Henry VIII was the first person to formally place a wager on the outcome of a Greyhound race, though it was called “coursing” at the time. It was hardly sporting since the hare was chased in an enclosed pen. Even his daughter, Elizabeth I, commented on the cruelty of the sport, though she wasn’t one to talk since she is said to have enjoyed bull baiting quite a bit. That said, even Elizabeth apparently had her limit. After watching a pack of dogs bring down 16 bucks, she ordered Thomas Mowbray, the Duke of Norfolk, to draw up a Law of the Leash which ultimately gave prey a 50-80 yard advantage before Greyhounds were “slipped, or released.

Today, coursing is almost always practiced with an artificial lure. Typically, a white plastic bag is tied to a string and dragged by a motor across a field. The dogs chasing it are judged on enthusiasm, speed, follow, agility and endurance. Today’s coursing enthusiasts can thank Lord Orford of England for having organized the first public coursing club in 1776 and perfected the English Greyhound as we know it today.