Five years ago greyhound racing was on it’s knees and bleeding, and many thought it was dead.
After a few bad eggs in the industry had been exposed doing terrible things that 99% of the industry hated, the dogs were firmly in a place of live or die.
The question that the sport faced was this.
Were this few who had abused both animals and the trust of the people who loved them the true face of the sport, or were we?
The world hated us because of this ugly minority’s unjustifiable wanton cruelty, and so they should, if that was all greyhound racing was.
If we couldn’t show them the true heart of our great sport it was going to die, and it deserved to too.
Did we have the courage to stand up and say “No! That’s not us”, and bear the stigma and the shame of things that we didn’t do, to defend the game we loved and keep it alive?
It was a huge dilemma for many, if not all.
We were getting abused in the papers, and on the internet, and on national TV.
Our kids were going to school and being bullied.
They were labelling us as animal abusers and killers when we weren’t.
That wasn’t us.
All we were was dog lovers, people who tended to and treated our animals like others treated their kids.
We knew it, but did we have the guts to stand up in the face of a torrent of in many ways quite justifiable criticism and tell the world that those people they saw on Four Corners doing those atrocious things weren’t us?
Yes we did.
The good people of the greyhound industry – us – we stood up and told our stories.
Our leaders like Les and Luke and JC and Erin and Dogs D and Bunny B and a whole host of others too many to name stood tall and proud and said we are all good people, and we love our greyhounds, and we are prepared to get tough on those who don’t, and we deserve to survive.
And through strength, and dignity, and a visceral public demonstration of love we saved our sport from what looked like certain death.
We did it together, and it brought us together as one.
Before the horrors wrought by live baiting we were just a bunch of individuals involved in a sport, doing our own thing.
Now we are a family, an army, a collective, many people with shared love in our hearts, and a common goal, to make greyhound racing strong.
We’ve done it.
Against all odds, by working together we have won.
Five years ago the dogs share of the racing money market was just 14.7%, one dollar in every seven.
Today it is 24.3% and rising, a dollar in every four.
We are the champions my friends.
We have made our sport lightning, and there is no end.
Friday the 1st of April is no day for fools.
It’s the night we come together for the Greyhound Racing Awards at the place where it all began, the spiritual home of our sport, the Gabba.
A night that is far more than just a trophy ceremony of winners and losers.
It’s a celebration, a joyous coming together of people from all walks of life, rich and poor, from near and far, all joining together to put our hands in the air and say we love the great sport of greyhound racing, we fought the good fight, and we won.
Say it out loud
We won.
You bloody beauty.
Grab your tickets now.
We are going to have a party, and we are going to have a ball.
I love the dogs.
You do too.
So let’s boogie baby.
Seeya there with your dancing shoes on.
You wouldn’t miss it for quids.
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Editor’s note
You can book your tickets at the link below.
https://events.humanitix.com/2021-queensland-greyhound-awards
It’s not cheap, because fine things aren’t, especially when they come with all the grog you can drink.
Don’t despair if you haven’t got the readies available right now though, for Luke Gatehouse from the Albion Park club says he doesn’t want anyone to miss out just because they are in a drought, and has promised will stump the ticket shout for those who find themselves short.
It’s very kind of him, but that is what greyhound racing lovers are all about.
Just drop Luke a line at info@brisgreys.com.au and he will get it sorted.
Tell him Archie sent you.
The dress standard is cocktail.
I’m wearing a Long Island Tea.
