Lets See Them Whippets, Coarsing, Racing, Working

[Barrie 1,325]

Hopefully these few old pictures and some of recollections from my early teens (the late 1950’s and early 1960’s) may be of some interest. They’re all old style “rag whippets” and pre date the requirement for a whippet to be registered with the Kennel Club in order to enter a race. Typically these dogs ran from about 14-20 lbs (sometimes smaller) and anything past say the mid 20’s would be questioned as to whether it was actually a true whippet (rather than maybe a whippet x greyhound).

At that time, my father ran a “drinkers pub” in the heart of the Black Country (aka the Industrial Midlands). In the main it was frequented by steelworkers and almost exclusively those of the “sporting variety”. If you were known to have a genuine interest in Whippets, Staffords, Poultry or Pigeons then you were always made to feel welcome. But if not, you’d have very little in common with the regulars and be treated with a fair degree of suspicion. For as long as I can remember, this photograph always hung above the fireplace in the bar and that would be at least 60 years back and beyond.

In those days the whippets ran in straight lines between strings and without muzzles, if they crossed out of their lane they were immediately disqualified, but rarely did. They were all hand slipped and ran to a rag waved by their owner at the end of the track. With hand slipping, you listened for the gun to go off and as soon as it did the dog would be flung through the air and hit the ground running. It was literally a “flying start”, very much an art in itself and it was often said that a good slipper could make you a yard to begin.

So determined were these little dogs and so fierce their hatred for the “rag”, they would take hold of it in full flight. And in order to prevent them injuring themselves, the “rag man” would have to follow them through, swing them through the air still latched on and catch them under their arm (once again an art in itself).

Before each race the dogs were publicly weighed by the Weighing Steward and then handicapped in accordance with the old “yards for pounds rule”, where for example a 19lb dog would be given a one yard start over a dog weighing 20lbs and so on. At that time there was none of this “handicapping on performance”, where a poorly performing dog was given a “fair chance” to beat something undeniably better. In my day, the weighing in process was normally carried out using an old fashioned balance scale which I always knew as a “Steelyard”. This was always carried out in complete silence, the only person who spoke was the Weighing Steward and anyone foolish enough to do otherwise was automatically viewed as “attempting to influence the Steward” and ran the very real risk of receiving immediate rough justice right there and then.

“Old Jack”, my father’s mentor and benefactor, weighing a dog with the same “steelyards” I have at home today.

My Dad was given a bitch pup by “Old Jack’s” son Joe, a very close friend and a man who’d inherited all the talents of his father. Throughout my entire life I only ever knew any of them to “gift” dogs, and then only to people who had earned their trust (not a mean feat in itself).  Around the same time, a brand new soft drink was launched and as a Publican my father was being bombarded with advertising literature and requests to stock it. The drink was called Tango and that’s what they named the pup.

“Tango” made 19.5lbs and earned herself a bit of a reputation. Between them they’d always had good dogs and were definitely “the ones to beat”, but this bitch was that little bit special and to plenty that were about at that time she was viewed as the best that there was. In fact so confident were Dad and his mates in that bitch and their ability to present her properly, that they had a challenge out to run any dog in the country, yards for pounds, over 120 yards, for a decent side stake of anything up to a maximum of £100 a side. When you consider just how long ago that was and the fact they were only ordinary working men, that was a lot of confidence to have, particularly when you consider I’d be about 13 or 14 at the time and when I started my first job at 17 my first week’s wages was £3/4s/2d (that’s about £3.21p in modern day money). Now before anyone shoots me down, I’m not saying there weren’t other good dogs about at that time (in fact there were plenty), or that there weren’t any which might have been able to beat her. But what I can say with my hand on my heart and 100% certainty is that of the handful or so which rose to the challenge, no one ever walked away with the purse.

 

My apologies for banging on a bit, but once I’d found out these old photos the memories just came flooding back too.

Y.I.S. and with the greatest respect for those no longer with us – Barrie

P.S. I remember seeing a letter from a famous Hollywood actor who was very well known for keeping Staffords. It was a letter to “Old Jack” inviting him to America and offering to set him up with a house and pay him whatever he wished to “look after the dogs”. When his friends and family asked him what he was planning to do, his reply was “Why the f*** would I want to go to America, I don’t know anybody over there” and he really did mean it. They certainly don’t make ‘em like that any more.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Barrie

[Black neck 15,870]

12 minutes ago, Barrie said:

Hopefully these few old pictures and some of recollections from my early teens (the late 1950’s and early 1960’s) may be of some interest. They’re all old style “rag whippets” and pre date the requirement for a whippet to be registered with the Kennel Club in order to enter a race. Typically these dogs ran from about 14-20 lbs (sometimes smaller) and anything past say the mid 20’s would be questioned as to whether it was actually a true whippet (rather than maybe a whippet x greyhound).

At that time, my father ran a “drinkers pub” in the heart of the Black Country (aka the Industrial Midlands). In the main it was frequented by steelworkers and almost exclusively those of the “sporting variety”. If you were known to have a genuine interest in Whippets, Staffords, Poultry or Pigeons then you were always made to feel welcome. But if not, you’d have very little in common with the regulars and be treated with a fair degree of suspicion. For as long as I can remember, this photograph always hung above the fireplace in the bar and that would be at least 60 years back and beyond.

In those days the whippets ran in straight lines between strings and without muzzles, if they crossed out of their lane they were immediately disqualified, but rarely did. They were all hand slipped and ran to a rag waved by their owner at the end of the track. With hand slipping, you listened for the gun to go off and as soon as it did the dog would be flung through the air and hit the ground running. It was literally a “flying start”, very much an art in itself and it was often said that a good slipper could make you a yard to begin.

So determined were these little dogs and so fierce their hatred for the “rag”, they would take hold of it in full flight. And in order to prevent them injuring themselves, the “rag man” would have to follow them through, swing them through the air still latched on and catch them under their arm (once again an art in itself).

Before each race the dogs were publicly weighed by the Weighing Steward and then handicapped in accordance with the old “yards for pounds rule”, where for example a 19lb dog would be given a one yard start over a dog weighing 20lbs and so on. At that time there was none of this “handicapping on performance”, where a poorly performing dog was given a “fair chance” to beat something undeniably better. In my day, the weighing in process was normally carried out using an old fashioned balance scale which I always knew as a “Steelyard”. This was always carried out in complete silence, the only person who spoke was the Weighing Steward and anyone foolish enough to do otherwise was automatically viewed as “attempting to influence the Steward” and ran the very real risk of receiving immediate rough justice right there and then.

“Old Jack”, my father’s mentor and benefactor, weighing a dog with the same “steelyards” I have at home today.

My Dad was given a bitch pup by “Old Jack’s” son Joe, a very close friend and a man who’d inherited all the talents of his father. Throughout my entire life I only ever knew any of them to “gift” dogs, and then only to people who had earned their trust (not a mean feat in itself).  Around the same time, a brand new soft drink was launched and as a Publican my father was being bombarded with advertising literature and requests to stock it. The drink was called Tango and that’s what they named the pup.

“Tango” made 19.5lbs and earned herself a bit of a reputation. Between them they’d always had good dogs and were definitely “the ones to beat”, but this bitch was that little bit special and to plenty that were about at that time she was viewed as the best that there was. In fact so confident were Dad and his mates in that bitch and their ability to present her properly, that they had a challenge out to run any dog in the country, yards for pounds, over 120 yards, for a decent side stake of anything up to a maximum of £100 a side. When you consider just how long ago that was and the fact they were only ordinary working men, that was a lot of confidence to have, particularly when you consider I’d be about 13 or 14 at the time and when I started my first job at 17 my first week’s wages was £3/4s/2d (that’s about £3.21p in modern day money). Now before anyone shoots me down, I’m not saying there weren’t other good dogs about at that time (in fact there were plenty), or that there weren’t any which might have been able to beat her. But what I can say with my hand on my heart and 100% certainty is that of the handful or so which rose to the challenge, no one ever walked away with the purse.

 

My apologies for banging on a bit, but once I’d found out these old photos the memories just came flooding back too.

Y.I.S. and with the greatest respect for those no longer with us – Barrie

P.S. I remember seeing a letter from a famous Hollywood actor who was very well known for keeping Staffords. It was a letter to “Old Jack” inviting him to America and offering to set him up with a house and pay him whatever he wished to “look after the dogs”. When his friends and family asked him what he was planning to do, his reply was “Why the f*** would I want to go to America, I don’t know anybody over there” and he really did mean it. They certainly don’t make ‘em like that any more.

Nice 1 Barrie good ole post that enjoyed it

[billhardy 2,342]

17 minutes ago, Barrie said:

Hopefully these few old pictures and some of recollections from my early teens (the late 1950’s and early 1960’s) may be of some interest. They’re all old style “rag whippets” and pre date the requirement for a whippet to be registered with the Kennel Club in order to enter a race. Typically these dogs ran from about 14-20 lbs (sometimes smaller) and anything past say the mid 20’s would be questioned as to whether it was actually a true whippet (rather than maybe a whippet x greyhound).

At that time, my father ran a “drinkers pub” in the heart of the Black Country (aka the Industrial Midlands). In the main it was frequented by steelworkers and almost exclusively those of the “sporting variety”. If you were known to have a genuine interest in Whippets, Staffords, Poultry or Pigeons then you were always made to feel welcome. But if not, you’d have very little in common with the regulars and be treated with a fair degree of suspicion. For as long as I can remember, this photograph always hung above the fireplace in the bar and that would be at least 60 years back and beyond.

In those days the whippets ran in straight lines between strings and without muzzles, if they crossed out of their lane they were immediately disqualified, but rarely did. They were all hand slipped and ran to a rag waved by their owner at the end of the track. With hand slipping, you listened for the gun to go off and as soon as it did the dog would be flung through the air and hit the ground running. It was literally a “flying start”, very much an art in itself and it was often said that a good slipper could make you a yard to begin.

So determined were these little dogs and so fierce their hatred for the “rag”, they would take hold of it in full flight. And in order to prevent them injuring themselves, the “rag man” would have to follow them through, swing them through the air still latched on and catch them under their arm (once again an art in itself).

Before each race the dogs were publicly weighed by the Weighing Steward and then handicapped in accordance with the old “yards for pounds rule”, where for example a 19lb dog would be given a one yard start over a dog weighing 20lbs and so on. At that time there was none of this “handicapping on performance”, where a poorly performing dog was given a “fair chance” to beat something undeniably better. In my day, the weighing in process was normally carried out using an old fashioned balance scale which I always knew as a “Steelyard”. This was always carried out in complete silence, the only person who spoke was the Weighing Steward and anyone foolish enough to do otherwise was automatically viewed as “attempting to influence the Steward” and ran the very real risk of receiving immediate rough justice right there and then.

“Old Jack”, my father’s mentor and benefactor, weighing a dog with the same “steelyards” I have at home today.

My Dad was given a bitch pup by “Old Jack’s” son Joe, a very close friend and a man who’d inherited all the talents of his father. Throughout my entire life I only ever knew any of them to “gift” dogs, and then only to people who had earned their trust (not a mean feat in itself).  Around the same time, a brand new soft drink was launched and as a Publican my father was being bombarded with advertising literature and requests to stock it. The drink was called Tango and that’s what they named the pup.

“Tango” made 19.5lbs and earned herself a bit of a reputation. Between them they’d always had good dogs and were definitely “the ones to beat”, but this bitch was that little bit special and to plenty that were about at that time she was viewed as the best that there was. In fact so confident were Dad and his mates in that bitch and their ability to present her properly, that they had a challenge out to run any dog in the country, yards for pounds, over 120 yards, for a decent side stake of anything up to a maximum of £100 a side. When you consider just how long ago that was and the fact they were only ordinary working men, that was a lot of confidence to have, particularly when you consider I’d be about 13 or 14 at the time and when I started my first job at 17 my first week’s wages was £3/4s/2d (that’s about £3.21p in modern day money). Now before anyone shoots me down, I’m not saying there weren’t other good dogs about at that time (in fact there were plenty), or that there weren’t any which might have been able to beat her. But what I can say with my hand on my heart and 100% certainty is that of the handful or so which rose to the challenge, no one ever walked away with the purse.

 

My apologies for banging on a bit, but once I’d found out these old photos the memories just came flooding back too.

Y.I.S. and with the greatest respect for those no longer with us – Barrie

P.S. I remember seeing a letter from a famous Hollywood actor who was very well known for keeping Staffords. It was a letter to “Old Jack” inviting him to America and offering to set him up with a house and pay him whatever he wished to “look after the dogs”. When his friends and family asked him what he was planning to do, his reply was “Why the f*** would I want to go to America, I don’t know anybody over there” and he really did mean it. They certainly don’t make ‘em like that any more.

Great Post thanks fa sharing this his how it was. Atb bill

[Rusky1984 155]

Tip six weeks to all most six months she is about 18tts now al have her out with me this season and let her mother show her how it's done on the lamp then come December al let her have a couple of races on the rabbits then next season she will be worked hard

[darbo 4,774]

Fantastic pics and information of a byegone era. Thanks Barrie atb.

[Rusky1984 155]

37 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

Jus don’t forget to get her out by herself an spend some one on one with her pal, all the best

Av been training her on her own her retrieve is spot on with a ball straight  back to hand everytime her recall can be a bit hit and miss sometimes but she is still very young she will be out on her own when I am going to let her have a couple of races 

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Lovely work Barrie,...proper post,..many thanks for taking time out to put it together..

[carp king 155]

On 22/08/2019 at 18:53, Barrie said:

Hopefully these few old pictures and some of recollections from my early teens (the late 1950’s and early 1960’s) may be of some interest. They’re all old style “rag whippets” and pre date the requirement for a whippet to be registered with the Kennel Club in order to enter a race. Typically these dogs ran from about 14-20 lbs (sometimes smaller) and anything past say the mid 20’s would be questioned as to whether it was actually a true whippet (rather than maybe a whippet x greyhound).

At that time, my father ran a “drinkers pub” in the heart of the Black Country (aka the Industrial Midlands). In the main it was frequented by steelworkers and almost exclusively those of the “sporting variety”. If you were known to have a genuine interest in Whippets, Staffords, Poultry or Pigeons then you were always made to feel welcome. But if not, you’d have very little in common with the regulars and be treated with a fair degree of suspicion. For as long as I can remember, this photograph always hung above the fireplace in the bar and that would be at least 60 years back and beyond.

In those days the whippets ran in straight lines between strings and without muzzles, if they crossed out of their lane they were immediately disqualified, but rarely did. They were all hand slipped and ran to a rag waved by their owner at the end of the track. With hand slipping, you listened for the gun to go off and as soon as it did the dog would be flung through the air and hit the ground running. It was literally a “flying start”, very much an art in itself and it was often said that a good slipper could make you a yard to begin.

So determined were these little dogs and so fierce their hatred for the “rag”, they would take hold of it in full flight. And in order to prevent them injuring themselves, the “rag man” would have to follow them through, swing them through the air still latched on and catch them under their arm (once again an art in itself).

Before each race the dogs were publicly weighed by the Weighing Steward and then handicapped in accordance with the old “yards for pounds rule”, where for example a 19lb dog would be given a one yard start over a dog weighing 20lbs and so on. At that time there was none of this “handicapping on performance”, where a poorly performing dog was given a “fair chance” to beat something undeniably better. In my day, the weighing in process was normally carried out using an old fashioned balance scale which I always knew as a “Steelyard”. This was always carried out in complete silence, the only person who spoke was the Weighing Steward and anyone foolish enough to do otherwise was automatically viewed as “attempting to influence the Steward” and ran the very real risk of receiving immediate rough justice right there and then.

“Old Jack”, my father’s mentor and benefactor, weighing a dog with the same “steelyards” I have at home today.

My Dad was given a bitch pup by “Old Jack’s” son Joe, a very close friend and a man who’d inherited all the talents of his father. Throughout my entire life I only ever knew any of them to “gift” dogs, and then only to people who had earned their trust (not a mean feat in itself).  Around the same time, a brand new soft drink was launched and as a Publican my father was being bombarded with advertising literature and requests to stock it. The drink was called Tango and that’s what they named the pup.

“Tango” made 19.5lbs and earned herself a bit of a reputation. Between them they’d always had good dogs and were definitely “the ones to beat”, but this bitch was that little bit special and to plenty that were about at that time she was viewed as the best that there was. In fact so confident were Dad and his mates in that bitch and their ability to present her properly, that they had a challenge out to run any dog in the country, yards for pounds, over 120 yards, for a decent side stake of anything up to a maximum of £100 a side. When you consider just how long ago that was and the fact they were only ordinary working men, that was a lot of confidence to have, particularly when you consider I’d be about 13 or 14 at the time and when I started my first job at 17 my first week’s wages was £3/4s/2d (that’s about £3.21p in modern day money). Now before anyone shoots me down, I’m not saying there weren’t other good dogs about at that time (in fact there were plenty), or that there weren’t any which might have been able to beat her. But what I can say with my hand on my heart and 100% certainty is that of the handful or so which rose to the challenge, no one ever walked away with the purse.

 

My apologies for banging on a bit, but once I’d found out these old photos the memories just came flooding back too.

Y.I.S. and with the greatest respect for those no longer with us – Barrie

P.S. I remember seeing a letter from a famous Hollywood actor who was very well known for keeping Staffords. It was a letter to “Old Jack” inviting him to America and offering to set him up with a house and pay him whatever he wished to “look after the dogs”. When his friends and family asked him what he was planning to do, his reply was “Why the f*** would I want to go to America, I don’t know anybody over there” and he really did mean it. They certainly don’t make ‘em like that any more.

Barrie that's definatelly the best I've read on this thread , very interesting mate and tango is a beauty rare you see the old style whippet these days

[sandymere 8,263]

Great write up Barrie, I've used a few of the pics from Of Pedigree Unknown for sketches in the past. The weight in was my favourite but only have this one on my phone. 

Edited August 24, 2019 by sandymere

[green lurchers 16,585]

Well done Barrie ace write up many thanks

[carp king 155]

1 hour ago, sandymere said:

Great write up Barrie, I've used a few of the pics from Of Pedigree Unknown for sketches in the past. The weight in was my favourite but only have this one on my phone. 

That's flash mate

[tatsblisters 9,459]

Fantastic post Barrie and these were the type of whippets that were around in my childhood despite some claiming they were crossbreds after talking to an old mate recently most of the whippet racing clubs around s.yorks usualy on miners welfare grounds had a weight limit and any dogs over a certain weight would have not got a race.

[Barrie 1,325]

1 hour ago, sandymere said:

Great write up Barrie, I've used a few of the pics from Of Pedigree Unknown for sketches in the past. The weight in was my favourite but only have this one on my phone. 

Yes Sandy, the first edition of Pedigree Unknown is one of my favourite books (there's one in my book case right now) and I remember Drabble as a frequent visitor to the family home when he was researching it. Unfortunately, each subsequent edition held less and less attraction for me, as he gradually changed his attitude towards traditional "Black Country ways" (as they became less and less fashionable, they also became less "market friendly") and they were gradually dropped from his book. To me, the more recent editions are a mere shadow of the original.

That first edition also contains some pictures of these same dogs, unfortunately at some point Phil offended them and as a result was "strongly advised" not to use their photos any more. He of course "respected" those "wishes" .

Y.I.S. - Barrie

Edited August 24, 2019 by Barrie

[sandymere 8,263]

 

http://www.whippetracing.org.uk/whippet-racing.html

 

Edited August 24, 2019 by sandymere

[Rabbit Hunter 6,613]

I reckon you could write an interesting book Barrie, great post