Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think greyhound racing is no place for a 1yr old.

43 replies

wanderingcloud · 01/02/2013 01:02

DSIL is having a significant birthday celebration. It's about an hour and a half drive from us to the venue. We're all going (forcibly - pain of death from MIL for suggesting otherwise) that is DH, 1yr old DS and I.

I had suggested getting a hotel nearby for the night as I think a three hour round trip with the baby is too much for one evening but DH (rightly) says we can't really afford it. So I reluctantly agreed to go there and back for one evening, thinking it's a family party and that rest of the family will be there, kids in tow, so it might not be too bad.

DH leaves it tonight to tell me that it's actually greyhound racing that we're going to and that no-one else is taking their kids. I'm so annoyed. I've never been to the dogs so no idea what it's like but my gut instinct is that it isn't really the place for a toddler. Especially if no-one else will have kids there! AIBU???

OP posts:
CherryJubilee · 01/02/2013 01:05

I would double check if you are even allowed to bring a child.

Longdistance · 01/02/2013 01:12

I took my dd's to the races (horse) on New Year's Day. They're 3.4 and 19 mo.

They had a blast. Watching the horses at the finish post. It was an afternoon thing. I took food, drinks, and toys to keep them occupied.

If you don't want to take your dc, then don't.

We just make our dd's portable and drag them everywhere with us Grin

Bottleoffish · 01/02/2013 01:12

It's not a place for anyone IMO, there are vile animal cruelty practices surrounding this 'sport' and thousand of cast of dogs in rescue or being killed by unqualified people when their racing days are over.

Ywbu to go at all.

Original poster
wanderingcloud · 01/02/2013 01:23

bottleoffish my DSM has a retired greyhound and she has told me many horrendous stories which is one reason I have never been, and probably why no-one told me sooner what the plan was.Hmm

longdistance DH seems to think DS will also love it but this is an evening event, surely people won't be expecting a very young toddler to be there?

OP posts:
ClaudiaSchiffer · 01/02/2013 01:41

er, babysitter and leave the baby at home?

TigerLily89 · 01/02/2013 01:44

Don't be so bloody judgmental bottlefish

Longdistance · 01/02/2013 01:57

If its an evening thing, I wouldn't take my dd's at all.

Either don't go, or get a babysitter.

Actually, if i was you, I wouldn't go at all. Especially as you feel so strongly about how the grey hounds are treated.

Pretty shitty of them not to say anything beforehand, as they probably knew how you'd feel about it.

Longdistance · 01/02/2013 01:58

Or, Let take your ds, and you can have a night off Grin

Longdistance · 01/02/2013 01:59

Let your dh take ds stupid iPad

GlitterySkulls · 01/02/2013 02:16

i agree with bottleoffish - i personally couldn't bring myself to attend, & there's no way my children would be going either.

kittyandthegoldenfontanelles · 01/02/2013 02:40

Agree with bottleoffish too. I wouldn't worry about refusing to go for this reason either.

HollyBerryBush · 01/02/2013 06:54

Our grehound stadium has a lovely restaurant and people have children there all the time

wigglesrock · 01/02/2013 07:03

I used to work in one. Not my idea of fun but there was a restaurant that lots of people had family functions in. But there were very few baby facilities, no highlands, no changing tables in loos etc. It was also noisy.

wigglesrock · 01/02/2013 07:04

highchairs not highlands.

whois · 01/02/2013 07:13

I went once a couple of years ago and there were loads of children. They looked like they were having fun playing together and watching the races, although this was summer so they were outside running around.

malteserzz · 01/02/2013 07:22

I would send dh on his own or look into getting a cheap hotel nearby so you can put ds to bed if he gets tired, travel lodge and premier inn do £19 rooms

Bottleoffish · 01/02/2013 07:32

tigerlily how is it judgemental to think a sport enlists cruel practices and leaves many thousands of dogs killed inhumanely and discarded?

OP glad you knew about this, perhaps you can use it as an excuse to not go?

Psammead · 01/02/2013 07:47

I've been once and it was quite suitable for children. We just sat in a glass-sided restaurant and the waitress took our bets etc. It was fun as a one off thing.

However, I had no idea about the cruelty involved Shock

SpacegirlRevisited · 01/02/2013 07:52

Not a great place for a little one and quite a late night.Probably quite hard work for you too trying to keep everyone happy.

I am involved in the retirement and sometimes rescue of former racing greyhounds. Over the years I have dealt with trainers/owners who have been very responsible in the resettlement of their greyhounds.

Sadly I have dealt with many many more who have inflicted inhumane and horrific practices upon the dogs either to during their racing career or to avoid detection when they dump them after they stop competing well in races.Ever seen a dog with its ears cut off so that the identifying tattoos cant trace the dog back?

atacareercrossroads · 01/02/2013 07:54

I'll be honest, I can think of only a few places worse than the dogs even without a baby! Cold (inside seating gets taken up), inedible food, overpriced drinks, cold, boring, expensive, cold, loud, cold, oh and not forgetting the moral aspects of it.

I wouldn't say its a suitable place for a baby at all tbh.

atacareercrossroads · 01/02/2013 07:58

And op I've caused many a rift with the family because I refuse to go to a dog track. Just as well that I don't give a shit.

fluffyraggies · 01/02/2013 08:12

Exact same situation as you not long ago OP! Right down to the fact that i didn't know till the last minute it was Ghound racing and i don't really agree with it.

Older children involved though.

It was an evening do. It was a long night for all of us tbh, with the drive there and back too, but it was an ok evening.

No place for a 1 year old though. It was noisy and crowded and the upper levels near the bar were almost nightclubby. There were family's there in the eating/seated areas but the children were all 10ish or over.

I put all our winnings plus an extra £10 in the bucket for the campaign against grey hound racing in the car park on the way out.

PILs and SIL were Hmm
DH and DD were :)

freddiefrog · 01/02/2013 08:38

I'm with bottleoffish too. I just wouldn't go

My parents had several retired greyhounds when I was growing up and the cruelty is horrendous.

Sallystyle · 01/02/2013 08:41

My mum's ex boyfriend used to race greyhounds and the dogs had great lives. When his got too old or whatever for racing he kept them as family pets.

They were all loved and well looked after.

I used to take my little ones. There was a restaurant and a bar and it was great fun, no one was getting drunk of anything, lovely atmosphere and regular customers.

fluffyraggies · 01/02/2013 08:46

OP maybe it depends on the stadium/time of day/day of week?

Which one are you going to? The one we went to was Wimbledon Track, Sat. eve. The atmosphere was good, don't get me wrong, i just wouldn't have wanted a 1yo there.

Swipe left for the next trending thread