Abilene, located in Dickinson County, has been named "The Greyhound Capital of the Midwest." This particular county in Kansas has at least 50 greyhound breeders between its borders. Greyhounds arrived in Kansas from Ireland in the late 1800's. They were used by farmers to control the jackrabbit and coyote. Soon people discovered how captivating it was to watch the greyhound run. Before long, Sunday afternoon outings were the place to go and see whose dog could run the fastest.
The National Greyhound Association is a voluntary non-profit association operated in accordance with the laws of the state of Kansas. The NGA was organized in 1906. Records on all breedings, litters whelped, individual registrations, transfers, leases, etc., are maintained at the NGA headquarters.
The Greyhound Hall of Fame is a non-profit museum sponsored by contributions from people who know and love the sport of greyhound racing. It offers the entire family a comprehensive and exciting introduction to the greyhound, the sport, and its long and colorful history. Derby Drive, a seven-year-old fawn male greyhound, is the official mascot of the Hall of Fame. When our group entered the building, the first thing we saw was Derby. Of course, he received many hugs and pats from us! We also took his picture many times. I must say that he was certainly an excellent ambassador for all greyhounds. We were shown a short (about 10 minute) film about the history of greyhounds, and then we toured the rooms, which were full of greyhound memorabilia. There were displays from greyhound tracks, and outstanding greyhounds from America, Australia, Great Britain and Ireland immortalized in the Hall of Fame. They also had a gift store, which to a greyhound lover is like Godiva Chocolate to a chocolate lover! I actually became dizzy looking at all the greyhound-related items that were for sale!
After leaving the Hall of Fame, we visited a training track in Abilene. This is where the greyhound farmers bring their greyhounds when it is time to start their training for racing. It was a cold and rainy day when we were there, but the sun shone in our hearts as we watched these awesome athletes run. It was so obvious that they were doing what they loved. I watched as each individual breeder got his dog out of the trailer — he would always give his dog a loving pat as he put him into the starting box.
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