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It was the Egyptians who first raced Greyhounds
for sport. The first evidence of the Greyhound as a breed comes from
the tomb of Amten in the Valley of the Nile. Egyptologists date it
between 2900 and 2751 BC. Carvings in Amten's tomb show an
unmistakable Greyhound-type dog in three different scenes. Two show
the dog attacking deer, the other a horned animal somewhat like a
mountain goat.
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The first description of the breed is found in
Ovid's writings. This Roman poet lived from 43 BC to 17 AD
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There is documentation that greyhounds were in
England as far back as 3,500 years ago, and a 1959 uncovering of the
Avebury Stone Circle, Europe's largest prehistoric monument, revealed
a skeleton of a greyhound-like dog. An Old Welsh proverb proclaimed
that you might know a gentleman by his horse, his hawk and his
greyhound. Saxon tribal chiefs often were given greyhounds among state
gifts of honour.
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In 1014, King Canute enacted the Forest Laws,
which established that only noblemen could own and hunt with
greyhounds.
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Coursing races, with dogs chasing live rabbits,
became popular during the sixteenth century. In the 1500s Queen
Elizabeth I abolished the Forest Laws and had Thomas, Duke of Norfolk,
develop rules judging competitive coursing (greyhound's pursuit of
hares). She dubbed the sport "Sport of Queens." Did you know
that greyhounds may have been cross-bred with bulldogs in the middle
of the 18th Century in an effort to develop a dog with more stamina?
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Did you know that King Cob (born in 1839) is
reputed to be the ancestor of all greyhounds today? Owned by
Captain Daintree, King Cob was the first greyhound to be put out to
public stud.
http://www.greyhounds-galore.co.uk/18thcentury.htm
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In the late 1800s, greyhounds were imported to
America to destroy jackrabbits, which were ravishing crops in the
Great Plains.
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Owen Patrick (O.P.) Smith invented the mechanical
lure in 1912.
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The first circular greyhound racetrack opened in
1919 in Emeryville, California. Since then, greyhound racing has
become a national industry, although it is prohibited by some states
and no longer permitted by several others.
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Greyhound racing is the sixth largest spectator
sport in the United States.
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Greyhound racing is legal in 18 states: Alabama,
Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas,
Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota,
Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin (Nevada and South Dakota do not
conduct greyhound racing at this time).
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There are 48 greyhound racetracks in the United
States, as well as numerous tracks around the world, including
Ireland, England and Australia.
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A greyhound's racing name is not his real name
because yelling his or her real name during a race could interfere
with performance.
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The name of a greyhound may not exceed 16
characters and cannot be the same as that of another greyhound.
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The fastest official 5/16ths-mile clocking at a
U.S. racetrack is 29.33, posted by Be My Bubba, August 5, 2000
at Bluffs Run (Iowa)
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Be My Bubba ran-out the most career purse
earnings with a bankroll of $365,734.
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JR's Ripper holds the record for most career wins
with 143 at Multnomah (Oregon) and Tucson (Arizona).
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During the Greyhound's complete stride, he is off
the ground twice - a double suspension gallop.
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Celebrity greyhound owners have included
Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt,
General Custer and Bo Derek.
