I think pigeon racing is still going strong. They are transported by lorry now to race starting points. Up North Combine is marked on the lorries I have noticed. Whippet racing is still practised in some of the old pit villages in Yorkshire and Durham, but no way near it was 40 years ago. Can remember when they had the races every week where the caravan site is at Marsden.baldy.smith wrote:Lots of the old sporting hobbies of the area seem to be fading away.
In particular; sports like, Pigeon Racing, Whippet Racing and Quoits.
You used to see Pigeon crates piled up at railway stations or outside
of Working Men Clubs. Whippet racing was a Sunday favourite with
most of the Club men; with a bit of side betting going on. There were
also inter Club Quoit matches on Sundays. All of these now seem to
be rare events these days, nowhere near what they used to be.
You have to be a weightlifter to carry them to the show.brian c wrote:Is Leek growing classified as a sport?
We will have to have a meet Pilot, its obvious we both knocked about in the same places at Marsden.Pilot wrote:I can remember going to the whippet racing where the caravan site is now Pete, we must have bumped into each other at some point
did you ever win gag Anna it was greyhounds that raced at South shields stadium and still do at Sunderland stadium at East Boldon.Whippets are a smaller breed than greyhounds and used to be called a poor mans racehorse.anna wrote:
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i can remeber going to the staduim on horsley hill road ,but it was pulled down .
and whippet racing on boldon lane , opposite the garage .
Same set up as Marsden Rusty, they used to rub the skin in the dogs face when they went in the trap, then dash to the finish line to get a hold of their dogs after the race. I was always very wary of the whippets at the finishing line as they always seemed out of control after the race. If they got a hold of the skin they used to rip it to pieces and any other whippet that got in the way.rusty wrote:wippet and or greyhound training used to be done in the fields opposite King George Road Ridgeway end.This involved what looked like an upside down bike with no tire on the rear wheel,just lots of cord and an old rabbit skin.When all was ready the dog was let free and the bloke with the bike turned the pedals at full speed,dogs always seemed to win the race.
