Stud Book-fee
five guineas. 13. Death of a Subscriber. The death of a subscriber shall only affect his nominations if it occur before the draw, in which case, subject to the exceptions stated below, they shall be void, whether the entries have been made or not, and any money received for forfeits or stakes shall be returned, less the proportion of expenses when the amount has been advertised, and when the nominations rendered vacant are not filled by other subscribers. If he has parted with all interest in the nominations, and dogs not his property are entered and paid for, such entries shall not subsequently be disturbed. When dogs that have been entered in Produce Stakes change owners, with their engagements and with their forfeits paid, the then owner, if entitled to run them in those stakes, shall not be prevented from doing so by reason of the death of the former owner. 14. Draw.-Immediately before the greyhounds are drawn at any meeting, and before nine o'clock on every subsequent evening, the time and place of putting the first brace of dogs into the slips on the following morning shall be declared. A card or counter bearing a corresponding number shall be assigned to each entry. These numbered cards or counters shall then be placed together and drawn indiscriminately. This classification, once made, shall not be disturbed throughout the meeting, except for the purpose of guarding, or on account of byes. 15. Guarding. - When two or more nominations in a stake are taken in one name, the greyhounds, if bonâ fide the property of the same owner, shall be guarded throughout. This is always to be arranged, if possible, by bringing up dogs from below to meet those which are to be guarded. This guarding is not, however, to deprive any dog of a natural bye to which he may be entitled, either in the draw or in running through the stake. The withdrawal at any time of a dog from a stake, shall not deprive a dog of a bye, accidental or natural, to which it would have been entitled had the withdrawn dog remained in the stake. Dogs, whose position has been altered in consequence of guarding or of byes, must return to their original position in the next round, if guarding does not prevent it. 16. Byes. A natural bye shall be given to the lowest available dog in each round. No dog shall run a second such bye in any stake, unless it is unavoidable. When a dog is entitled to a bye, either natural or accidental, his owner or nomina- [COURSING tor may run any greyhound he pleases to assist in the course, provided always that in Sapling Stakes only a sapling may be used, and in Puppy Stakes none older than a puppy. But if it is proved to the satisfaction of the Stewards that no sapling or puppy respectively can be found to run an accidental bye, an older dog may be used.
No dog shall run any bye earlier than his position on the card entitles him to do. The slip and the course in a bye shall be the same as in a course in which a decision is required, and the Judge shall decide whether enough has been done to constitute a course, or whether it must be run again, and in the latter case the Judge shall give the order. If at the commencement of any round in a stake, one dog in each course of that round has a bye, those byes shall not be run, but the dogs shall take their places for the next round as if the byes had been run. A bye must be run before a dog can claim the advantage of it.
Byes or participation in winnings, through being entitled to byes, shall count as courses won. 17. Slip Steward. -The Committee of an open meeting and the members of a club meeting shall appoint, on the first evening of a meeting, a Slip Steward, whose duty shall be to see that the right. greyhounds, both in courses and byes, are brought to slips in their proper turn; to report to the Stewards, without delay, any greyhound that does not come to the slips in time, and any act on the part of the slipper, nominators, or their representatives, which he may consider should be brought to their knowledge. If a nominator or his representative should refuse to comply with the directions of the Slip Steward, or should use abusive or insulting or threatening language towards him, he shall be at once reported to the Standing Committee. A Slip Steward cannot be both Slip Steward and Flag Steward at any coursing meeting. 18. Postponement of Meeting. A meeting appointed to take place on a certain day may, if a majority of the Committee and the Stewards (if appointed) consider the weather unfit for coursing, be postponed from day to day; but if the running does not commence with the current week all nominations shall be void, unless it shall be especially stated otherwise in the conditions of the Meeting or in the conditions of a Special Stake or Prize at such Meeting, and the expenses shall be paid by the subscribers, in proportion to the value of nominations taken by each. In the case of Produce Stakes, however, the original entries shall continue binding if the meeting is held at a later period of the season. 19. Taking Dogs to the Slips. Every dog must be brought to the slips in its proper turn, without delay, under a penalty of £1. If absent for more than ten minutes (according to the report of the Slip Steward or of one of the Stewards), its opponent shall be entitled to claim the course, subject to the discretion of the Stewards, and shall in that case run a bye. If both dogs be absent at the expiration of ten minutes, the Stewards shall have power to disqualify both dogs, or to fine their owners any sum not exceeding £5 each. The nominator is answerable for his dog being put into the slips at the right time, and on the right side. No allowance shall be made for mistakes; but if the wrong dogs shall have run together in any round, and the mistake is not discovered until another round has been run, no objection can be made, and the course must stand as run. No dog shall be put into the slips for a deciding course until thirty minutes after its course in the previous round without the consent of its owner.-See Rule 32. 20. Control of Dogs in Slips. -The control of COURSING] all matters connected with slipping the greyhounds shall rest with the Stewards of a meeting. Owners or servants, after delivering their dogs into the hands of the Slipper, may follow close after them, but not so as to inconvenience the Slipper, or in any way interfere with the dogs. Neither must they holloa them on while running, under the same penalty. An owner, trainer, or attendant, after putting his dog in slips, may go forward to catch his dog, but must keep well clear of the line on the run of the hare, and must go forward on the same side as his dog is in the slips, except in such cases that the Stewards shall decide that it is advisable for both parties to go forward on the same side. Anyone infringing this rule may be fined a sum not exceeding £5 at the discretion of the Stewards. Any greyhound found to be beyond control in slips, may, by order of the Stewards, be taken out of the slips and disqualified. 21. Greyhounds of Same Colour to Wear Collars. When two greyhounds drawn together are of the same colour, they shall each wear a collar and the owners shall be subject to a penalty of IOS. for non-observance of this rule. The colour of the collar shall be red for the lefthand side and white for the right-hand side of the slips. The upper dog on the card must be placed on the left hand, and the lower dog on the right hand of the slips. 22. The Slip. -The order to slip may be given by the Judge, or the Slip Steward, or the Stewards of a meeting may leave the slip to the sole discretion of the Slipper. The length of slip must necessarily vary with the nature of the ground, but should never be less than from three to four score yards, and must be maintained of one uniform length, as far as possible, throughout each stake. 23. The Slipper. - If one greyhound gets out of the slips the Slipper shall not let the other go. In any case of slips breaking, and either or both dogs getting away in consequence, the Slipper may be fined a sum not exceeding fi at the discretion of the Steward. 24. Decision of the Judge. The Judge shall be subject to the General Rules which may be established by the National Coursing Club for his guidance. He shall, on the termination of each course, immediately deliver his decision aloud, and shall not recall or reverse his decision, on any pretext whatever, after it has been declared; but no decision shall be delivered until the Judge is perfectly satisfied that the course is absolutely terminated. 25. Principles of Judging. -The Judge shall decide all courses upon the one uniform principle that the greyhound which does most towards killing the hare during the continuance of the course is to be declared the winner. The principle is to be carried out by estimating the value of the work done by each greyhound, as seen by the Judge, upon a balance of points according to the scale hereafter laid down, from which also are to be deducted certain specified allowances and penalties. 26. The points of the course are :a. Speed-which shall be estimated as one, two, or three points, according to the degree of superiority shown. [See definition below (a).] b. The Go-bye. -Two points, or if gained on the outer circle, three points. c. The Turn. One point. d. The Wrench.-Half a point. e. The Kill.- Two points, or, in a descending scale, in proportion to the degree of merit displayed in that kill, which may be of no value. f. The Trip. One point.
DEFINITION OF POINTS. a. In estimating the value of speed to the hare, the Judge must take into account the several forms in which it may be displayed, viz. :- Where in the run up a clear lead is gained by one of the dogs, in which case one, two, or three points may be given, according to the length of lead, apart from the score for a turn or wrench. In awarding these points the Judge shall take into consideration the merit of a lead obtained by a dog which has lost ground at the start, either from being unsighted, or from a bad slip, or which has had to run the outer circle. 2. Where one greyhound leads the other so long as the hare runs straight, but loses the lead from her bending round decidedly in favour of the slower dog of her own accord, in which case the one greyhound shall score one point for the speed shown, and the other dog score one point for the first turn. 3. Under no circumstances is speed without subsequent work to be allowed to decide a course, except where great superiority is shown by one greyhound over another in a long lead to covert.
If a dog, after gaining the first six points, still keeps possession of the hare by superior speed, he shall have double the prescribed allowance for the subsequent points made before his opponent begins to score. b. The Go-Bye is where a greyhound starts a clear length behind his opponent, and yet passes him in a straight run, and gets a clear length before him. c. The Turn is where the hare is brought round at not less than a right angle from her previous line. d. The Wrench is where the hare is bent from her line at less than a right angle; but where she only leaves her line to suit herself, and not from the greyhound pressing her, nothing is to be allowed. e. The Merit of a Kill must be estimated according to whether a greyhound, by his own superior dash and skill, bears the hare; whether he picks her up through any little accidental circumstances favouring him, or whether she is turned into his mouth, as it were, by the other greyhound. f. The Trip, or unsuccessful effort to kill, is where the hare is thrown off her legs, or where a greyhound flecks her, but cannot hold her. 27. The following allowances shall be made for accidents to a greyhound during a course; but in every case they shall only be deducted from the other dog's score :a. For losing ground at the start, either from being unsighted, or from a bad slip, in which case the Judge is to decide what amount of allowance is to be made, on the principle that the score of the foremost dog is not to begin until the second has had an opportunity of joining in the course, and the Judge may decide the course or declare the course to be an undecided or no course, as he may think: fit. b. Where a hare bears very decidedly in favour of one of the greyhounds, after the first or subsequent turns, in which case the next point shall not be scored by the dog unduly favoured, or only half his points allowed, according to circumstances. No greyhound shall receive any allowance for a fall or an accident, with the exception of being ridden over by the owner of the competing greyhound, or his servant, provided for by Rule 31, or when pressing his hare, in which case his opponent shall not count the next point made. 28. Penalties:a. Where a greyhound, from his own defect, refuses to follow the hare at which he is slipped, he shall lose the course. b. Where a dog wilfully stands still in a course, or departs from directly pursuing the hare, no points subsequently made by him shall be scored; and if the points made by him up to that time be just equal to those made by his antagonist in the whole course, he shall thereby lose the course; but where one or both dogs stop with the hare in view, through inability to continue the course, it shall be decided according to the number of points gained by each dog during the whole course. c. If a dog refuses to fence where the other fences, any points subsequently made by him are not to be scored; but if he does his best to fence, and is foiled by sticking in a meuse, the course shall end there. When the points are equal, the superior fencer shall win the course. 29, Second Hare. - If a second hare be started during a course, and one of the dogs follows her, the course shall end there. 30. Greyhound Getting Loose. Any person allowing a greyhound to get loose, and join in a course which is being run, shall be fined £1. If the loose greyhound belong to either of the owners of the dogs engaged in the particular course, such owner shall forfeit his chance of the stake with the dog then running, unless he can prove, to the satisfaction of the Stewards, that he had not been able to get the loose grevhound taken up after running its own course. The course is not to be considered as necessarily ended when a third dog joins in. 31. Riding Over a Greyhound. If any subscriber, or his servant, shall ride over his opponent's greyhound while running a course, the owner of the dog so ridden over shall (although the course be given against him) be deemed the winner of it, or shall have the option of allowing the other dog to remain and run out the stake, and in such case shall be entitled to half its winnings. 32. No Course. - A "no course" is when by accident or by the shortness of the course the dogs are not tried together, and if one be then drawn the other must run a bye, unless the Judge, on being appealed to, shall decide that he has done enough work to be exempted from it.
An undecided course is where the Judge considers the merits of the dogs equal, and if either is then drawn, the other cannot be required to run a bye; but the owners must at the time declare which dog remains in. (See Rule 34.) The Judge shall signify the distinction between a " no course " and an "undecided" by taking off his hat in the latter case only. After an undecided or no course, if the dogs before being taken up get on another or the same hare, the Judge must a [COURSING follow, and shall decide in favour of one if he considers that there has been a sufficient trial to justify his doing so. A "no course," or an undecided" may be run off immediately, if claimed on behalf of both dogs before the next brace are put into the slips, or in case of "no course," if so ordered by the Judge, otherwise it shall be run again after the two next courses, unless it stand over till the next morning, when it shall be the first course run; if it is the last course of the day, fifteen minutes shall be allowed after both dogs are taken up. 33. Explanation by Judge. - The Judge shall render an explanation of any decision to the Stewards of the meeting if required, through them, before the third succeeding course, by the owner, or nominator, or representative of the owner or nominator of either of the greyhounds engaged in the course. The Stewards shall, if requested to do so, express their opinion whether the explanation is satisfactory or not, and their opinion in writing may be asked for and published afterwards, but the decision of the Judge, once given, shall not be reversed for any cause. 34. Withdrawal of a Dog. If a dog be withdrawn from any stake on the field, its owner, or someone having his authority, must at once give notice to the Secretary or Flag or Slip Steward. If the dog belongs to either of these officials, the notice must be given to the other.
When after a no course or an undecided one of the greyhounds has been officially drawn, and the dogs are again, by mistake, put into the slips and run a course, the arrangements come to shall stand, whatever the Judge's decision may be, and all bets on the course shall be void. 35. Impugning Judge. If any subscriber, owner, or any other person, proved to be interested, openly impugns the decision of the Judge on the ground, except by a complaint to the Stewards, according to Rule 33, he shall forfeit not more than £5, nor less than £2, at the discretion of the Stewards. 36. Stakes not Run Out. - When two greyhounds remain in for the deciding course, the stakes shall be considered divided if they belong to the same owner, or to confederates, and also if the owner of one of the two dogs induces the owner of the other to draw him for any payment or consideration; but if one of the two be drawn without payment or consideration, from lameness, or from any cause clearly affecting his chance of winning, the other may be declared the winner. the facts of the case being clearly proved to the satisfaction of the Stewards. The same rule shall apply when more than two dogs remain in at the end of a stake which is not run out; and in case of a division between three or more dogs, of which two or more belong to the same owner. these latter shall be held to take equal shares of the total amount received by their owner in a division. When there is a compulsory division, all greyhounds remaining in the class that is being run, even where one is entitled to a bye, shall take equal shares. The terms of any arrangement to divide winnings, and the amount of any money given to induce the owner of a dog to draw him, must be declared to the Secretary. 37. Winners of Stakes Running Together. If two or more greyhounds shall each win a stake, and have to run together for a final prize or challenge cup, should they not have run an equal number of ties in their respective stakes, the greyhound which has run the smaller number of courses must run a bye, or byes, to put itself upon an equality in this respect with its opponent.
COURSING] 38.-Objections.--An objection to a greyhound may be made to any one of the Stewards of a meeting at any time before the stakes are paid over, upon the objector lodging in the hands of such Steward, or the Secretary, the sum of £5, which shall be forfeited if the objection proves frivolous, or if he shall not bring the case before the next meeting of the National Coursing Club, or give notice to the Stewards previous thereto of his intention to withdraw the objection.
The owner of the greyhound objected to must deposit equally the sum of £5, and prove the correctness of his entry. Expenses in consequence of an objection shall be borne as the National Coursing Club may direct. Should an objection be made which cannot at the time be substantiated or disregularly imposed for the infraction of Rules by the Stewards of any meeting, or for any payment required by a decision of the National Coursing Club, or for subscriptions due to any club entitled to have representatives in the National Coursing Club. As regards bets, however, this rule shall only apply when a complaint is lodged with the Secretary of the National Coursing Club within six months after the bet becomes due. On receipt of such complaint the Secretary shall give notice of the claim to the person against whom it is made, with a copy of this rule, and if he should not pay the bet, or appear before the next meeting of the National Coursing Club, and resist the claim successfully, he shall be considered a defaulter. COURSING. (From an old print.) Naumann proved, the greyhound may be allowed to run under protest, the Stewards retaining the winnings until the objection has been withdrawn, or heard and decided. If the greyhound objected to be disqualified, the amount to which he would otherwise have been entitled shall be divided equally among the dogs beaten by him; and if a piece of plate or prize has been added, and won by him, only the dogs which he beat in the several rounds shall have a right to contend for it. 39. Defaulters. No person shall be allowed to enter or run a greyhound in his own or any other person's name, or attend any coursing meeting, or the draw, dinner, or calling over of the card, of any meeting, to whom Rule 41, as hereinafter, has been applied, or who is defaulter for either stakes, forfeits, or bets, or for money due under an arrangement for a division of winnings, or for penalties a 40. Judge or Slipper Interested. If a Judge or Slipper be in any way interested in the winnings of a greyhound or greyhounds, the owner and nominator in each case, unless they can prove satisfactorily that such interest was without their cognisance, shall forfeit all claim to the winnings and the dog shall be disqualified; and if any nominator or owner of greyhounds shall give, offer, or lend money, or anything of value to any Judge or Slipper, such owner or nominator shall not be allowed to run dogs in his own or any other person's name during any subsequent period that the National Coursing Club may decide upon. 41. Discreditable Conduct. Any person who is proved to the satisfaction of the National Coursing Club to have been guilty of any fraudulent or discreditable conduct in connection with coursing, or any other recognised sport, may, in addition to any pecuniary penalty to which he may be liable, be declared incapable of running or entering a greyhound in his own or any other person's name during any subsequent period that the National Coursing Club may decide upon; and any dogs under his care, training, management, or superintendence, shall be disqualified during such subsequent period. 42. Bets. All bets upon an undecided course shall stand, unless one of the greyhounds be drawn. All bets upon a dog running further than another in the stake shall be p.p., whatever accident may happen. Bets upon a deciding, as upon every other course, are off if the course is not run. Long odds bets shall be void when made after the draw, unless the greyhound the bet refers to shall run one course in the Stake, other than a bye, after the bet is made. In the case of a meeting, or of a coursing prize, where the nominations are not void in consequence of postponement, all long odds bets made before the first draw shall hold good, but long odds bets made after any draw, except the draw under which the stake is run, shall be void. 43. Bets on Stakes Divided. - Where money has been laid against a dog winning a stake, and he divides it, the two sums must be put together and divided in the same proportion as the value of the stakes.
Inclosures. The loss of so many estates to coursing through the operation of the "Ground Game Act" led to the substitution of a modified system of sport in the shape of inclosures that is to say, a piece of ground was fenced round, and a thin cover formed at each end, from which imprisoned hares were coursed from one end to the other by a brace of greyhounds. The first of these inclosures was at Plumpton, in Sussex, then followed Gosforth Park, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, Four Oaks Park, near Birmingham, and Haydock Fark, near Liverpool, not to omit the Kempton Park racecourse. This drawing-room style of coursing was all the rage for a few years, and large sums were added to the entry money, whilst, as speed to the hare was the chief desideratum, people began to breed greyhounds accordingly, to the certain deterioration of the pure type of animal. Added to this, dishonest practices became too prevalent, which in the old-fashioned sport had been hitherto almost unknown.
The end eventually arrived, for the true sportsman shunned the new-fangled invention and returned to his old love, with the result that every one of the afore-mentioned inclosures is now well-nigh forgotten. In Ireland there were at one time three or four inclosures, under responsible control, all of which are now extinct; and in Scotland artificial coursing is unknown.