Irish Travel & Stud Fees

Car On Pig's Back At Midnight

One day on a by-road on our way to Castlecomer he asked me to stop in a sunken patch.  He said he had been driving along there about midnight after a very hot day.   A big pig had chosen the warm road to lie there and fall asleep.   Mick never saw any pig but suddenly found himself being shuffled around in his car as it's exhaust was burning the back of a poor pig.  The screams brought five or six strong men from neighbouring houses.   Fortunately they soon managed to lift the car and rescue both Mick and the pig. 

When we got to the town we stopped at the "Grand Bar" as was usual for me whenever I was near it.  It belonged to Paddy Dunphy one of the biggest names among the world's greyhound personalities. Paddy inherited his love of hounds from his father Nicholas.   (Grand was the prefix he used in naming his saplings in the Stud book.) I introduced Mick to Paddy and their meeting was celebrated with a glass of Red Breast.  When he welcomed us Paddy asked if we had time to inspect his pups.  This was one of those unanswerable questions.  On the last jaunt through three counties we did not get back 'till 2am and he had to find me a bed for what was left of the night.  We visited three farms in Kilkenny, two in Wexford and one in Waterford. Whenever a poor man came to have a good bitch mated to one of Paddy's dogs he would not be turned away.  Paddy was never greedy --- if there were six or more pups at six weeks old he would take two.  If she had only four he would take one but if she had less he wanted none.   He knew farmers he could trust to rear them well on condition that they would toss for first choice at twelve months old. 

I remember a funny scene one day when the three of us returned to the Grand Bar after visiting pups on several farms in four counties.  We were all really hungry when Paddy opened the oven and removed two big turkeys and started carving them.  Mick had a happy grin on his face as he sat salivating while Paddy put the carvings into two big bowls.  Paddy left the kitchen and Mick was sure that he had gone to get the plates, knives and forks.  He was dumfounded when Paddy walked in with his two stud dogs, the Grand Champion and the Grand Genius!!

In those days earnings from stud dogs were modest and fair.  When Tanist won the first Derby that I saw in 1940 his British owner Arthur Probert ( father of Terry who worked for Coral bookmakers) advertised him at a fee of 20 guineas.  (Before that only Waterloo Cup winners commanded so much).  Fees have since been creeping up every year.   Service by a Derby winner may now cost £2,000 or more!    One straw from a Track Record breaker who sustains an injury which demands two months rest may cost a breeder a £1,000.  Why should the lucky owner be worried whether the dog recovers or not ?

 

1940 Derby Winner Tanist

This 66 lbs dog also proved his pace and stamina on the coursing field at Clounana.

He was bred by Father Browne and trained by Bill Quinn of Killenaule.