PROFILE: Bill McHugh was born in Galway, Ireland in 1886. He was one of 13 children. McHugh left Ireland in 1911 for California. When he arrived he loaded ships, worked on a milk wagon and did odd jobs in the San Francisco area. In 1980 when McHugh was added to the PIONEER section he was retired and living in Phoenix, Arizona.

HISTORY: Coursing greyhounds was a hobby for Bill McHugh. He registered his first greyhounds in 1925. McHugh was at the grand opening of Caliente and captured the Inaugural with MISS CLAIR. He operated a racing kennel at Caliente for the next 13 years. McHugh also raced at several California racetracks; Belmont, Baden, Culver City and El Cerrito. When racing in California stopped McHugh took his kennel to southern tracks; Orlando, Biscayne, Flagler, Tampa and Jacksonville. McHugh also had racing kennels at Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Grand Junction, Great Falls and Phoenix. In 1945 a fire totally destroyed McHugh’s racing kennel. He managed to continue on leased greyhounds until 1967.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Some of Bill McHugh’s best greyhounds were MISS CLAIR, POLLY’S LAD and ANOTHER ARISTOCRAT. Bill McHugh was a member of the NGA Half-Century Club, Having been a member for more than 50 years.