April'08 - Greyhounds Queensland

Owen Edmonds
King Reggie
Kirsty O'Brien
GAP News
Manys the gallons of water have flowed, over Somerset Dam
Since Reg first said to me: “Owen! I just do the best that I can
I work with whatever I’m given, give it the chance that it needs
You can’t make a champion from nothing, it all depends on the seeds”
That was back in the Lawnton days, when Reimer sat on the throne
And Reg was but a keen learner, listening to all that was going
Listening intently to those that he felt knew their way round the traps
About then he reckoned somewhere ahead, he’d sort the rot from the facts
Yes Reggie’s a basic. At training his hounds, no airs, no graces, no crap
No scientific A, B and C’s they’re fed what they need and that’s that
All muscle work is done by himself, to Reg it is merely a chore
He reckons the dog will give you the nod, and tell you where they are sore
Well Reg was intent back in those days, determined to fulfill a dream
Always a handy dog close at hand, all home grown too so it seems
No need to buy, they breed pretty well, that’s more you’ve got in the camp
That betters the odds you’ll bob up one day with one that resembles a champ
So Reggie’s mate Julie entered the fray, with a broody that threw pretty well
He didn’t notice the broody at first, when in heaven you don’t go near hell
So time drifted by and life settled down, Reggie’s feet were back on the ground
The partnership clicked they each had a say in whatever may come around
Three in one night our Reggie scored, two in the twenty nine range
To top that lot off how about this, the record had suddenly changed
Well as humble as Reg may try to be, he must have been doing things right
Go back some years to Nobody’s Fool, this is what Reg had in sight
I won’t mention names of the dogs he has trained, time just doesn’t allow
When somebody said that luck played a part, can someone show me just how
For as Reggie said sow your seeds right, it’s then in the hands of the gods
And when they are whelped, luck doesn’t help, it’s entirely up to the dogs
So this is the reason I feel that our Reg should wear the crown of the king
With only a handful of dogs on the go, he’s achieved the unachievable thing
Just Julie and Reg in the kingdom of dogs, taking all in their path
If the crown doesn’t fit, well that’s just stiff shit, it’s Reg who’s able to laugh
Flying Scott - Now
Proven
IT’S been about five months since Dora
came into our lives and to say she has left
an indelible impression is an
understatement.
She is a beautiful dog with a wonderful
nature but it has also been time of great
emotional extremes.
She came to live with us in September
’07 and immediately became part of the
furniture.
What beautiful, placid creatures are
greys. So many misconceptions abound in
the general populace as to their nature.
Nothing is further
from the truth and while
they are elegantly
designed hunting
machines, they are very
affectionate, loving pets.
About six weeks after
Dora came to live with
us, she had a tragic
accident - largely my
fault but not one I could
have dreamt would
occur.
I took her to the top
of our driveway for a
wee just before bedtime
(about 11pm and pitch
dark) with the other two dogs (as we had
done numerous times previously) and she
must have heard or seen something and
just took off.
I heard a terrible moan and found her
lying on a neighbouring block. She to run
flat-out into a cut bank and broke her neck
in two places. She was bleeding from the
mouth and unable to move or breath
properly.
I managed to get her into the rear of
my 4X4 and drove flat out to the 24hr
animal hospital at Burleigh Heads while my
wife, Kirsty, kept her alive with mouth to
Awesome Assassin x Highland Bride (Irish damline)
A seriously fast greyhound.
Short listed 2003 Topgun.
Free progesterone testing
Albion Park 30.05
Stud fee $880
Ipswich 30.58 (track record)
Wenty Pk 30.16, best 30.11
Pat Hennessy: 0408 468612
Sandown 29.76
Meadows 29.88
Producing fast pups winning at City & TAB venues
from only 5 litters racing, a second to none strike rate.
Food
supplied to
GAP dogs
by Big Dog
Pet Foods
nose and heart massage for the 20-minute
trip.
The staff at GCARE were brilliant and
stabilised her and she stayed in their care
for a week and a half.
The resident vet surgeon, Bruce Smith,
and his staff have come
to view Dora as their
star patient due to her
beautiful nature and
quiet determination.
Most dogs with
serious spinal injuries
are euthanised.
She came home with
us and so began the
care of Dora the
quadriplegic
greyhound.
We had to arrange
special sheepskin
bedding and
incontinence padding
as she was unable to move anything but
her head.
She had no voluntary movement or
touch sensation below her middle cervical
vertebrae. Turning her every two
hours was a necessity.
There were times when I questioned
whether we were doing the right thing by
keeping her going.
Slowly she gained the ability to move
while lying on her side and then to flip over
on her back to change sides - each new
trick was welcomed with great relief and
huge praise.
Dora also received weekly doggy
physio sessions from Lesley Harrison for
two months.
Sunshine Coast vet Henry Stevenson
specialises in acupuncture and homeopathy
for animals and has had success with spinal
injuries.
He implanted her with acupuncture
beads for on-going treatment. A week later,
she amazed us by standing up on her own.
Two weeks later she took her first
unaided steps.
Now we are up to a 1km walk - no-one is
more amazed than I.
Needless to say, this type of care
doesn’t come cheap. At last count we could
have bought approximately 40 Doras with
what we have spent but what she has been
able to achieve has made it all worthwhile
and then some.
We feel privileged to have a magnificent
creature such as Dora in our lives and I tell
anyone who will listen about the magic of
being entrusted with the care of a grey.
I don’t think you own them, rather the
reverse.
The (April, 2008) Journal Page 26