Greyhound Nation

Written by: John Parker and Michael Burns
  • Summary

  • Greyhound Nation is a podcast for Greyhound enthusiasts, produced by Greyhound enthusiasts. Each episode will feature informative discussions with a diverse variety of people from the Greyhound community. The format will include one-on-one interviews and moderated roundtable discussions. Topics will cover all aspects of the breed, including but not limited to sports, history, adoption, wellness and behavior. Host John Parker and producer Michael Burns invite you to join the “nation.” Learn more about the show at greyhoundnation.dog.
    ©2020-2024 Greyhound Nation. All Rights Reserved.
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Episodes
  • Wayne Billett: Continuing a Legacy of Australian Greyhound Racing
    Oct 18 2024
    Episode 46: Recorded October 4, 2024 "Greyhound racing -- I will be forever grateful. It owes me nothing, and I owe it everything." Acting CEO of GRNSW Wayne Billett on his third generation Australian Greyhound racing legacy Show Notes In the 1930s and 1940s, Wayne Billet's grandfather served on the Dapto Agricultural & Horticultural Society that would introduce Greyhound racing to the Syndey suburb. Wayne's father and uncle would work at the Dapto Greyhound track as well. At the age of 15, as the third generation of Billetts, would start work in the Dapto Greyhound kennels. Forty odd years later, Wayne serves as the acting CEO of Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW). In that time, he graduated from kennel work to starter, club steward, and race club manager. Today, he manages the whole of Greyhound racing in the Australian state of New South Wales. Under Wayne's leadership, GRNSW is prospering. The Million Dollar Chase draws large crowds and "punters" to see the biggest single Greyhound race payout in the world. The Taree Super Track recently opened with new technologies and safety features for Greyhounds. Finally, a dedicated rehoming facility for North American adopters is open for business with more than fifty adoptable Greyhounds waiting to cross the Pacific. In this episode, host John Parker and Wayne sit down to talk about his family's background in Greyhound racing, The Million Dollar Chase, and the future of Greyhound Racing in New South Wales. John also challenges Wayne to Parker's Lightning Round of Greyhound questions. Links The Million Dollar Chase (YouTube Livestream) The Million Dollar Chase (Website) The Taree Super Track (Article)
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • “Electric Rabbit”: Charlie Blanning’s Latest Work of Greyhound Fiction
    Aug 24 2024
    Episode 45: Recorded August 11, 2024 "You need to write about what you know. You need to write about what you've experienced." Charlie Blanning on how his father's and grandfather's Greyhound breeding inspired elements of his new novel Show Notes Greyhound author and historian Charlie Blanning has released his second work of Greyhound fiction -- Electric Rabbit. His latest novel picks up many of the dangling narrative threads from his first novel, Rags to Riches. His latest work stands alone, but he recommends reading both novels to get the most of recurring characters and full historical context of the story. Speaking of that historical context, Electric Rabbit reads very much like historical fiction. The narrative continues Charlie's incorporation of elements factual Greyhound sport -- Greyhound racing and coursing in Great Britain. This new novel is set in the mid-1920s and focuses on the first Greyhound racing activities in the country. Without giving too much of the plot away, host John Parker and Charlie sit down to talk about the novel and its Greyhound sport underpinnings. Charlie shares how his family's background in racing and coursing Greyhound breeding informed Electric Rabbit's narrative. As always, he brings to bear his considerable corpus of historic Greyhound sport knowledge to paint a vivid and engaging portrait of the Greyhound in early 20th century Great Britain. Links The Greyhound & the Hare (Facebook; place your order) Text: 0 79 01 824 556 (UK SMS to express interest) Owen Patrick Smith, Greyhound Hall of Fame inductee (Website)
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • American Perspectives on International Greyhound Rehoming
    Jun 22 2024
    Episode 44: Recorded June 5, 2024 "People have jumped to the [conclusion] that, because tracks are closed in the United States, there's no more Greyhounds..." Debra Hardman, of GALT-Arizona, describing the state of affairs for Greyhound adoption applications Show Notes Former racing Greyhounds are still available to adopt in the United States. However, those Greyhounds will likely be sourced from outside the United States. Adoption organizations that partner with groups like Greyhound Racing Ireland / the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW) and Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) have effectively resuscitated their programs. These organizations' leaders, including Bob Koch of Nittany Greyhounds and Debra Hardman of GALT-Arizona, are navigating the ins and outs of rehoming these overseas hounds. Bob's adoption group in central Pennsylvania serves adopters regionally -- basically the mid-Atlantic and Midwest. At any given time, he has about 50 approved adoption applications. Nittany works with two organizations in Australia -- and GRV and GRNSW -- but they started international rehoming with Irish racing Greyhounds. According to Bob, the Greyhounds handle the long travel very well and share the same temperament as American racing Greyhounds. Debra's experience in the American Southwest is very similar to that of Bob's organization. GALT-Arizona -- a chapter of the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (GALT) -- serves Arizona and surrounding states. Her Australian Greyhounds come directly into LAX for pickup, and she describes the hounds as happy as ever as they finish their long journeys after transport. In this episode, host John Parker talks with Bob and Debra about these and other experiences rehoming international Greyhounds with American adopters. They discuss the logistics of bringing the Greyhounds into various ports of entry, the paperwork involved and the care given to the hounds as they make their way around the world. Bob and Debra also share a bit about each of their organizations and how they're adapting to this new source of Greyhounds while also maintaining high welfare and breed support standards. Links Nittany Greyhounds (Website) GALT-Arizona (Website) Irish Retired Greyhound Trust (Website) Greyhound Racing Victoria (Website) Greyhound Racing New South Wales (Website) Episode 15 - Featuring GALT founders; discussing The Greyhound Project (Podcast) Episode 41 - Highlighting GALT and Australian racing Greyhounds as PTSD dogs (Podcast)
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    1 hr and 13 mins

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