The elite
of the greyhound racing, adrenaline, a new track record, luxury, gentility,
return to the spirit of the first Republic racing days, culture and
–great entertainment, that the Praskačka racecourse had not experienced before.
The
photographs taken disclose the ever-present cheerfulness of all participants.
Sportsmanship
was not missing at all, quite the contrary.
The morning
began almost rough.
Right in
the morning the foreign owners of greyhounds expressed themselves to the
organizers of the racing in the sense that “Praskačka’s” greyhounds
would get a thrashing today and that they wished to have all the achieved
results recorded in their Racing Book, because they had to have that new track
record simply recorded there.
There was
not a better source of adrenaline. The “non-resident” actually took up the
glove publicly – an appeal to beat current Praskačka’s records,
by which their records from the last racing were beaten and it was obvious,
that they intended to keep their achieved reputation at all costs.
How did it
turn out in the end?
A race
No. 4, a sprint for 300 m, greyhound bitches – was won in a “start to finish” manner by
Baletka, Ballet Dancer, in a an excellent time of 18.17 sec.
A race
No. 5, a sprint for 300 m, greyhound dogs – was won by Dalton Co Co in a new track
record of 17.74 sec. (!)
A race
No. 6, a classic 525 m, greyhound bitches – Vigorous Carrera won in a very even duel in
the time of 32.68 ahead of the best participant
Cikorka Co Co with the time of 33.50 sec.
Cikorca Co
Co had the best start, she ran the section from the start to a photo-finish
within 5.96 sec, a winner Vigorous Carrera was second
in a meantime and had a loss of 0.14 sec behind Cikorka Co Co.
In the
turn, however, the powers equalled and Vigorous began to pull away from the
rivals.
A race
No. 7, a classic 525 m, greyhound dogs was the climax of the whole competition.
The ranks
in the meantime reflected, how the ranks became mixed in after the first turn.
After the
start Ato Boldon took lead – 5.85 sec, second Andy – 5.94 sec, third Courtney –
6.03, fourth Vigorous Brandon- 6,07, fifth Druppi – 6.22 sec,
and sixth Hardy – 6.32 sec.
In the course,
however, the cards got shuffled, so that Ato Boldon kept his head start all the
way to the finish with the time of 32.07 sec, but the ranks after
him changed fiercely.
Vigorous Brandon ran second through the finish line with the time – 32.49 sec,
closely before Druppi Co Co with the time of 32.54 sec.
The
starter, Mr Jindřich Erbs, would not deny sportsmanship and the abilities of a
showman. In his presentation the participant’s parade as well as
the preparation of the participants to the starting boxes was an experience,
and that is both in terms of his skill and in terms of an attractive show.
The spectators were in ecstasy, Mr Erbs did simply well.
A hare lure
conductor was not a less important person, perhaps the most important at the racing
itself, he was a conductor of a hare – a lure.
From a conducting tower Mr Jiří Jirout conducted a lure with hawk eyes always
as it was just needed and his experience of many years as well as
feeling in his hands was recognized. Thanks from us all belonged to him.
In the
event of decorating the winners and losers there were distributed tens of thousands
Crowns, number of cups, medals, breast-knots, large quantity
of beef ears prepared as medals and number of other material prizes.
Original
medals – beef ears were donated by a sponsor Mrs Jana Braunová and additionally
we had to thank and also congratulate to her courage to store
such a quantity of “ears” from their purchase until the time of the races
taking place.
Simply the
love to greyhounds, as we could see and also “feel”, had no limits. There was
so much “fun” around it, when it was devised, where to put them,
before it all erupted.
The betting shop was rejected as a temporary storage, because there sprouted a
suspicion that the “bookmaker” might be somewhat intoxicated. Which
you must acknowledge, that in case of such an important matter, such as tipping
the winning greyhounds and winners of tipping, was completely unacceptable.
Of course,
what did not smell good to people, dogs enjoyed greatly. In one transportation
car even a dog “fight” for medals was recorded.
The winners
were decorated in a decorating tent, newly upholstered by a plush red carpet in
red shade – Ferrari. Allegedly there were quite a lot of troubles
with it, as to find a right shade – Ferrari. But when the Hollywood movie
starts can step on the red carpet for Oscars, why should the greyhound
celebrities
be deprived of it? Work succeeded, “Ferrari carpet” was delivered and it
matched the tents, its logos and attire of the competing greyhounds splendidly.
All racers
as well as the racecourse officials were clothed in team attire of our
Federation or to similar attire with a logo of a partner of our Federation
– the CZECH International, a.s. company. You would look around and – it all
“clicked” together beautifully. We could not have provided the decorated with
the better coulisse.
Another
climax of the evening was the announcement of the winners of the competition “in
as mall hat at the races in Ascott”.
Hostesses
as beautiful as a fresh summer breeze walked among the races participants with
ballot papers.
When the
spectators placed their secret tip on ballot papers, hostesses collected them
to beautiful voting boxes.
Decision-making
was, however, too hard. Ladies heads often changed to really artistic works.
Wide
picture hat brims were decorated with feathers, flowers, thistles, butterflies,
corn, ribbons, tulle, etc.
It is said
that women of a really great wealth had in the Art Nouveau time their hats
decorated even with stuffed animals and even our contending ladies
spectators did not forget this daedal accessory.
Mrs Ing.
Věra Babincová’s hat, that is well “knowledgeable
about the history” and of Mrs MUDr. Hana Plíšková excelled, the hats of Mrs
Jana Braunová
and Tereza Braunová were impressive and original, and many others.
Whichever
from the hats you captured, that one was liked “the most”.
In the end the
spectators cast most of their votes to the hat of Doctor Hana Plíšková. This
indeed an impressive artistic piece of work was closely pursued
by the hats of two girls, and that is
Veronika and Tereza. Third place was taken by a fresh hat of Mrs Ladislava
Jurková.
The winners were decorated in a decorating tent on the winner's rostrum.
The
“bookmaker“ of the tipping competition Fun -Tip of Mrs. Shadow took number of
tips, nevertheless there was not so many winners.
For instance, Druppi Co Co mixed the ranks, which was a favourite of the race No. 7.
A fixed star
of Praskačka – Mrs Eva Kučerová, was also decorated.
She stood
in a decorating tent to a number 6, that was supplemented with a zero and thus
a number 60 was achieved, which is a respectable age that
Mrs Kučerová lived to see these days, although nobody would guess her age.
Famous photographers, film director and painters, were among congratulators,
which entrusted the President of our Federation to deliver their artistic works
to the jubilant.
You can see in a photo-documentation how it ended up.
If it is
really her, who is pictured in the artistic works, is only known to her and the
artists.
If in one
of the acts a name of a model Ema is mistakenly mentioned instead of a correct
name Eva, it is also known only to Mrs Eva Kučerová and – the artist.
Let us not look for the truth, let us leave a bit of secret for her....
After 8:00
pm another surprise of the evening was being prepared, and that was a bash for
the members of our Federation and its guests.
All members
of CGRF and also the guests – Mrs Mayoress of the Praskačka municipality, Mrs Ing.
Miroslava Součková,
Mr
Architect of the Praskačka racecourse – Mr Petr Košťál with a spouse, also a
singer Mrs Heidi Janků with a husband Ivo Pavlík and many other dear
guests accepted the invitation.
Excellent catering
and also with service provided by the company Bazalka Catering, that performed
its task very professionally. Good food, splendid
decoration, professional performance, staff in professional attire in white
hands. As it should have been. The decorating tent transformed to a bash tent.
The bash was opened by the President of our Czech Greyhound Racing Federation.
The reality
surpassed expectation of a gourmet experience, promised in the offer of a
lavish menu of the catering company. A decorated sundae with sour
cherries in chocolate was extremely successful.
This social
event was recorded on a professional camera Nikkon of Mr Marian Volka’s firm.
The whole
course of the above mentioned social event was recorded on Sony digital cameras
by the company Accord from Prague that committed itself to
produce a professional DVD video recording of the whole sports and social
afternoon for the Federation.
Alee
participants of the races viewed in a bash tent also a premiere of a DVD film
from the Miro gallery during the debut of a book Chrti – Nepřekonatelný
greyhound (The Ultimate Greyhound) on LG plasma screen. Further, they also saw
a reprise of the television program of Prima TV– Prima jízda (ride) about
Greyhounds, about Praskačka and about a new book on Greyhounds. Also the CZECH
International Derby 2004 races were shown.
Showing a DVD film was livened up by degusting the Moravian wines from a vintage house of the races catering.
At 10:00 pm
a discotheque alias “Duňas” was opened. It rumbled, so that the whole Praskačka
was awake and some citizens fired fireworks from their
gardens to the racecourse.
In particular from the direction from Kletečků.
Beautiful
coloured fireworks flew across the air and that way they improved the social
atmosphere and entertainment in the main tent. Some envious citizens
tried to disconnect the racecourse from electric power, but Mr Architect of the
track, Mr Košťál, had the racecourse under absolute control, so that
the envious did not have a chance to disrupt the social atmosphere.
A midnight
repetition of a wedding ceremony was the climax of the night rumble. The
wedding march tunes started to sound and Mrs Mayoress was married
again, after a 30-year duration of marriage, symbolically present married
couple that up to today’s weekend lived to see a 30-year anniversary.
The “bride” revealed, that she had met her husband when she was 15 years old,
today she is fifty and it does not appear to her at all. That’s how the time
goes.
There was
singing and dancing in a bash tent and also a “live” singing. At the request of
our Mr starter Jindřich Erbs, who insisted on keeping all items on the agenda,
also Mrs Heidi Janků sang live few “shooters“.
The
pictures from the discotheque proved that Mr Erbs was in good shape that
could be envied by various people. What I did say was that all danced “
as loose cannons”, as far as one would wonder.
Only Mr Erbs was seen a bit too much. Maybe because he was in white and under
lights. Perhaps he thought that under lamp there is the utmost darkness,
when he saw girls one after the other. One of the passionate dancers sweeping
in a coloured smoke as “bayadere” claimed that the drum noise was healing and
demanded encores of this type of afro-music.
But DJ
“alias Duňas” would not have it otherwise than what he continued to perform
further on, what he prepared for the dance-eager ones – and the drums
would be again next time.
In a dancing
atmosphere it was noticeable, that we all had missed this.
We wined
and dined until it ended.
The continuation
was opened on Sunday at 10:00 am in a clubroom of the Czech Greyhound
Racing Federation in Praskačka. The members and guests met
again after the successful evening and night, at the morning spicy goulash,
that was prepared and offered personally by the President of our CGRF.
Goulash tasted in a way that all “pricked up their ears” and asked for a repeat
of goulash-a free setter. It is said that really they did not say it only,
because
that they wanted to “rise” in our President’s eyes.
Some even
asked for his recipe. Ingredients were revealed, but the recipe was not.
The Racing
was completed on Sunday at 1.00 pm, when after a good coffee from Mrs Veselá, we all said our farewells and set
off to our homes.
And we
remember and remember......
Not
mentioning the work professionally done by amateurs – officials of the races,
sports luck in races, luck in the guessing competition, or whose legs ached
from dancing and for how long the second day, if the white wine was more
delicious than the red wine,
whether goulash of an amateur cook could boldly
compete with the professional catering, or whether this or that was a greater
fun.
Let us
leave aside all aspects of satisfaction, appreciative squinting of eyes or
twitching corners of mouths, giggling, all the way to a blunt laughing also
numerous calls after a reprise of the experience, letters of thanks, and the
like, - should the CZECH International
Derby 2005 mention it.
On a scale
of various individual and subjective feeling there is always one feeling heard
in everyone – and that is Cosiness. There was nothing that would
disrupt the ever present cosiness even a bit, that would somewhat discompose
somebody, or even spoil somebody’s mood. There was no “quacking,
griping and different jaw-jaw, jawing just for jaw-jaw itself”.
“And it was, as we all wish ”.