PROFILE: Ludi Hess was born in Tampa, Florida on April 19, 1917. He bought his first greyhound in 1936. Ludi Hess was added to the PIONEER section in 1985.

HISTORY: It was Ludi Hess’s mother who first acquainted him with greyhound racing. She never became a greyhound owner but was an ardent fan of the sport. At age 19 Hess bought his first greyhound. Hess raced a kennel during the late 1930’s at Steubenville, Ohio; Lake Milton, Ohio; Jefferson Parish, New Orleans; Louisiana, West Memphis, Arkansas; and Tampa, Florida. When World War II came along Hess sold his kennel to Perry Alderson. In 1953 he and Fred Whitehead and Jack Donahue organized and founded the Cloverleaf Kennel Club in Loveland, Colorado. In 1965 Ludi Hess purchased Washington County Kennel Club in Ebro, Florida.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Ludi Hess’s best greyhound was OLD HECTOR, a littermate to JUST ANDREW. Hess’s transition from kennel owner to racetrack ownership is not a common occurrence in the business of greyhound racing.