# Greyhound Racing Hare - Outside McPherson **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 10, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729 "2009-12-10T15:08:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/1 "2009-12-10T15:08:48Z")
This is going to drop like a stone. Most British greyhound racing stadiums use an outside mechanical hare. The hare comes round the track, passes the traps, the traps open, the dogs emerge and chase the hare. The race finishes and the hare stops. Then some greyhounds savage the hare in a desultory manner, disappointed with the lack of meat to be had on a mechanical hare. About 20 years ago, and probably earlier, my local track operated such a hare. I distinctly recall people there (bookmakers, trainers, punters, etc.) referring to this device as an Outside McPherson. I can’t find any reference on the internet. Has anyone here ever heard of this appellation? ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/2 "2009-12-10T17:37:03Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > This is going to drop like a stone. > > Most British greyhound racing stadiums use an outside mechanical hare. The hare comes round the track, passes the traps, the traps open, the dogs emerge and chase the hare. The race finishes and the hare stops. Then some greyhounds savage the hare in a desultory manner, disappointed with the lack of meat to be had on a mechanical hare. > > About 20 years ago, and probably earlier, my local track operated such a hare. I distinctly recall people there (bookmakers, trainers, punters, etc.) referring to this device as an Outside McPherson. I can’t find any reference on the internet. > > Has anyone here ever heard of this appellation? I’ll check with my dog. She used to race here in the US, but some of her ancestors raced in Europe back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/3 "2009-12-10T17:42:48Z")
> [@whatami](#): > > I’ll check with my dog. She used to race here in the US, but some of her ancestors raced in Europe back in the day. Sorry, she’s never heard that term, and neither have I. Good luck though, I’ll be interested to see if anyone else knows it. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/4 "2009-12-10T18:41:32Z")
I can ask around - the most popular lure used in UK today is called outside Swaffham - haven’t heard of McPherson, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist at some time. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/5 "2009-12-10T20:13:32Z")
Would Bugs Bunny be able to speak authoritatively on this matter? ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/6 "2009-12-11T14:13:44Z")
> [@whatami](#): > > Sorry, she’s never heard that term, and neither have I. I don’t believe her. Not to put too fine a point on it, greyhounds are full of shit. Every time I debriefed mine following a race, all I got was a litany of excuses. Slow out of the traps, slipped on the first bend, crowded out up the back straight, wasn’t suited to the underfoot conditions, too much rain, not enough rain, too hot, too cold, distracted by the bitch in Trap 4 - you name it, I’ve heard it. I believe you, though. ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/7 "2009-12-21T17:18:06Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > I don’t believe her. > > Not to put too fine a point on it, greyhounds are full of shit. Every time I debriefed mine following a race, all I got was a litany of excuses. Slow out of the traps, slipped on the first bend, crowded out up the back straight, wasn’t suited to the underfoot conditions, too much rain, not enough rain, too hot, too cold, distracted by the bitch in Trap 4 - you name it, I’ve heard it. > > I believe you, though. It’s like they all use the same excuses over, and over, and over, and over. You’d think after all these years, they’d come up with something new. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/8 "2009-12-21T18:20:10Z")
It’s time you knew the truth. She threw the race on purpose because she had money bet on another dog. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/9 "2009-12-21T19:06:25Z")
That bitch!! ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greyhound-racing-hare-outside-mcpherson/520729/10 "2009-12-23T19:24:04Z")
It’s not that bad, the proceeds are keeping her in kibble for the rest of her life. On the other hand, she is banned for life from the Baseball Hall of Fame. …or is that Pete Rose? …