TIN HARES

Evening Star, Issue 19674, 29 September 1927, Page 14

TIN HARES

EFFECTS ON COUUSING. The effect that greyhound racing with tho electric hare may have upon field coursing was discussed in an interview which I had with Air A. J. Leslie Tompson, the well-known breeder of greyhounds and coursing judge, at Ills country villa at Fownhopo, Herefordshire (writes a ‘ Alanchester Guardian ’ contributor). At the recent annual meeting of the Herefordshire Coursing Club it was decided that, owing to the greater number of greyhounds having been removed from the county for the electric hare contests in the big_ industrial centres, it would be possible to hold only one coursing meeting in Herefordshire next season, instead of the usual five or six. Air Leslie Tompson said ho feared the effect of the demand for greyhounds for electric hare racing would be most injurious to tho interests of “ legitimate ” (i.e., field) coursing. The purpose of the new system, he said, is simply gambling, and nothing more. There is no sport in it, and there are no scoring points such as judge and spectators see at a country coursing meeting, points that are tho essence of this old country sport. The new electrical hare business has had a great effect on those who breed only one or two hounds. They have received high prices—up to £25 or £3o—for their dogs, and so the countryside is depleted of greyhounds. Whether, when they come back in the winter (if they do), they will bo any good for tho twists and turns of field coursing, as distinguished from track racing, is very doubtful. There was little doubt, lie added, that the. new idea of greyhound racing would do much harm to the smaller country meetings by depleting the supply of dogs; and he said that, of course, one could not exaggerate the importance of the smaller country meetings to the sport of coursingas a whole. “It is remarkable,” said Air Tompson, “ that such high figures have been given for greyhounds that ordinnarily would not have fetched more than £5.” ,