THE move to ban greyhound racing in Wales, prompted by a petition to the Senedd, which garnered 35,000 signatures, has created a considerable stir among those involved in the industry, but also within horse racing circles, with obvious questions to be asked about whether this decision represents the thin end of a wedge, which could threaten both sports in the UK and Ireland. Given the limited nature of greyhound racing in Wales – there is only one venue compared to three for horse racing – many will see this as nothing more than sabre-rattling from the animal rights lobby against a supine government, but the implications are clear, even if the prospect of further legislation in the UK and/or Ireland is likely to be some way down the road.

Those who seek a ban on greyhound racing would extend that desire to any other sporting pursuit, in which animals are participants and that is horse racing writ large. Their views tend to be absolute and the idea of appeasing them has long been shown to be ineffective. They tend to demonise the sport and its participants, and the temptation is for those who support the participation of animals in sport to paint their opponents as crackpots and extremists. This approach, which merely drags both parties though the mud, is not beneficial, whatever the individual justification might be.

It’s also not enough to present the facts, which underpin the arguments regarding welfare standards, for all the production of statistics relating to injuries and fatalities, as well as rehoming information is vitally important. Official figures from the GBGB (Greyhound Board of Great Britain) show that the racetrack fatality rate in greyhound racing in Britain is 0.03% based on total runs. This figure is based on data from 355,000 races and is robust and accurate. Figures produced to paint the opposite side tend to be based on fag-packet estimates, poor understanding of statistics and simple exaggeration. The problem is, as populist politics has shown us over the last decade, the truth is now what you want it to be.

Winding down

The news that Welsh First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies wants a ban on greyhound racing in Wales to take effect “as soon as practically possible” is an obvious concern for those involved in the sport, but it may take some time for that to come into effect, with Irranca-Davies aware that simply closing the only Welsh venue at Valley Stadium in Ystrad Mynach would merely exacerbate welfare issues in the short-term, so time needs to be given for winding down and to give trainers and their dogs an opportunity to relocate.

And it can’t be lost on legislators that relocation of greyhounds will mean moving them to English tracks, where they will help to boost kennel strength. Of course, those who have campaigned successfully to invoke legislation in Wales will undoubtedly attempt to do the same in the rest of the UK, and they will feel that they take some impetus into what will be a much bigger battle. It was encouraging, therefore, to hear the UK Culture Minister, Lisa Nandy state in the UK Parliament that she had “absolutely no plans” to ban greyhound racing in England, citing not only the economic contribution provided by the sport, but also, the joy the sport brings to the wider community.

This is a hugely critical point and one that tends to get lost in debates over welfare. This isn’t fundamentally an argument about semantics, and nor is it one about political or moral ideologies. It’s really about joy or the lack thereof. The chief weapon for those who want to see such sports flourish isn’t the high welfare standards, important as they are, it’s the sense of self-worth it gives to those whose lives are dedicated to the sport, whether they are trainers, owners, grooms, kennel-hands or ground staff. It’s also the thrill that sport gives to those who go to racetracks to see, hear and smell the sport close up. We need to tap into that rich seam much more than we do.

Securing the future

The enjoyment of sport in the wider community is the key to securing its future, and this is where greyhound racing has made itself vulnerable. Immediately after WWII, greyhound racing was the most popular sport for public attendance, with a staggering 70 million passing through the turnstiles at over 100 UK tracks, but the introduction of betting shops in 1961 precipitated a decline in attendances, and the way racing has been packaged for betting shop consumption by BAGS (Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service) in recent decades means that the sport has become more and more about meeting betting requirements for off-course bookmakers, rather than about attendance at the tracks themselves and the number of licenced tracks in the UK will shortly stand at a paltry 18, with the land on which tracks stand much more valuable for redevelopment than it is for the provision of entertainment for the masses.

There is a real danger that horse racing could sleepwalk into the same mire that greyhound racing has found itself in, selling the sport primarily for media rights and forgetting about its traditional customers. For too many tracks, it’s almost irrelevant if there’s a crowd, and Kempton on a Wednesday evening feels eerily like Hackney Wick or Crayford on a Saturday morning. I used to enjoy watching the races at Hackney and Crayford, but I never went, and now nobody does.

Racing – certainly in the UK – needs to stop pricing customers out of attending and realise that popular support for the sport is absolutely essential for its survival. I was delighted to read that Ayr gave away 2,000 free tickets for their race meeting on Monday and I hope that other racecourses follow suit. It might be a pain to have to open up bars and restaurants for those annoying people who like to enjoy a trip to the races, but racing needs to welcome them with open arms and reasonable prices, because it won’t be too long before it has to beg.