Irish Wolfhound History

The Irish Wolfhound and Coursing

The Irish Wolfhound Coursing Club had a rather off/on existence. Started by James Nagle in 1924 it appeared only to last a couple of years, as a report in the Irish Wolfhound Club Year Book of 1935-36-37 states that the Irish Wolfhound Coursing Club was inaugurated in 1934 (the year after James Nagle's death), with the first meeting being held at Sulhamstead on January 23rd of that year. Novice Stakes were only instituted after January, 1935 and the first of these were held at the third meeting of the IWCC on December 10th 1935.

There were two Stakes at the first meeting - the Springhill Stakes Open Dogs, which was won by Lady Watson's Sulhamstead Cato, and the Broadway Stakes Open Bitches, which was won by Mrs. Cuttle's Hawthorne Aileen

Sulhamstead Cato

At the 2nd Meeting on January 15th, 1935 the Stakes had been changed to The Coolafin Open Dog Stakes, won by Sulhamstead Cato, and The Sulhamstead Stakes Open Bitches, won by Mrs. Nagle's Sulhamstead Kyra.

Sulhamstead Kyra

At the 3rd Meeting on December 10th, 1935 The Novice Stakes for Dogs & Bitches was won by Mrs. Nagle's Sulhamstead Krim, and the Open Stakes for Dogs and Bitches was won by Mrs. Nagle's Sulhamstead Finn.

Sulhamstead Finn

At the 4th Meeting on January 15th, 1936 the Coolafin Stakes Open Dogs was won by Mrs. Cuttle's Ch. Faithful Grey, and the Sulhamstead Stakes Open Bitches by Mrs. Cuttle's Hawthorne Keady.

At the 5th Meeting on December 12th, 1936 The Novice Stakes Dogs and Bitches was won by Mrs. Nagle's Sulhamstead Rita, the Open Dog Stakes by Mrs. Nagle's Sulhamstead Finn, and the Open Bitch Stakes by Miss Ansell's Sgeolan of Ouborough

Sulhamstead Rita	Sgeolan of Ouborough

At the 6th Meeting on January 16th, 1937 the Pentavalon Stakes, Novice Dogs and Bitches was won by Mrs. Alan Stoddart's Woodsmoke and the Sulhamstead Open Stakes Dogs and Bitches by Mrs. Nagle's Sulhamstead Finn.

Woodsmoke

At the 7th Meeting on December 4th, 1937 The Novice Stakes Dogs and Bitches was won by Miss S. Stoddart's Banba of Brabyns, the Brabyns Stakes Open Dogs by Sulhamstead Finn, and the Gammaton Stakes Open Bitches by Mrs. Alan Stoddart's Woodsmoke.

Banba of Brabyns

At the 8th Meeting on January 22nd, 1938 the Pentavalon Novice Stakes was won by Miss Addie's Aifa of Brabyns, the Open Dog Stakes by Sulhamstead Finn, and the Sulhamstead Stakes Open Bitches (a divided win) by Mrs. Alan Stoddart's Woodsmoke and Miss Stoddart's Banba of Brabyns.

Aifa of Brabyns

This appears to be the end of this second early Irish Wolfhound Coursing Club because the 2nd World War intervened and nothing much happened in the Irish Wolfhound Club until the appearance of the next Year Book, which actually covered seventeen years but in which no mention is made of coursing.

In 1978 the Irish Wolfhound Coursing Club was set up again by Susanne Hudson (Brabyns). This, too, lay dormant for a few years before being restarted and continuing through to the 21st century.

Updated 3/4/2013