The Springbok was a

greyhound racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around an oval track. The sport originates from Hare coursing, coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure (usually a form of windsock) that travels ahead of th ...

hurdle competition last held at

Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium is a Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing track located in the Hove Park area of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The stadium also has a restaurant and a number of bars and is own ...

in 2023.

History

The event was inaugurated in 1937 at the

White City Stadium White City Stadium in London, England, was built for the 1908 Summer Olympics. It hosted the finish of the first modern marathon and swimming, speedway, boxing, show jumping, athletics, stock car racing, concerts and a match at the 1966 FIFA W ...

in London. The origins of the race came from a contingent of greyhounds that included Hawtrey, Raven Arms and Bobby Sparks that travelled to South Africa in the winter of 1936/1937 as a series of race tests for the country. In return the South African Greyhound Racing Association gifted a trophy to the

Greyhound Racing Association The Greyhound Racing Association was a UK-based private company founded in 1925 and existed until 2019. It was involved in the management of sports venues, notably greyhound racing stadia. The GRA was responsible for introducing Greyhound racing ...

and a perpetual award for a new race was created. The event was held at White City until its closure in 1985 when it switched to

Wimbledon Stadium Wimbledon Stadium, also known as Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, was a greyhound racing track located in Wimbledon in southwest London, England. It also hosted stock car and other small circuit motor racing events, and until 2005 hosted motorc ...

. The event is the leading competition for novice hurdlers. In 2017 the race switched to Central Park Stadium in

Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in the Swale district of Kent, southeast England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons. The town stands next to th ...

following the closure of Wimbledon Stadium. The relocation of the competition to Central Park continued a family legacy for the Cearns family who had been connected with the race when it was first held in 1937. In 2023, the race was held at

while track renovation was taking place at Central Park.

Venues and distances

*1937–1985 (White City (London), 550y hurdles) *1986–2010 (Wimbledon, 460m hurdles) *2011–2016 (Wimbledon, 480m hurdles) *2017–2022 (Central Park, 480m hurdles) *2023–2023 (Hove, 500m hurdles)

Past winners

References

{{UK & Irish greyhound competitions Greyhound racing competitions in the United Kingdom Sport in Sittingbourne Recurring sporting events established in 1937

History

Venues and distances

Sponsors

Past winners

References