National Greyhound Week Showcases the Best of Greyhound Racing

National Greyhound Week celebrates 100 years of the sport

Tracks across the country celebrated greyhound racing's centenary during National Greyhound Week, which took place from 24 to 31 August.

Now in its fourth year, National Greyhound Week gave tracks the opportunity to commemorate the sport's 100th anniversary in ways that reflected their unique local heritage. The week provided an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the remarkable greyhounds at the heart of the sport, recognising the canine athletes whose speed, skill and character have captivated audiences and helped make greyhound racing a cherished part of British sporting life for the past century.

With hundreds of free tickets available throughout the week, live music and Family Fun Days where children could meet their sporting heroes, there was plenty for visitors of all ages to enjoy.

Highlights from this year's National Greyhound Week, organised by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) across licensed tracks, included:

• Yarmouth Greyhound Stadium's Family Fun Night, which attracted large numbers of families who enjoyed fairground rides, face painting and the chance to meet retired greyhounds.

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• Freddy Vaughan, a seven-year-old volunteer for the Home Run Hounds homing centre, who visited Dunstall Park as part of his 100km fundraising walk during August, raising £5,500 for the charity.

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• Monmore Green Stadium's Bank Holiday Fun Day, which drew one of its largest crowds of the year, also raised more than £700 for Greyhound Trust Wolverhampton.

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• Romford Greyhound Stadium, which welcomed more than 60 children to its Bank Holiday Fun Day, with every child receiving a free activity book, medal and rosette, as well as the chance to meet a greyhound.

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• A thrilling finals night at Nottingham Greyhound Stadium, which saw three major competitions reach their conclusion, with Annadown Warrior, trained by Maxine Locke, claiming the Puppy Classic; Underground Gold, trained by Paul Young, capturing the Select Stakes title; and Radical Story, trained by Craig Morris, winning the Select Stayers.

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Speaking about the week, Cress Lee, GBGB Marketing Manager, said:

"I would like to thank all the stadiums for their enthusiastic support of National Greyhound Week, as it really does highlight the very best of greyhound racing. The popularity of both National Greyhound Week and our centenary celebrations demonstrates the vital role tracks play in their local communities as hubs of affordable, family-friendly entertainment.

"It was a real privilege to see tracks welcoming existing fans of the sport to the celebrations, while also introducing so many families to greyhound racing for the first time as the summer holidays came to a close.”

Joe Edwards, Communications Manager at Monmore, said:

"It was brilliant to see such a large crowd, of all ages and backgrounds, enjoying the action as we rounded off National Greyhound Week with our Bank Holiday Fun Day.

“The retired greyhounds, including Google and Ash, were so well behaved, greeting customers and enjoying lots of fuss from excited children – many of them seeing a greyhound up close for the first time. It was our second-biggest gate of the year and, fingers crossed, many of them will return to Monmore on a more regular basis.

“The day summed up what greyhound racing is all about – community, excitement and a welcoming atmosphere for all the family. We look forward to next year's National Greyhound Week and, in the meantime, hopefully getting busier every week as we approach the Christmas period."