your chances are even better.

If you want to do this right, then here is my top suggestion . . .

Go to an NGA Meet which are held in Abilene, Kansas in April and October of each year.  Observe all the greyhounds entered in the meet, and make a roster of each litter winning races.  There will usually be three or four top litters at this meet.  Place each litter in the order you would rate them.  List the females in the best litter, and purchase the female you feel is the best of the litter. This may cost a good sum of money, but when you compare it to the pups she should produce, then you will be far ahead of the game.  That is, if you place her on the right farm as previously explained.

By owning the female, and raising the litter directly with a farmer you have selected from your research, then you meet the demands of the IRS and can save some money without losing quality from your care and training program.  If you cannot do this on your own, then you need to purchase your greyhounds from someone you trust to do this for you.  Notice that I am not recommending anyone in these articles as things change from time to time, and I do not want to make that decision for you.

Should you purchase a brood at the NGA Meet, then the normal tendency is to want to race her for the income you could make. Bypass this, and you will have a much healthier female which will not be harmoned during the time she is racing.  This increases your total litter potential, and can provide healthier pups.  I am not saying that a top AA female from Wheeling cannot do the same thing, but my suggestion speeds up your ownership program in a high percentage manner.

The most important consideration we all want is speed as it is the one thing we cannot put into any greyhound if they do not have it.  You are buying speed when you purchase such a female from the best litters at the NGA Meets.  There is no sure thing, but I would place a wager than anyone who purchased all their broods in this manner, and follow the process presented above would be most difficult to beat on any race track.  Just make sure you breed to proven stud dogs, and don’t listen to anyone attempting to get you to prove their greyhound for them.  I don’t care how many free breedings you are offered.  Do not in-breed, until you reach the 4th, 5th or 6th generation.  In-breeding works best from the 5th generation on.  There are exceptions, but I am giving you the best percentage to follow.

If I were going to build a new farm today, then I would open the door for each of you to make the kind of purchase I have told you about, or purchase AA females from top litters as they finish racing at Wheeling, and board them for you on this farm.  The farm would have to be a first class operation, and we would provide the best feed, care and training possible; regardless, of the cost that would take, or I would not be doing it.  How else can you compete on the top track in the nation?  Don’t get any ideas as I’m not going to build a farm . . . just inspiring your thoughts in the different directions you might choose from. That decision is yours to make from your own research.

Let me emphasize that I am not attempting to have you change anything you are already doing, just doing the best job I know how to answer the questions you request of me without going into any personal relationships.  If you are doing well, then never draw to a winner. 

WHY MUST THE MALE BE SUPERIOR AT THE RACETRACK TO BE CONSIDERED FOR BREEDING, WHILE THE FEMALE JUST NEEDS TO HAVE GOOD BLOODLINES?

Allow me to give you my answer to this topic first, then I will explain my opinion on the subject.

After 49 years in this business, and with endless hours of study, research, and every possible means of developing a thorough understanding as much as I can possibly do, then here is my final decision regarding a solid breeding assessment.  “It isn’t the sire or the dam which provides the most important consideration in breeding greyhounds.  The care and training given by a quality farm is worth 60% of the outcome for any breeding.  This means that the sire and dam provide the remaining 40%.”

I have known individuals who spent large sums of money to purchase some of the top greyhounds off the best racetracks with tremendous bloodlines, and see them produce nothing.  The reason always came from not know how to raise and train the offspring, or to depend on farms which do not have the ability to produce quality athletes.  You are going to lose money in this business if you do not choose the very best farm possible.

Rodney runs greyhounds from many different sources.  Ask him if he can tell the difference in the many farms these greyhounds come from?  I can tell you that he won’t take any more greyhounds from certain farms.  Why continue to lease greyhounds because you like the owner?  After awhile, one learns that only leads to lost expense and wasted man hours. It isn’t good for moral, and doesn’t motive anyone.

Yes, more is expected from a sire since his future is one which must be proven first.  If he isn’t selected with solid credentials from the race track, then it isn’t likely a particular greyhound will get enough pups on the ground to prove he can produce.  Naturally, he must have great producing bloodlines added to his racing talent to attract breeders as a part of his promotion qualities.  All of this has little to do with genetics, and you will see many stud dogs which hold all the qualities anyone could ever ask for, and never be a productive sire.

Someone must prove any given sire before it will make a big attraction from the public.  We gave away free breedings to Dodgem By Design and Lonesome Cry for one year each before we began to charge a breeding fee.  That particular promotion required we get breeders who race at quality tracks, and in the NGA Meets in order to attract attention.  Had their offspring not produced at the proper time, then they would have been quickly passed from any future breedings.

It is very difficult to prove any greyhounds enough to move him to the top of the standings as we have done Dodgem By Deisre. Let’s face it, there is only one top sire, and hundreds of dogs whose owners feel they could be the best.  There may be one or two in the group that could be the very best which will never get the chance due to the lack of breedings.  When you think of it in this light, then you suddenly realize that any breeder should breed to top proven stud dogs if they want to increase their potential to produce winners.

I grew up in this business thinking that the brood matron is the most important ingredient of all.  She can be when all other considerations are in place.  Once you find her, then she becomes very valuable.  Some females produce litters which run out $200,000 to $300,000 during their racing careers.  How valuable do you think she is?  Then, there are some females which produce a single greyhound which can earn that much, including sires like Dodgem which will earn more than one million dollars before his day is finished.  Both, the sire and dam, can be very valuable.  So, we need a method from which to work toward in our development of a solid breeding program.  That is now very easy for me, but took years for me to suddenly realize due to the influence of many others I put my trust in without further consideration.

The sire is my most important consideration.  I’m not saying he is more important.  I am only saying it is a requirement as my first consideration in producing offspring.  Allow me to provide you with a plan to follow which will work more than any other I feel you can come up with.

Study your top tracks; especially, the ones you prefer your greyhounds to race at.  Decide which sires are the very top producers at those tracks.  Stick with two or three sires, then vow to never look for another sire until one of these sires no longer exist.  In my case, it would be Dodgem By Design, Lonesome Cry and Flying Penske.  They produce the best at the best track in the nation, Wheeling.  It doesn’t get any better than this, and an easy choice to make.

Why choose the sire first?  Because he is already proven to be everything one would ever want if you only go after the best.

The reason people do not always do the above is because they have females they want to breed which don’t cross well with these sires.  Some females may be out of these sires, also.  My answer is to get rid of her, unless you want to learn the hard way and spend money to prove me wrong.  I have done the wrong thing many times, and can tell you that I would be so far ahead of the game had I used the process I am offering you one could ever imagine.  Buy females to breed to the stud dogs you know are the best producers, and get rid of the rest of your females.

Chances are . . . the females you select won’t be proven.  If they were, then you would pay an arm and a leg for them.  The stud fee is the cheapest part of breeding.  What you have to do is study the many greyhounds out of a sire like Dodgem, and see what bloodlines the females had which produced from him.  There have been several stake races over the past few weeks an offspring of Dodgem or Lonesome have won.  Check those out, and determine what bloodlines they were crossed with.  If it is a female out of Fortress*, one out of Molotov, or one out of Oshkosh Slammer (as examples), then search for female out of the sire of your choice.

You might find that some females will have some in-breeding, and others come from an out-cross. This is another subject we will cover later as I have already been asked to do this.

Cathy, sires racing records are used to promote them as stud dogs, and could be misleading after genetics proves the results to be obtained.  Still, you can use the proven sire after all is confirmed to gain a tremendous edge in breeding.  Without Dodgem and Lonesome offspring, then Rodney would not have won the recent meet at Wheeling.  That should add some tremendous value to this report.

Buy your females to match the sire you plan to breed to.  You already have a 50% chance of success when you do this since you do not have to prove the sire.

Don’t do any of this if you aren’t on one of the most dependable farm programs in the nation.  Be careful who you deal with.  Find out what greyhounds they have produced at major tracks, and how many have been stakes caliber greyhounds.

The only thing left is a good kennel to take care of these future champions.  Hang in there with Rodney, and listen to him.  He is a competitor and wants to win.  Don’t force losers on him, and expect him to prove that point at added expense.  Go after the best, and run with the best.  You can do it!  Spend the money it takes to own top quality in all you do.  Those I see trying to cut every corner possible normally end up on the short end of the stick.  Be the very best, or don’t do it!

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE A GREYHOUND WORTH TAKING A CHANCE ON BREEDING? AND, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHICH STUD DOG TO BREED HER TO?

This information should have explained why a stud dog must have stronger credentials than the brood matron requires.  The answer has little to do with breeding, or productivity.  Promoting a stud dog’s service is an entirely different ball game, and a very competitive and different one.  The brood has little relation to the breeding world, only to her owner and specifically to the pups she produces.

The article I wrote for Cathy should have covered how to choose a stud dog, so there is no need to go into this.  Let’s focus on the brood matron, and we should have these subjects covered.

There are some rules I have developed for myself over the years, and this would be an appropriate time to share some of these with you.  The most important consideration I should provide you to start this subject is to realize that learning about greyhounds in every aspect of this sport comes from personal mental and physical relationships with your greyhounds for best decisions one expects to make.  No one can learn everything they need to know from reading alone.  It doesn’t matter how thorough information may be given . . . its not the same thing as being there in person.

I realize everyone cannot do this, and most greyhound owners in this organization are business people who don’t have the time to be that involved.  Because of this, let’s cover a few key points which I feel are the most important of all.

The first item of importance I want to give you concerns the “disposition” of the female.  You cannot read about this, so you need to learn how to question those who care for this females throughout the time prior to breeding her.  If there is any negative question as to the disposition of the female, then I would not breed her.  Why?  Because the offspring will be more like their mother if she is going to be a productive brood matron.  You must breed good solid traits into pups, and eliminate bad traits you can avoid at all costs.

When I was managing our racing kennels, then my trainers will tell you that I ask them many times about the disposition of certain females which I could not be around that much.  Racing greyhounds can help motivate and make a good team in the kennel, or they can be totally disruptive and even demoralize the trainer.  We had a kennel once which was next to another kennel composed of many greyhounds out of the sire, Wild Breeze.  This was a great track dog, and many of his offspring could run, but 80% of them would destroy any kennel.  There were fights continuously in the turnout pens, and utter chaos on a daily basis.  God only knows how their trainer could go to work every day.  The owner of this stud dog later sold him for a sizable sum.  The buyer soon went out of business.

You want prospective broods which perform in the kennel, as well as on the race track.  When you are working with a knowledgeable trainer you have respect for, then make sure you ask how well your female stacks up with all the other greyhounds in the kennel as far as disposition goes.  Find out which greyhound he feels has the very best disposition in the kennel, then ask him to compare her to that particular greyhound.  Just be satisfied that you still have confidence in your female, and that you would like to have pups just like her. Disposition cannot be weak.  It must show a well controlled competitiveness shown in the kennel and on the race track. Trainers love this kind of greyhound as they are not trouble, but are all business at the right times.

You have seen human athletes which are easy going and nice to relate to, then become all business when the game begins. They are never a trouble to deal with, and get the job done. That is a good disposition.  Add heart into this mix, and you have the perfect greyhound, one which normally won’t check turns and the like.  I gambled on a female once which had so much heart that I just had to breed her.  My trainer once told me “I believe she would run through a brick wall”. Her pups had heart, and made a great addition to our kennels.

Breeding takes years of experience to properly relate to, but I will cover some high points for you to consider when making your decision to breed a particular female.  There will be exceptions to what I tell you.  Just realize that I am attempting to keep you working with the highest percentages to be productive.  The best way to do this is to forget any one female, and lets discuss this as though you are looking for the very best prospect possible.  Should any female you own now have these traits, then count your blessings.

Disposition is the mental relationship one considers for best results.  The physical qualities will be the second, and genetics provide the third consideration one should give in order to make a final decision.

Let me remind you of the most important tool, another rule to follow, which is the farm providing the total care and training of the offspring produced.  You can do everything right, and still fail if you aren’t dealing with a productive farm.  Eighty (80%) percent of the farms out there cannot consistently produce greyhounds with the ability to race at a top track like Wheeling.  This means you have a twenty (20%) percent chance of being on the right farm.

Physical qualities of a greyhound is shown through the racing record they provide.  When you look into these greyhounds, then you will likely see the same traits among the best ones.  The traits I look for in males and females alike are as follows;

Eyes – big round piercing eyes quickly get my attention.  You should be able to see a deep desire within most animals when you look into the eyes of hundreds of greyhounds.  Take a tour and look into the eyes of the best greyhounds in a racing kennel, then compare that look with the others.  If you are visiting a farm . . . make a game of looking for the most intense eyes you can find. Watch what a greyhound looks at when he/she is in a turnout pen, or into some activity.  Some greyhounds confine their view within the pen, and with other greyhounds.  Others, view everything going on outside the pen.  They are alert and hold a stronger desire.  The only distraction which might not allow you to see the true strength within the greyhound is their focus on you.

I made it a policy when hiring a kennel helper or trainer to watch the greyhounds in a racing kennel before that person was hired. Greyhounds actually look into your eyes, and they look into the eyes of strangers.  From this, they react in a favorable or non-favorable manner.  If they don’t show they like a potential employee, then they didn’t get the job.

Feet – greyhounds must stand up on their toes with good knuckled feet.  I prefer smaller feet.  A flat footed dog cannot run with any speed.  They have no strength in their toes to grab the turf underneath.  This may be more important than the eyes, but both go hand-in-hand in the confirmation of a good athlete.

Back – I prefer greyhounds which stand up high from the ground to the top of their hip bone.  Then, have a strong back with a slight rise in the middle of the back which leans closer to their neck and shoulders than most greyhounds you see.  You can learn what I am speaking of by looking at the top AA performers at any race track.  There is a definite difference in the physical structure of their backs.  You can see hundreds of greyhounds in runs on farms to practice looking for that special greyhound.

Teeth and gums – make sure your greyhounds have good teeth and gums; especially, a brood matron will not produce good litters, unless they have good teeth.  Some people worry about breeding a older female.  As long as they have good teeth, then they can produce, so use this toward making your decisions.

Size – there are many stories of small females producing big greyhounds, but many produce uneven litters, so I prefer breeding larger females, or no less than 58 pounds on rare occasions.  A 60 pound female is plenty big as a starting place.

If you can put the above qualities together, then you are miles ahead of the game.

Choose only those females which come from quality litters.  If she is the only good female in the litter, then she will likely produce one good pup in her litters.  At least, I have seen this far more often than not.  Make it a rule to only choose your broods that come from top litters.  My first comment corner article discussed finding top litters at the NGA meets, and how you can purchase a female from these litters.

Try to purchase a female which not only comes from a good producing mother, but one who grand mother was very productive, also.  That just ups your percentage toward success to another level.

If you want to race your greyhounds at Wheeling to go after the top commissions, then choose your females which ran successful at Wheeling.  The offspring have a tendency to follow such a pattern if they are going to be productive at all.  You can find all sorts of exceptions, but you are depending on luck when you do it don’t follow a solid game plan.  There are far more losers doing this.

Genetics is the most demanding consideration of all.  If anyone were astute to the highest level in this business, then they would have the greyhound industry cornered long ago.  All you can do is follow obvious rules in you breeding strengths.  Again, play the percentages by placing what you know works best in your favor.  When you are breeding the kind of quality I have provided for you to consider, then you will greatly improve your percentages.  Stay away from in-breeding before the fourth generation. Continue to outcross until that time.

The top three sires you were previously advised to breed to are obviously genetically sound, or would not be among the leading producers in the nation.  If you have chosen your broods to match these greyhounds as described above, then you should have great success ahead.  You will have a strong feeling of confidence when you plan your future in this manner.

Should you feel you do not know enough about what I have shared with you, then stick to females which ran in the top grade at the top tracks in the nation.  Make sure you don’t breed them, until they have been off hormones for a minimum of six months.  For best results, don’t breed them until they come off the track for a minimum of six months.

Few people have the thyroids tested of their brood matrons.  The fact is . . . most females do not have a normal regulated thyroid. This will keep them from coming in season in the right cycle, and they may have small or uneven litters without proper regulations of their thyroid gland.  Pay the small expense it takes for a veterinarian to make this test on your broods.  It takes two tests to properly do this.  The first one can determine the amount of thyroid medicine (pills) which should be given daily.  Later, the second one will check the female to see if she has properly adjusted her thyroid level.  If not, then the pill strength can be changed.  You will always have much better litters when you do this, and your female will come in season on schedule.

When giving thyroid pills, then read the instructions.  Most pills are good for 12 hours.  This means you have to give them pills twice a day, or this is not being done properly.  Few farms will do this as it is another requirement they won’t meet.  The 20% successful farms are probably doing this already.  Still, if you are going into this business, then do it right.  You have to take it upon yourself to manage/confirm these things.

I had one farm give my females thyroid pills thinking they are used to bring the broods in season only.  What a joke!  Needless to say, we were not with them very long.  The rest of their work was done the same way.

Build a relationship with a top notch farmer, one you feel is looking out for your best interest.  Detail and communication is what makes greyhound racing work.  Anyone who doesn’t pay attention to detail, and those who won’t communicate with you on a routine basis, then you will eventually lose has been my experience.  Then again, farms change with time.  These are things you cannot assume. You must stay in the flow.  Ask questions, and expect prompt answers. When you cannot get them, then it is time to tuck your tail and run.

The above information is given for those of you who plan to breed your own females.  If I have shared one thing which you can put to use, then it will make me feel good knowing I helped.

WHAT QUALITIES/TRAITS DO I LOOK FOR IN THE NGA MEETS WHEN CONSIDERING TO BUY A PUP AT THESE AUCTIONS?

In a previous article, I covered the mental, physical and breeding qualities that are important when considering any greyhound to purchase or own.  For this reason, I won go into this again, but there are many other factors which one can add to the mix when taking it upon yourself to make such a purchase at the nationals. Let’s talk about them for a minute.

The first thing one should consider is what their goal to accomplish is, then stick with it.  Do you really have the experience to make a selection to purchase a greyhound which can qualify to race at Wheeling, or the track you want to send it to?  You must have the confidence that you can do this, or leave it up to the kennel operator who is going to run your greyhound for you.

Rodney and I have both been guilty in the past of agreeing to take on greyhounds others purchase to race at Wheeling when we know the chances of such a greyhound making it are going to be expensive for the kennel, and almost impossible to begin with.  We could have saved thousands of dollars for certain owners and ourselves had they spent the time to discuss such choices.  It is tough to turn an owner down who is a great person, loyal to the big picture, and just plain good people.  We don’t want to degrade anyone, so have let too many of these happenings go without saying anything.

I only bring this up for you to consider toward saving your own money, and the side of the kennel operator who has to pay for 100% of the care, and do all the work for your greyhound to be successful from that day forward.  So, ask yourself . . . wouldn’t you want to know that the trainer of your greyhound wants him in his kennel before you spend lots of money for such a purchase? Pick a greyhound which can fit into the total picture, and you will get better results.

Consider the difference in someone who is rarely around a greyhound, and a trainer which works with them every single day. You can read about plumbing all day long, but if you have never done your own plumbing before, then it can be difficult to compare your work with a well qualified plumber.  Make sense?

Now, that I have deflated your ego, allow me to put you back on course to making such a selection on your own.  Nothing says you can’t rise to the occasion.  Just go about it the right way.  Here are some things to consider . . .

Realize that there are those farmers who prepare their greyhounds far differently from each other for each meet.  Know who the best ones are. It is that time of year for them to compete, not only on the race track, but in the auction ring to bring in the greatest share of their income for the year.  There are those you can depend on to bring top quality greyhounds to each and every meet, and there are those who rarely ever win a race. The work put into these greyhounds shows on the race track, and all the qualities one looks for are there to be found if you want to work at it hard enough.

Lets assume you are making plans to attend the upcoming meet in Abilene, Kansas this April.  Your purpose is to participate in our auction group, and to make a single purchase of your own.  Before you leave for the meet . . . do you have a game plan?  Who are the top farmers you can depend on to provide you the talent you are looking for?  What farmers should you avoid at all costs?  Have you selected what bloodlines will provide you the highest percentage results on the race track?  Do you know enough about breeding to make this a valuable trait in your selections? What size greyhounds should you avoid or purchase for the best results?  Do you know how to find each farmer (owner of each greyhound) to ask the right questions, and do you know what the right questions are to ask?  How well can you watch a race, and the stride which a greyhound exhibits to measure it properly?  How can you avoid selections with poor dispositions when watching them on a race track?  Are you prepared to select potential stars by any other method than simply following the winning time of each race?  More people follow time than any other thing since it is the easiest, but most expensive way out.

These are just some of the things one must consider in making your selection at the NGA auctions.  There are many more.  Being at the right places at the right time, and being a good listener is another most important move on your part.  This won’t mean anything to you, unless you have worked with greyhounds in the past . . . in farm training, or in a racing kennel.  You won’t know how to relate to many things one can pass through their mental calculator once properly programmed in their mind. No one can learn the complete greyhound business by reading it from a book.

PRICE is important if you want to be placed in the highest category for success toward finding that special greyhound.  You may prefer to take on added gamble should your limit be less.  Or, you may really take a flyer at some less expensive greyhound that catches your eye.  Regardless, of what greyhound you select . . . just make sure you have some good solid reasons for making such a selection.  If you want a “white” greyhound, then get one, but that won’t make it run any faster if it doesn’t have enough speed and track smarts to make the race track you want it to run on.

NEVER buy a greyhound you are being told about by the person who owns it.  Everyone in Abilene has a good story to tell about the greyhounds they want to sell.  Beware of these people, unless you ask specifically about points you want answers for.  Make it your own idea to be discussed. Anytime, I have ever allowed someone to talk me into buying a greyhound on their word . . . I can’t remember it becoming a good situation.  Note that I am talking about the owner of a greyhound attempting to sell it with words, rather than through results you obtain through better means.  Always talk to those you feel can provide knowledge, but you should be the one to pursue them.  But, go after it in your own way!  Sitting still won’t get you anywhere, either.

There are those owners who go to meets looking for the greyhound which gets in trouble.  Everyone knows the worse a greyhound runs, the less money will be asked for it, so trouble is the key which stopped the sleeper we can buy for less.  The truth is in over 90% of the cases . . . each greyhound which gets into trouble in their race will likely always get into trouble as they do not have the metal smarts to avoid it.  So, you just bought a dumb ass dog you thought was a sleeper!  Pardon me for expressing it that way, but I don’t want you to forget this.  It is one of the most common mistakes people blow their money on.  It is true that a fast football player can be blocked out of a play before he gets free to run.  Place the same football player in with a group of lower quality players, and they won’t likely catch him in time to throw such a block.  He is too quick and smart for most if he is one of the good ones.

The first round of the meets held in Abilene are the cheapest of all.  All the good greyhounds are scattered through many races made up of lesser quality greyhounds.  If you are looking for a sleeper, then don’t do it the first round.  Any greyhound which cannot run first or second in the first round won’t make my list.  They will never see a cheaper race.  Think about it!  All the worst greyhounds ran that round and were eliminated from running in the second round.  In the second and final round, then all the winners are running against one another.  The meet is designed that way.  So, a real sleeper should only be found in the second round if you have a good enough eye to find one.

All the winners are entered in the FINALS of each group.  The second place finishers are in Consolation Flight I, and third place finishers are in Consolation Flight II.  No greyhound runs in the second round, unless it came in the top three finishers in the first round. Thank goodness! If you don’t make a purchase from those in a Final Group, then your odds are less in the Consolation Groups.  Had you rather have a greyhound from a Final which ran second or third, or a Consolation winner?  One has to measure how they ran in the first round to see which one shows the most promise.  Some greyhound has to run second behind the fastest greyhound at the meet, and may be super, but you must know this if you are looking into the Consolation races. The NGA provides a roster on the Internet of all the greyhounds by litter before each meet begins.  Make sure you get a copy of this.  After the first round is completed, then mark each winner, and indicate the time it ran beside their name.  You can tell by looking at this which litters stick out with best results.  ALWAYS try to make your purchases from these litters.  You don’t have to know much to do this, and can bypass almost everything.  Try to stay away from greyhounds which are the only good dog in a litter.  Require your purchases to have littermates which can actually run fast. This is good for racing and breeding interests.

If you are in greyhound racing for the long haul, then you want to breed only those greyhounds which come from litters in which all the offspring were good.  That is the best place to find your sleeper if you are limited on money.

Follow these litter selections through the second round, and you will be surprised how much better you can watch each race for talent.  They will teach you traits to look for if you have that ability to search that deeply into each race.  It takes hundreds of races to develop an eye for watching races, and properly relate to what you are seeing.  Then again, knowing what to look for helps with this.  Do you consider a greyhound that runs with his head up better or worse than a greyhound which runs with its head down?  When a greyhound’s tail whips while he is running, does this show he has ability to guide himself properly, or is there a problem with this?  Do you see a ripple in a greyhound’s back when he runs, or does it float in a smooth manner?  Does he run straight down the track, or are there places he might decide to veer to the inside or outside of the track?  How does he come out of the starting box, and is this another place he might veer in a different direction?  Is all this smart, or should he run in a straight line? Does he throw his lead foot properly when rounding a turn; does he run tight turns; does he run mid-track on turns; does he sweep wide coming out of turns, etc.?  How does he relate to the track you are considering him as a purchase for?  Does he have enough early speed to use as an advantage?  The answers to these questions must be learned through experience, and a trained eye.

You can see these are a few of the things one must consider toward grading the 600 to 1,000 greyhounds which attend these meets.  The more research you can do, the better chance you have at making a “sleeper steal”, or paying a deserving price for a quality greyhound.

Every meet carries great mystery.  They are all different when approached as a science the way we have in the past.  My first meet was during the coursing period in the early 1960’s.  Since that time, to include coursing and track racing, no two meets are ever alike.  You can feel the difference when you approach them in a manner to learn all you can about them.  Some of the meets make you feel that you are walking away with the top greyhounds there.  Later, you find that few people scored well at that particular meet as the quality just wasn’t as good as we felt it was.  We knew we purchased the best greyhounds that were at the meet.  Other meets are highly competitive, and you feel you were one of those who made the top purchases.  Then, those greyhounds become better than expected.  Look back at the Lonesome Cry meet, and you will see a tremendous group of greyhounds, and wish every meet could be like that.

I don’t feel there are many people that come close to the work this organizations does to prepare for each meet.  We are going to leave with good greyhounds meet after meet, because we do everything humanly possible to make the best decisions. There is a lot of teamwork that goes into the big picture of making this work.  We always work together.  Money management hasn’t even been discussed, nor have we talked about the flow of the auction which provides an order of arrangement we have to work with to avoid losing certain greyhounds, or making a move to our advantage.  The day of the meet carries other side effects, such as health certificates, hauling schedules, paperwork to obtain tax refunds, someone to place greyhounds in each hauling rig with the proper care and condition of each greyhound.  We work as a team to make all things happen in an organized manner.

Try running an auction group like ours on auction day, and coordinate all these activities at one time, and it will bring you to a rude awakening.  I love every minute of it, and the climax of the day is when I sat at those tables, and transferred each greyhound purchased to Charter Kennel, Inc. making them a permanent part of our team.  Rodney and Patti have done this many years, and we have learned to make each meet better.  It makes me feel tremendous to know they can continue this in all our best interest, and each of you should have great confidence in them.  They are the best!

Ken Duffy and Dolores Russell have attended these meets, and have experienced much of what I have covered in this article.  They asked the questions which caused this article to be written. There are many more of you who have attended these meets, also. It is part of greyhound racing, and I have always felt a person cannot completely feel they are part of greyhound racing to the fullest without attending an NGA Meet and Auction.  Take the time, and make sure you do this.  You will never regret it; especially, if you are part of the Auction Group ownership.  Then, you can really live every minute of it.