PROFILE: Art Wilson was born in Exeter, Nebraska about 1896. Wilson raised and raced greyhounds from 1907 to 1959. Wilson retired to Miami Shores, Florida. Art Wilson passed away during the 1970s. In 1981, Art Wilson was added to the PIONEER section of the Hall of Fame.

HISTORY: It was only 1905 when Art Wilson saw his first coursing greyhound at the National Coursing Stake near his hometown of Exeter. Shortly after the 1906 meet, where Wilson served as a “Flag Stewart”, his father bought his first two greyhounds for $6. Art entered one of the pups in the 1907 National Meet and went to the finals in his division. Art Wilson was only 11 years old at the time. Following this beginning, Art Wilson became one of the country’s foremost breeders, while also operating one of the best racing kennels in the country from 1930 through the 1950s.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Art Wilson bred the MEDOWS-WHEN litter that produced Hall of Famer TRAFFIC OFFICER. Wilson captured the Tex Rickard Memorial at Miami Beach six times between 1937-1946, running first and second on four of those occasions. Wilson won the Miami Beach Inaugural three times and the Gold Collar and O.P. Smith Memorial twice each. Wilson captured the Hollywood Derby on four occasions, the National Championship Series at Wonderland four times, five National Coursing Futurities and two Sapling Stakes. In 1930, Wilson scored a three-way division of the National Futurity with PATROL OFFICER, PATROLMAN, and TRAFFIC COURT.