May'07 - Greyhounds Queensland

Gran, Brian,
Cheryl, Julie
and Russell
get greyhound
racing bug
... again
By
DAVID BRASCH
ABOUT a year ago Brian Druery
was recovering from a shoulder
operation.
He was moping about the house,
probably feeling sorry for himself. His
wife Cheryl had had enough, so she
told him to go out and get a greyhound.
Greyhounds were nothing new to
the Druery household, but Brian had
not trained the "fastest sport on legs"
for 15 years.
Cheryl's suggestion, or should that
be "words of wisdom" appealed to
Brian.
It wasn't that Brian, 49, and his
family were novices in the industry.
"I had bred a couple of litters out of
a bitch called Roving Lass and we had
quite a bit of luck," Brian told The
Journal.
Roving Lass (Hardell-Wandering
Cloud) was royally bred. Her litter to
Bogenfel included smart galloper
Philippa's Wish, No Deal etc.
TRAPPED
For Sharon and Barry (Morris)
By OWEN EDMONDS
Another litter to West Cape also
included winners for the Druery kennel.
Brian and Cheryl kept Roving Lass
as a house pet after those two litters and
she lived to 13 and a half.
So when the suggestion was made to
Time and again I hear it said, I’m giving greyhounds away
I’ve had enough of this bloody sport just for something to say
I can’t take a trick, me dogs have gone off, I’m having a case of the jitters
Next thing you know your back there again, breeding up two bloody litters
It's like a disease without a known cure, it obviously runs in the blood
It's not only men the women do too, love putting the broodbitch to stud
Attempts have been made to resist the urge, genuine "definately nots"
Till the cycle of mating draws towards time, then it’s maybe we can sell the lot
Pick out a sire we don’t have much time, don’t miss the date of her season
We may keep a couple or three at the best, or somewhere there within reason
Then it’s up to the sire you hope it don’t miss, you're as keen as ever before
You're as anxious to see if she’s having pups, so you head for a scan to be sure
Remember those words you uttered before, I’m sick of this bloody game
And here you are "mumbling’’ saying what have I done, I must be bloody insane
I need more dogs like a hole in the head, and a hole is what I deserve
Then along come the pups you take a look, then tumble straight back to earth
Ten healthy pups in one whelping box, which one is the best of the ten
It’s then that you realise this breeding disease, has smitten you once again
I suppose there are some that can master the urge, to breed a litter or two
There’s others that buy them if the breeder will sell, that is a gamble by you
You're yards are silent where the pups used to be; It's then you really do know
Be as it may after years in the game it’s hard to pack up and go
Yes greyhounds and racing, as a true sport, is something that surely does please
And it may have it’s moments and it can be hard work, but it’s also a pleasant disease
get a greyhound, Brian didn't ponder
over the thought too long.
He bought a Trendy Leigh-Alray
Gossip bitch pup from Victoria.
"She was nothing but trouble to
begin with," said Brian. "In fact, we
tried twice to break her in."
Now racing as Leigh Maree, the bitch
has come around and after a number of
placings at Capalaba, she landed her
maiden over 395m at Albion Park late in
March.
To say the Druery family was excited
is an understatement.
The impact of that one Maiden win at
Albion Park has been momentous.
Brian and Cheryl's daughter Julie,
20, has since gone out and bought her
own dog, a former Victorian race bitch
called View Star, already a winner. "Just
to be sure, she gave me a share in the
bitch," said Dad.
But not to be denied, Brian's younger
brother Russell caught the bug again.
For years Russell was a regular at the
Lawnton straight track driving the lure,
but he too slipped out of the industry ...
until a couple of months ago.
He grabbed himself a couple of young
dogs, one by Elgrando and another by
November Gandhi.
Russell went looking for pups
recently and decided to take he and
Brian's mum, 80-year-old Jean with him.
"The pair of them came home having
bought two pups," said Brian.
So the Druerys have gone from
having no dogs, to four members of the
family having six, all within a few
months.
"Mum is loving it," said Brian. "She
hasn't missed a race meeting when we've
ABOVE: The Druery family,
Russell, Cheryl, Jean, Brian
and Julie with their everexpanding
team of
greyhounds.
LEFT: Leigh Maree streaks
away to win her maiden at
Albion Park.
had the bitch racing.
"At one stage she was even talking
about getting her owner-trainer's
license.
"It's been the best thing to happen
to her.
"Mum has had a couple of recent
operations and she was not getting out
of the house at all. Now she doesn't
miss a race meeting when we are
racing."
The Druerys were recently
discussing where to send the two pups
to be broken in and had tossed around
a few names before Brian suggested
John Martin who has set up a new
education complex near Casino.
"Mum was insistent that the pups
were not going anywhere until she had
looked the place over," said Brian.
After 15 years out of training,
Brian was quick to realize what he
had forgotten about the industry and
how so much had changed.
"I even had to buy one of those
new lycra rugs and have a practice
putting it on," he said.
"And the first day the bitch raced,
I put it on inside out anyway."
But Brian knew it would all come
flooding back and with the help of so
many willing hands he now feels like
he's never been out of the industry.
"The kids have been at me for
years to get another greyhound," said
Brian. "My work made sure I could
not do justice to them.
"But we are back in now and
everyone is loving it."
The entire Druery family in fact.
The (May, 2007) Journal Page 24