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Flabbergasted

GA Naming Joke

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Just got off the phone to a mate in Australia. We had been discussing several matters about the sport and we got onto the naming process. I was as my name suggests shocked to learn that owners can no longer devise clever names and may not even be able to use their own former prefix or suffix when naming a greyhound now. There are strict new limitations on words in that they must be familiar or in common use in Australia and New Zealand. Inventive names of racing legends such as Phar Lap, Miata, Farrarami, Velocette, Tangaloa, Makybe Diva and even Winx etc. will no longer be allowed. What is this world coming to. 

Despite them claiming they made this new rule through consultation it has been done by stealth. The only consultation was via a post on GA's own website (whoever looks at that ?) and that all other Australian/NZ state authorities would follow suit. One of the dumbest decisions I've ever heard of and disgraceful treatment of lp's. Taking away our right to name our dog as we please. I understand that they may wish to protect the process so as not to allow possibly unknown derogatory foreign words to slip through but given today's politically correct world it's a big step backward.  I think we should all voice our displeasure at this ridiculous decision and get it overturned. 

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Naming Policy

GREYHOUNDS AUSTRALASIA NAMING POLICY

As at August 2018

The orderly and responsible issuing of a greyhound name is a feature of high quality greyhound racing administration.  The process has been delegated by controlling bodies to Greyhounds Australasia as a vital national service. 

The Greyhounds Australasia naming Registrar operates under a policy approved by member controlling bodies and operates in the best interest of the greyhound racing industry.

A key feature of the policy is that Greyhounds Australasia and the Controlling Bodies reserve the right to refuse any name.

The Naming Registrar will apply common sense and knowledge from significant experience and will use readily available search tools as the foundation approach to the assessment of all naming applications.

To support official naming of greyhounds, the policies detailed below are applied at the time of the naming application being processed.

In addition, the naming Registrar will apply the following criteria to refuse an application.

  1. The name has been granted to a greyhound during the 15 years previous to receipt of the allocation.

  2. The name has previously been granted to a greyhound recorded as a sire or dam in the Greyhounds Australasia database.

  3. The name has previously been granted to a greyhound recorded as a group winner in the Greyhounds Australasia database.

  4. Close similarity in the pronunciation of names, i.e. Mr. Yew, Mister You.

  5. Names that we consider to have a political or religious connotation.

  6. Names that we consider are difficult to pronounce.

  7. Names that we consider are derogatory or down-grading or offensive.

  8. Names that we consider are obscene or vulgar.

  9. Words that we consider are not commonly recognised or understood in Australia and New Zealand.

  10. Names with more than sixteen characters inclusive of spaces, apostrophes, etc.

  11. Names with more than three words, including single words made up of three or more words with limited spacing between words.

  12. Names which imitate race track phrases or terms i.e. “Vacant Box”, “Late Scratching”, “Number Four”, “Red Rug”, “Blue Box”, etc.

  13. The use of names of Wagering or Broadcasting entities.

  14. Names which indicate opposite to the actual sex of the subject greyhound.

  15. The use of pronouns, prefixes and affixes, i.e. “The” Architect.

  16. Trade names unless the Naming Registrar receives written approval from the owner of the trade name.

  17. Names of prominent racing events without the permission of the appropriate authority.

  18. Full names of their 'pseudonym' name of prominent persons e.g. Marilyn Monroe (being her stage name) or Norma Jean Baker (being her real name).

  19. The use of initials and/or single letters, or the use of words to reflect initials e.g. I E C or EYE EE CEE.

  20. The excessive use of apostrophe.

  21. The use of numerals

  22. A name already registered as a Prefix/Suffix to some other applicant.

  23. Names of prominent or renowned Greyhounds.

  24. Certain words that may be used generally but are 'owner' word e.g. ANZAC.

  25. As the indexations of the Stud Book demands correct English, names such as "Stop "N" Think" would be granted as "Stop And Think".

Naming applications received that are deemed vulgar or offensive shall be referred to the jurisdiction that the participant is registered with.

It should be noted that the Greyhounds Australasia office receives approximately 2,500 names per working week in the preferential listings submitted.  Where all names on an application are exhausted, the GA policy is that the Registrar shall choose a name from elsewhere.

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I can see the reason in moist of those but it worries me that a lot are subjective. For example words that are not commonly used or understood in Au or NZ.

Fushidara, Matanuska, Delichon Urbica are just three names we have had accepted that are not commonly used in Au or  NZ . Under the rules listed above it would depend on the knowledge and maybe prejudices of the person reading the application if they acceptable  As the names are accepted or declined in Au how about Maori words that they would probably have little knowledge of?

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I disagree with many of your comments, Flabbergasted.

No owner of a horse or greyhound has the right to name the animal as he/she wishes. There are, and always have been, certain restrictions. That some have slipped through the system in the past is not a reason for continuing such silly names as Puma Pants. Or misspellings such as Homebush Fued.

Racing is a professional sport/industry and should not appear amateurish in any respect.

A club I belong to has a website on which is placed all information about the club and its activities. That some people apparently do not look at the GA website is their own problem or fault.

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Disagree Pete,

                          Everyone acknowledges the need for rules around naming and most try to stick within them. Making rules with no apparent reason is a form of arrogance that just makes life harder for the members. Some people love to live their lives strictly within "the rules" and I sometimes wonder if they were faced with no rules if they would be able to think for themselves. I have respect for people who challenge unfair or uncalled for rules.  Remember the Nazi's made rules that everyone was bound by and look what happened when not enough stood up to them.

       As an example can you give me your educated opinion of why 'The' is allowed in the name of a galloper or trotter but not a greyhound.

You also draw a long bow with your comment about it is the fault of "some people" who do not bother to look up the rules before naming. Flabbergated has every right to be flabbergasted by that comment as he had just said he was aware of the rules. 

 

 When will the people in this industry ever learn that this sport is based solely around the members and without their buy in and goodwill, it will never flourish. It is now in a precarious position that can only recover from with the members behind it If you want to flood the members with rules that make no apparent sense and without explanation or a chance to have some input then don't expect the members or at least this one to kow tow without comment.

     

 

 

      

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I have no problem with the naming of my young dogs.

I send a list of 20 to 40 names to Greyhounds Australasia and they return by E Mail within 3 days a list of those I can use.

The surplus I keep for the near future.  They have always appeared to appreciate this.

On my Naming Registration Application I have to only put one name.     Simple !!

Cheers   Ray Adcock

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jape I think you have taken what i said in the wrong context. I don't for one minute want dodgy, disrepectful or crude names to be allowed. I agree that some of the names that have slipped through the cracks should have been attended to but under the new rules Puma Pants for example would still be allowed as it's two common English words. 

I do think that participants should be allowed to name their dogs as they desire and that if showing some initiative and ingenuity in the process. If Mike was to mate Fushidara to Fernando Bale and wanted to call the pups Fushinando or Fernidara why shouldn't that be allowed. Surely you can't see any problem with names such as that, can you.

To take it further they could have simply put in one rule amendment that basically said "If you do name a dog that is later found to be crude or offensive etc. then the name will be immediately changed and a large fine and possible suspension imposed as a deterrent.   

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2 hours ago, Flabbergasted said:

To take it further they could have simply put in one rule amendment that basically said "If you do name a dog that is later found to be crude or offensive etc. then the name will be immediately changed and a large fine and possible suspension imposed as a deterrent.

This happened to a guy in Australia last year. He gave a horse a name in a foreign language which was offensive and got suspended for 18 months.

 

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I think a correspondent from Hamilton writing an article for Stuff this morning just about summed up the situation when he said " People write rules about any issue they can imagine. When these rules create bad outcomes they create more rules. 'Only following the rules' was the defense of many Nazi's. Remember there is a real person at the other end of the rule".

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Some interesting replies to my comments on Flabbergasted's original comment.

GOM, my reference to F's "lack of consultation" was when he stated 'GA's own website (whoever looks at that?)' . Ignorance is not bliss.

Nevertheless, you do both make some excellent points. Why no use of "the"? No idea. You would need to correspond directly with the GA to find THE answer.

We are agreed that we do not want crude names and the person who named his horse "Princesse Merde" was required to come up with a satisfactory alternative before it went to the races after it had won a trial under the original name.

I don't agree with Numbers 9 and 19 above.

But I would add Number 20 A. The incorrect use of the apostrophe!!

 

 

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"Phar Canal" "Marbles Are Red" "I'm Hardigain" and my "Dixie Normous" I've got "Norfolk Enchants" of being allowed to name my "Phar King" greyhound "Harry Azzol" ....well "Oil Beef Hooked" my "Hugh Janus" "Hoof Hearted" just made me "Puma Pants" ? I think "Anita Pea" .....which is a pretty name also but already exists!

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