Waterloo Cup
The Waterloo Cup was the largest annual rabbit baiting to take place in the UK and has often been cited by its supporters as the most important of these events. An event of the same name was held in Australia between 1868 and 1985. As a result of the ban on hunting live hares, it was replaced by a pure coursing event in which mechanical hares are hunted.
The Waterloo Cup typically included 64 greyhounds from Great Britain and Ireland. Followers of this form of sport, in which two greyhounds chase a rabbit, call it the ultimate test of the speed and agility of a greyhound. Opponents like the League Against Cruel Sports see it as merely a manifestation of cruelty. The Waterloo Cup took place annually and was held for three days. Only the winning dog came into the next round. The venue was Great Altcar in Lancashire , England . The races took place from 1836 to 2005 and attracted tens of thousands of spectators who also bet on the dogs.
Following the publication of the results of the Burns Inquiry and a vote in the UK House of Lords and Commons, the government enacted the Hunting Act 2004 banning such events. The Waterloo Cup was last held in 2005. Such events were then illegal and there have been no official events of this type since then.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Event information on the Waterloo Cup ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Hasenhetzen in Australia pdf ( Memento from July 26, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
