On straight stretches they can reach speeds of about 80 kilometers per hour. To speak in athletics terms: greyhounds are the top sprinters among dogs. Antoine Hendriks (52) from Oss has a lot of experience with the oldest greyhound in the world and has his living room full of prizes. “Is it sad that they have to run so fast? It’s sad when the dogs aren’t allowed to run.”
Anyone who knows Jan Biggel’s biggest hit can sing along to these words: Our mother said, don’t do that, but I did it anyway. The text fits Antoine Hendriks, but we have to replace the word ‘mother’ with ‘father’. “I was born with a love for greyhound racing. My father founded the former dog racing track in Oss and became Dutch champion twice.”
“He advised me against getting a greyhound myself. However, when I turned twelve, it seemed like the best birthday present to me. Then my father changed tack.”
“The power comes out outside.”
In all those years, Antoine has had greyhounds at home. There are currently three. A four-month-old boy, 10-year-old Ricco, who used to be third in the world, and Jerry Lee, the current Dutch champion. “Sometimes you have animals that reach the top, sometimes they are less talented. They are all loved by us. At home they are the nicest animals you could wish for. They are kind to people and often enjoy lazing around. But when we go outside with them, the power comes out.”
Antoine and his wife Karin go out for about three hours a day to walk the dogs. “We regularly go to the race track or an off-leash area, but we usually go into the woods. The dogs can burn off their energy, otherwise they will waste away. It’s almost animal abuse if you don’t give them the opportunity to run outside or take them on a leash.”
Antoine has already won five Dutch and one European title with various dogs. With Jerry Lee (race name Son of a gun) and possibly the youngest greyhound in the house, he hopes to expand the trophy cabinet. “You have racecourses of 280, 350 or 475 meters where the dogs run after an artificial hare. Jerry Lee can do everything, an all-rounder. It is wonderful to participate in competitions. The dogs enjoy it and it is a nice world in which people give things to each other.”
“We are absolutely not poaching.”
Greyhound racing does not have a good reputation internationally. The animals are used for hunting in various countries. “Poaching is prohibited and we are absolutely not concerned with that. Unfortunately, many people have the wrong image of animals and us. It’s a pure hobby, we don’t earn a single euro from it. When we start walking, we first check whether we see any wildlife anywhere. And when the dogs run, they walk very focused from person to person.”
In Spain, for example, many greyhounds are put down if they are no longer fast enough. “That’s horrible. With us, the dogs feel like our children. We want them to have a perfect life and look their best in every way. We are not only their owner, but also a buddy, doctor and psychologist.”