Greyhound Nation

Episode 29: Recorded June 26, 2022 “He said to me, ‘Why don’t you make it a personal record? Put more of yourself into it…'” Charlie Blanning, on the advice given to him while writing Twenty Two Waterloo Cups Show Notes Charlie Blanning’s latest book — Twenty Two Waterloo Cups — is more than just another history of the famous English Greyhound coursi...

Episode 28: Recorded February 15, 2022 “I literally grew up with Greyhounds…” Leslie Wootten, on her childhood at the Tucson Greyhound Park Show Notes Leslie Wootten’s earliest memories of Greyhounds are from the Tucson Greyhound Park around 1953. Her father was hired as the plant superintendent at the race track, and her family lived in a house near the paddock on the trac...

Episode 27: Recorded January 8, 2022 “It was indescribable — the elation — but also a sadness — things can’t get better than this…” Jackie Teal, Greyhound coursing and racing trainer, on winning her first Waterloo Cup in 2002 Show Notes At the age of ten, Jackie Teal really wanted a pony. Instead, she found herself helping a local businessman out with his...

Episode 26: Recorded December 16, 2021 “Why don’t you pick up the baton and write [about] the final years of the Waterloo cup?” Charlie Blanning on the inspiration for his next Greyhound history project Show Notes Charlie Blanning — respected Greyhound historian and regular guest on the Greyhound Nation podcast — has a new Greyhound history project in the works. In this episode, host John Parker a...

Episode 25: Recorded November 15, 2021 “I think of you as the Sir Mark Prescott of American coursing…” Host John Parker on Steve Downs and his involvement in coursing in the United States Show Notes Steve Downs is a fourth generation Greyhound man. His father’s family hailed from California and became interested in hunting hares, also referred to as as jackrabbits in the United States....

Episode 24: Recorded September 23, 2021 “As long as I could reach the window to the ticket seller, I could place a wager…” Gary Guccione, talking about placing his first wagers at the Butte, MT Greyhound racing track Show Notes Gary Guccione’s life in Greyhound racing started in Butte, Montana. His father served as racing secretary and racing kennel owner at the Western Montana Kennel Club. One of...

Episode 23: Recorded August 17, 2021 “Gamal started to gallop, and King said, ‘I know this — I can run!'” Cynthia Branigan, on her first Greyhound’s experience with Gamal, America’s last diving horse Show Notes Cynthia Branigan took her first Greyhound, King (fka Low Key Two), to visit a very special horse, Gamal. Gamal was the last of the Atlantic City Steel Pi...

Episode 22 (Bonus): Recorded August 22, 2021 “I hope you children will have happy memories of today.” Charlie Wilby, butcher and coursing enthusiast, 1987 Show Notes Our first bonus episode revisits our conversation with Charlie Blanning and Sir Mark Prescott in Episode 12: The Greatest of Coursing . In that episode, Sir Mark shared an anecdote about a butcher from Norfolk — Charlie Wilby &#...

In my mind and memory, she is and always will be the blithest of greyhound spirits… The One Who Got Away , Dennis McKeon Show Notes Greyhound Nation went “on the air” as a brand new podcast for Greyhound enthusiasts on August 11, 2020. Our first guest was Dennis McKeon , a former racing Greyhound trainer and respected essayist on the breed. Since then, we’ve released over twenty episodes cov...

“Track Greyhounds — too much engine and not enough frame. But I am addicted to that speed.” Michele Houghton, amateur Greyhound racing enthusiast Show Notes Michele Houghton had her first lure coursing experience in 1992. At the time, she had a kennel of nearly 40 Greyhounds. Michele loved the sport, but she soon realized that hard New England fields were better suited to smaller...

“Like Alfred Hitchcock, I’d insist on appearing in a scene myself…the man walking behind the bookmakers.” Charlie Blanning Show Notes Some of the best TV series and movies today bring a little known moment or person from history to the big screen. One could argue that author Charlie Blanning is a keeper of such stories from Greyhound history. Author of Please Mister: The Go...

“I’ve never heard a Greyhound or any sighthound ever complain about the score the judge gave them.” Dean Wright on the joy a Greyhound or sighthound gets from lure coursing Show Notes Dean Wright knows what drives a Greyhound or other sighthound to give chase at a lure coursing meeting. He’s been lure coursing with the American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA) since the...

“I swear you could put a coffee cup on his back and he wouldn’t spill it. He was a smooth machine.” Greyhound breeder Michael Strickland on one of his favorite stud dogs, EJ’s Douglas Show Notes Michael Strickland recalls the moment he got to lead EJ’s Douglas to the Greyhound Hall of Fame in the early 1990s to accept the National Greyhound Association’s Rural R...

“I think I might have squealed when I found out that I got the position…” Paula Beniston on landing a position on the Greyhound Board of Great Britain Show Notes Paula Beniston’s journey with Greyhounds started more than 30 years ago with a weekend job at a local Greyhound training and breeding center, where she got to work with Greyhound puppies. In the past 20 years, she&...

“How do we gather information about Greyhound adoption and share it with the rest of the adoption community?” Joan Belle Isle on the original goals of The Greyhound Project Show Notes The Greyhound Project was founded in 1993 by Joan Belle Isle and like minded, New England-based adoption group volunteers. Its mission was to “serve the common interests of greyhound adoption organi...

“Over the last 5 years, I’ve learned an awful lot … and really come to appreciate the passion that people have around the sport and the love of Greyhounds.” Mark Bird, on his tenure with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain Show Notes Mark Bird traveled a different path into the sport of Greyhound racing than most. He had been around dogs all his life, including his career...

“I always find this warming to my heart that I get to do this. I’m not in it for the money. I just do it for the dogs.” Steve Schiferl, Greyhound photographer Show Notes Steve Schiferl has traveled the country to capture Greyhounds in motion at Greyhound tracks and National Greyhound Association (NGA) schooling facilities. His fascination with and photography of the breed started...

Episode 12: Recorded February 13, 2021 “I hope you children you all enjoy today, and I hope you will get as much fun from coursing and coursing people as I have done.” Charlie Wilby, at a Newmarket coursing meeting for local children Show Notes Author Charlie Blanning and race horse trainer Sir Mark Prescott have certainly encountered the “greatest” in Greyhound coursing. T...

Episode 11: Recorded February 20, 2021 “You see these discussions all the time on Greyhound groups. ‘What’s the best ______ for my Greyhound?'” John Parker, host of Greyhound Nation Show Notes Use the right tool for the job. This mantra applies to Greyhound ownership as much as it applies to car maintenance. New Greyhound owners often have questions about what “Greyho...

Episode 10: Recorded November 1, 2020 “It’s very difficult to describe the euphoria of what it’s like when the first Greyhound you own wins [a race]…” Kiaran O’Brien describes his first Greyhound’s ( Pole Rating) first win Show Notes Kiaran O’Brien’s love affair with Greyhound racing started in the 1970s, growing up in Bristol, England. His fat...

Episode 9: Recorded December 5, 2020 “I saw nice people and nice dogs and marvelous hares, and I thought, ‘What a grand spectacle.’” Sir Mark Prescott, on seeing his first coursing meeting in 1967 Show Notes In the 1960s, Sir Mark Prescott found himself on the road back to Newmarket , home of British thoroughbred horse racing, from Cambridge. Along the way, he came across a large numbe...

Episode 8: Recorded November 8, 2020 “A good Greyhound will chase anything…” Charlie Blanning Show Notes It’s the early 1920’s. Owen Patrick (O.P.) Smith, inventor of the artificial lure, accepts the challenge of some doubters at his track in Emeryville, CA. “The dogs ain’t gonna chase that, O.P. ” O.P. smiles, removes the “hare” from the rail and replaces it with his...

Episode 7 – Recorded October 8, 2020 “If any of you are interested, Lucy is racing tonight at Palm Beach Kennel Club — race 15, box 8. You can watch it live on the feed!” Lynn Bunn, via Facebook Messenger Show Notes It’s just before 9pm on Friday, October 9, 2020. From her home in Galveston, Texas, Lynn Bunn ( Fast Canines Greyhound Adoption ) is glued to Internet liv...

Episode 6 – Recorded September 24, 2020 “It’s kind of in between a kennel and a home…so you really have a feel that they’re at home…it’s not your typical kennel.” Viara Gentchev Show Notes Viara Gentchev is a breeder and operator of a new retired racing Greyhound care center — a “halfway house” concept pioneered by Greyhound Racing...

Episode 5 – Recorded September 7, 2020 “There is a growing community of responsible hobbyist Greyhound breeders … [who will] be of increasing importance as both sources for pets and amateur sporting Greyhounds and for the preservation of the American racing bloodlines.” John Parker Show Notes In 2021, fewer than five Greyhound race tracks will remain open in the United States. Ev...