Just driven down to the Spring Rally,hoping to get a good look at the new ND. As usual I have my faithful hound in the car with me.
Arrive at the gate. and what do I get; “you can’t bring that in here, you’ll have to leave”.
So having driven 165 miles to the Rally, I came home.
Not a very happy chap as you can imagine.
ps Having just read the small print item 11 does say no animals, but I needed my magnifying glass to read it
Did you expect a dog to be welcomed at a race circuit during racing?
that is such a shame Dave, I really feel for you.
I used to take my dog everywhere but, when going to a motor racing venue, dogs are Never allowed…
It’s a bugger old chap but that’s the rules. always has been always will be.
I know it will be no consolation but it was a really good day.
catch up on the forum to see what was what.
Keep smiling please cos that’s the law. 
ps; have you any pics of your dog to put up here because i am a dog lover too
Dave,
There has been guidance on the forum and 2 extensive posts about dogs at the rally for a number of months. It is very unfortunate that this information has not managed to get to you, we use the forum via recommendation in Soft Top Hardtop and the booking sheets, to update members of the nature of the events and various updates.
This venue is and was a live race track venue (our events take in a number of different venues to offer members great experiences and places to visit) and no UK race track permits animals, for a variety safety reasons and we made Oulton Park’s conditions as clear as was possible in our guidance.
I hope that the superb weather at least meant an enjoyable top down trip for you and your canine companion and that some positive could be found from your drive and I am sorry that you were not able to join us at the Rally.
Really sorry to hear you had such a bad time of it but there is no question of it not being publicised.
The thing is it`s all done for the welfare of your pet as well as the competitors and spectators.
Its why we cant have any closed road`s racing on the UK Mainland.
It`s also Why there are no Dogs on the Isle of Man and the Cats have no tail [ Manx Cat, look it up ]
You see, the Cats all learned to shed their tails to captors since the advent of motor sport over there. They learned it from the Lizards who, for thousands of years, have been discarding the odd limb to a predator if they got into a sticky situation. Better to loose a leg say, than lose it all. Hence the Three leg flag of the island.
It is well known that TT Race Marshals are only allowed to apprehend animals by the tail,[FIA Rule book] in an attempt to make the circuit safer for all concerned. They have many many tales to tell of the Cat that got away without its tail. It is believed that all the escapee cats take refuge in Sarahs Cottage during the racing. Sarah dosn`t mind as she loves Cats tail or no.
The Lizards all keep their heads well down at all the best vantage points around the course. All the Dogs who couldnt detach their happiness indicators have long since been deported to Liverpool on the Steam Packet, and have made their way to all parts of the mainland, hence no closed roads racing here at all. Fenced off circuits only.
The whole thing means that we need those areas of outstanding natural interest [race tracks] for the people who persist in the activity of thrashing motor vehicles to near breaking point in the name of sport and those that like to watch such a thing.
It has been proven on many occasions that animals, and in particular,Dogs, have no interest in said motor vehicle activity what so ever, other than to get excited at fast moving objects and lots of people being around. Hope your pet really enjoyed being driven over 300 miles of a round trip. Much better than a walk in the countryside or a splash in the river, or chasing a Cat, or a car,or a motorbike or even a lizard down the street.
Love Dogs, Love Animals, Love MX5`s, Love the people who drive them, Love Motor Sport. Hope you Loved your drive out and back. How could you not. You were in an MX5 with you best friend by your side
The topic of dogs at the rally has been extensively debated on this forum, and as a regular poster you must have come across it at some point…sorry, but you don’t have a leg to stand on…
Proof that taking dogs to race circuits is not a good idea.
It’s a shame you missed all the posts, I have no doubt your dog enjoyed the company during the drive, I know ours love to be with us.
A dog free zone. Sounds heaven to me!
Child free - even better!
I’ll drink to that!
That mutt is way out of control.
He`s going to miss the apex by miles with the back end right round that far. Should have put the rain paws on.
Just proves that if you had to pass an intelligence test as well as a driving test,there would not be so much traffic.
Correct … but then …