THE WHIPPET 97 



are two kinds of Whippets, distinguished respectively by a rough and 

 a smooth coat, the latter being the favourite and the one usually seen. 



Whippets are kept in great numbers throughout the counties of 

 Lancashire, Yorkshire,' Durham, Northumberland, and the northern 

 districts of the Midlands, but for sporting rather than for show 

 purposes. 



First with regard to the racing for which these dogs are used, 

 and which is so popular with the working classes in many parts of 

 the North. And here it may be well to state that as a sprinter there 

 is no dog that can touch the Whippet for pace. The race-dog may 

 be anything from 9lb. to 24lb., the latter being the maximum. 

 The dogs are handicapped according to their known performances, 

 etc., the distance run being 2ooyds. They are entered as 

 "Thomson's Rose, i9|lb.," etc., as the case may be, the weight 

 appearing on the handicap card. Dogs are weighed out an hour 

 before the time set for the first heat, and are allowed 4oz. over the 

 declared weight. The winners of the heats are weighed again 

 immediately the heats are run. If the meeting extends over one 

 day an allowance is made of 8oz., provided, of course, the dog has 

 run on the first day. In the final heat dogs are generally allowed 

 6oz. in addition, making i4oz. in all. This allowance should, 

 however, only be made when a handicap that commences one week 

 is finished the next. The dogs generally get a light meal half a 

 pigeon, or a chop, or a piece of steak after running the second trial 

 heats, and so weigh a bit heavier the second time of scaling. 



The modus operandi will be best illustrated by the following 

 description of a race meeting held at Farn worth Recreation Grounds, 

 near Bolton, when there were sixty odd heats of three dogs. The 

 course is a perfectly level path of i2yds. in width. The dogs 

 are stripped and put on their marks, each being held by his owner, 

 or a man for him, and the starter goes behind them with the 

 pistol. Meanwhile, a man the dog knows starts off in front of 

 him, carrying a big piece of linen rag, a handkerchief, or some 

 conspicuous object; and every now and then, as he runs up the 

 course, the man will turn round and " Hi " to the dog, at the 

 same time waving the cloth up and down. When these runners-up 

 have got pretty near the finish, the pistol is fired, and the dogs 

 are started on their journey. There is a good deal in the slipping 

 of the dogs, and an expert man at the game will score considerably 

 over a novice. The dogs are pushed or even thrown into their 

 stride, and to do this work nicely and to get the best results 

 requires plenty of skill and not a little practice. With a view to 

 obviate any unfairness in slipping a Starting Box has been invented 

 and has been successfully used at some meetings. The runners-up 

 must then get over the loyds. mark, beyond the finish line. 

 Each dog has a piece of ribbon round his neck according to 



