Why imports? Why now?

The last time a foreign stud was at the top of the Sire Standings was four decades ago when the great Tell You Why* topped the charts in 1967 and 1968. Since then, the number of truly influential imports has been small. Yellow Printer* (but mostly through his son Sandy Printer), Top Speed*, Share Profit*, and Fortress* come to mind, but the list is shockingly small. The list of failures is far longer, mostly strewn with lesser dogs who would not have attracted any attention in their own countries.

In the past few years, however, there has been renewed interest in foreign sires. Thanks to frozen semen, we’re finally getting access to top studs. One problem with frozen semen, however, is that it has invariably been available in limited quantities. If a stud produces there is often no opportunity for repeat breedings. Many top studs are so busy at home that their owners don’t export semen, and the present currency exchange rates have priced many foreign studs out of the market.

Recently, however, we’ve begun to see top-class foreign race dogs actually imported for stud duty. The advantages are obvious—if the dog is producing, breeders can go back to him again and again and they are being offered at prices that are in line with U.S. studs.

Breeding to an import stud is not necessarily about the outcross as some believe—American bloodlines are not so inbred that we require an outcross, and it’s not about "hybrid vigor"—it’s about using well-bred dogs whose pedigrees are loaded with productive bloodlines. It’s also about breeding to the top dogs available, stakes-class dogs with track record speed.

With the early success of Maryville Rumble*, several dogs have been brought here simply to fill the perceived demand for imports, not necessarily because they are the right type of dog for our conditions. We are already in danger of breeding too much early foot in our Greyhounds; the influx of even more studs whose offspring struggle to make 550 yards will make it worse.

When looking for a foreign stud ask yourself, what was his best distance? If he was an early-pace 525 yard dog, there is every chance his progeny will be short here. In Ireland, the boxes are much closer to the turn and even 550 yards is biased to early speed dogs. The 550 boxes at a track like Derby Lane are farther from the turn than the 575 boxes at Shelbourne Park and almost as far away as their 600 boxes.

In Ireland, the pickup is usually all the way around to the top of the backstretch, rather than at the apex of the first turn as in America. Greyhounds don’t know where the finish line is—they chase the lure until it stops. Watch as Irish dogs you’re interested in come down the stretch and round the first turn in 525 or 550 races. Is he extending his lead or are others closing? If it’s the latter chances are he would struggle to run out a strong 550 here in the ‘States.

The ideal foreign stud is one who ran out 550 or 575 yards, or longer very strongly, has a fair amount of staying blood in his pedigree, and is out of lines proven to be compatible with U.S. blood. If you are unfamiliar with import pedigrees, your studmaster should be able to describe the history of the dog, his race record, and the influential names in his pedigree.

There will always be room for American-bred stud dogs, but the advent of frozen semen has concentrated the vast majority of breedings over the past decade into a very narrow range of domestic bloodlines. Top-quality foreign dogs are here now and it’s time to take a close look at them.