The area of the Czech Greyhound Race Track Praskacka - otherwise the only race track
with the sand body
in the
Czech Republic - and its little big history
In the year of 2000 a new greyhound race track at
Praskačka, near the city of Hradec Králové, was built. This greyhound
race track was the only sand track in the Czech Republic. The area of this race track, like every other estate, had
its own history. There was someone who had the race track built and someone
else run the race track. Owners and greyhound races operators were
changing like houseowners and tenants change in a house.
The area of this race track is situated in an urban area
with high value soil that automatically raises the value of such land.
This area, on which the race track has been built, is not swamped by any
river, pond etc. and it has high market value.
This was also known well to estate agencies,
that were to sell this property from the former owners (a local married
couple - local inhabitants). The owners have moved to the United Arabian Emirates
and they ended all their business activities including the rent of the
racing and football grounds (contemporaries remember that football
teams, UAE footballers among others, regularly trained on the grass
football field inside the racing track oval).
The logical interest of estate agencies was to sell
the sports area in the most profitable
way. The estate agencies therefore offered to rent the area property
especially to developpers dealing in the field of apartment structures.
Whether it sounds incredibly or not there is not much left space to
bulid on left because the city of Hradec Králové grows rapidly.
It was also known that this small village of Praskačka would be
connected to the motorway in 2008, which increased the value of this
area even more.
The
price value raised to such extend that probably overreached financial
competences of both some developpers and any racing organizations.
(Note to 1/2009: The apartment structures advanced to the
sportsground area by the end of 2008 and family houses have been built
directly at the borders of the greyhound racing track Praskačka).
Anyone was allowed to enter negotiations with estate
agencies or the owners of the sportsground area (greyhound race track).
Also all the previous tenants of this area had
absolutely the same possibility to buy and own the local greyhound race
track.
However neither Czech racing federation led by Mr. Tomas Mika and Mr.
Ivo Widziolek (ČDF) or Czech greyhound racing club led by Mr. Jan
Potůček (ČGDK) or any other chiefs
of cynological or sport clubs bought the area, in spite of the fact that
they had the possibility to do it.
The Greyhound racing in the Czech
Republic was certainly endangered and it is evident that building
apartment structures on this area would cause the end of the greyhound
racing on a sand track. The sand surface is the best surface for thin
greyhound legs and some greyhound owners let their greyhounds run only
on sand surface.
Greyhound racing itself is an activity that - not only in this
country but also in the neighbouring states - falls in nonprofit sport.
Nevertheless some greyhound owners
(R. Želinský, Z. Grondol, J. Grondolová, L.
Jurková)
were not incurious
to such situation and wanted to keep greyhound racing
intact.
With their help it wa possible to find a buyer for this
area.
The Czech International, a.s. joint stock company became a new owner of
this track in spite of the fact that it was evident that it was a highly disadvantageous investment to rent this area for the purposes
of greyhound racing.
The share holders of this company were acquianted with the fact that
graeyhound racing cannot be operated without further investments in this
area.
Zdenek "Greyhound" Grondol was able to reconstruct
the area in record-breaking short time but with really high expenses.
Besides the expenses connected with purchasing the property, the company
invested in expensive technical equipment. Besides financial expences
necessary for the purchase itself, the company CZECH INTERNATIONAL,
Inc., invested in general reconstruction of the area, including the race
track body that is composed of several layers of sand, upper mild sand
layer mixed with proper amount of clay. The curves were, also with high
costs, tilted by 6-8%. The race track equipment was also exceptionally
expensive but the reconstruction raised the standard of Praskacka, in
some aspects, above the average of world standards.
It is evident that no other organization would do such good will because
business companies do not buy properties in order to pass through but to
earn money for their share holders. The difference makes only whether
the shareholders are greyhound-dog fanciers or not.
The shareholders of this company "missed the odd the pence" and they
keep supporting the greyhound owners. They are giving up their dividents
(joint-stock pay-off) so that their company could (as the lessor of the
mentioned race track) could keep supporting greyhound owners both financially and technically
even in future.
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The Praskačka race course was rented immediatelly
after the
reconstruction. The Czech Greyhound Racing
Federation became the tenant
of this race track and
warranted that greyhound races will be held in
compliance with the latest pieces of knowledge in the
field of greyhound
racing and with modern racing
system designed according to the racing
organizations
incorporated in the WGRF.
The race course was named:
Czech Greyhound Track Praskacka
Next time we will inform you about reconstruction details of technically
upgraded greyhound race course - one of the safest for greyhound racing.
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a greyhound racecourse
- CZECH TRACK PRASKACKA |
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The main
entry gate of the sportsground – a view of administration building and the
technical background. |
The main
entry gate of the sportsground – a view of scaffold, control tower,
betting office and bistro |
