Winter Gathering

Every winter GPA-Nashville holds a greyhound event called "The winter gathering".  When ever I hear that title I think that I should be donning a dark rob and heading for Stonehenge.  In reality however it is just a bunch of greyhound crazy dog folks gathering together to shop for greyhound paraphernalia and let the dogs play together.  Winter gathering is also the time of the great greyhound race.  Last year I was very proud that Beth Anne (another grey-play dog)  won the fastest run at 34mph.  I was also not so secretly devastated that  my boy Kassa, who is normally a very motivated runner, basically trotted up the track while high five-ing all his adoring fans on the way.  This year I had Ricky as well, and my boys were the first two race.  Now Ricky has been training himself for this moment.  I don't have to do much as I throw the Frisbee once and he runs around like a bucking bronco for a while until he decides I need to throw it again.

So Ricky and Kassa lined up together and I stood at the other end of the track and held the dog that was running around loose without a watcher.  My friends Tony and Lisa provided me with their most powerful sqeeky toy which the boys found entirely captivating.

They called the start and off they went.  It was over before we could get in an actual action shot, but Kassa clocked in at a respectable 28mph and Ricky clocked in at 31mph.  Truthfully I think most of the dogs can and do run faster than those rates, but in that short distance, before they put on the breaks, that's where they are at. 

Through out the heats Ricky's time held.  Most of the other dogs outside our grey play group also did really well.  Specs and Beth Ann ran 30mph and 29mph.  Tequila also ran in the mid to high 20's.  At the end of it all  Ricky was tied with one other grey (whose name sadly escapes me) at 31mph.  They had a run off.  They clocked Ricky at 31 again and the other dog clocked at 30mph.  Yeah! Ricky Wins!.  Now I will point out that the accuracy of this is somewhat sketchy as they only had one radar gun so I'm not sure how they know exactly which dog hit 31. It may be that the top speed was 31 and Ricky ended in front.  Anyway... at a minimum Ricky clocked in with the fastest time, and that time was shared with one other dog.

 After the event, when all the zipping around and sniffing had ceased, Ricky and Kassa hit the dog beds.

Now I know it shouldn't matter how fast your pet runs, and that it is all in fun...., but I'm going to enjoy the bragging rights anyway :).