National Coursing Club

{{Infobox organization

| name = National Coursing Club
Greyhound Stud Book

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| formation = 1858

| type = Sports Association

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| headquarters = Suffolk

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| website = {{URL|http://www.greyhoundstudbook.co.uk/}}

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The National Coursing Club (NCC) also known as the Greyhound Stud Book (GSB) is the national registration association for British Bred greyhounds and was formerly the national association for hare coursing in Britain.{{cite book|last=Barnes|first=Julia|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File|year=1988|pages=13–39|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}

History

The first public coursing in Britain is reputed to have started at Swaffham in 1776, with the first major event the Waterloo Cup at Altcar in Liverpool being inaugurated in 1836. The NCC was founded in 1858.{{cite web|url=http://www.greyhoundstudbook.co.uk/about-the-national-coursing-club/|title=About|website=Greyhound Stud Book/National Coursing Club}}

In 1882 the NCC created the Greyhound Stud Book, which it has administered ever since. All British bred greyhounds used for coursing and later Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom had to be registered with the Stud Book. A Secretary and a 'Keeper' of the Greyhound Stud Book are appointed by the NCC and there have only been nine appointments since 1882.

Today the NCC/GSB's sole purpose is to register British bred greyhounds. Their role in coursing came to an end following the Hunting Act 2004, which banned hare coursing in Britain during 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/hunting-act-2004|title=Hunting Act 2004|website=The Crown Prosecution Service}}

British bred greyhounds only form a small percentage of greyhounds that race in the United Kingdom, most are bred in Ireland. A decline in British breeding has been seen in recent years, mainly due to the reduction of race tracks in the United Kingdom but incentives for the British bred greyhounds are on the increase.

Litters registered

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|+

width=50|Year

!width=100|Litters

2010

| 339

2011

| 327

2012

| 305

2013

| 251

2014

| 294

2015

| 250

2016

| 212

2017

| 241

2018

| 204

2019

| 206

National Meetings

The association held several major meetings, the most valuable being the Waterloo Cup. Others included the Barbican Cup.

Clubs

Some of the clubs that were associated with the NCC -

style="vertical-align:top"*Alresford

  • Altcar
  • Bryn-y-Pys
  • Colchester
  • Coquetdale & Border
*Cotswold
  • East of England
  • Huntingdon
  • Isle of Ely
  • Isle of Wight
  • *Kimberley & Wymondham
  • North Herts
  • North Lincs
  • Oxfordshire
  • Old Yorkshire
  • *Ryedale
  • Scottish National
  • South of England and Newmarket
  • Swaffham
  • Yeovil & Sherbourne
  • References