Kibble and Biscuits - Greyhounds Queensland

Brad NewmanChanging of the guardAs you would all know, Ray Burmanhas vacated the position of president of theQGBOTA and as vice-president I will bestepping up to helm, at least until the nextAGM.Firstly, I would like to thank Ray for thefantastic job he did during his time aspresident.Not only did he steer the associationwith a steady hand and oversaw asubstantial increase in our membership, butpersonally I will always be grateful for hisguidance.As for myself, I'm a passionategreyhound man. Greyhound racing has beenpart of my family for generations and I havefallen in love with it.I am a great believer it is not only afantastic thing to be involved with but italso a fantastic product I believe has atremendous amount of potential.But for now I pass on the best wishes ofthe members of the QGBOTA to Ray whileensuring our ship stays on its course.Future directionMy ambitions for the QGBOTA are tocontinue to build on our growingmembership, bring more benefits to ourmembers, raise our profile and focus onbeing a respected, pro-active, vigilant,persistent but fundamentally positive forcewithin the industry.The next three to five years will be achallenge to Queensland greyhound racingbut one I am confident we can meet.With a handful of massive issueslooming, I think we all need to all worktogether to tackle them.Now is certainly not the time forcomplacency and we must not let theseissues simply sneak up on us or deal withthem haphazardly.But I also believe it is just as importantto focus internally within the QGBOTA andI will dedicate a lot of my efforts towardsthat.Communication with our members is atop priority, so I am interested in followingLuke Gatehouse's example from theBrisbane Club with the Albion Angle andbring back an association newsletter.We do have several exciting projects inthe works but as you can appreciate it isn'tthe right time to introduce you to them.But keep an eye on the QGBOTAcolumn over the coming months.Support the Winter CarnivalThe Winter Carnival is upon us and theBrisbane Club has an exciting program instore for us at Albion Park.Aside from the action on the track, SilksGBOTA Newsrestaurant will be open on the two featurenights.I encourage everyone to make the effortto support the club and the carnival andbook a table, especially considering thenight will be affordably priced.Bring your family and friends, this is theperfect opportunity to introduce them togreyhound racing.I strongly believe we must worktowards having Silks open on a regularbasis.It is a fantastic way to introduce newpeople to the sport, it is a pathway tointroduce new sponsorship, entertainingand hosting existing sponsors or to justhave a great night out.I think very highly of our sport and Ilove to see it showcased.I also applaud Luke Gatehouse fororganising new chef's menu options at thebistro on Thursdays. This will be a sixnighttrial so I hope it is as equally wellsupported.In closingSome of you may not know me well, soif you see me around any of the tracks,please come and say hello.I am a younger bloke who is alwayskeen to learn more and I take a keeninterest in peoples' thoughts, ideas andopinions and this has only been amplifiedby my new role as president.See you at the Winter Carnival!Next MeetingThe next meeting of the QGBOTA willbe held at Albion Park on July 3 starting at6 pm.MembershipThe membership of the Associationcontinues to grow. We now have more than100 members.We need your support to get a biggersay in the future direction of the industry.Membership costs are $15 for familymembership and $10 for singlemembership.Please contact any of our committee forfurther membership details.Ipswich Greyhound Racing ClubIGRC'Leading allthe Way'Major Race DatesGary Tavener,Greg Cannon,LaurieMeteyard andTrevor TavenerwithBuckinghamChuck.A prince for former trot boysAFTER two decades listening to excuses in the harness racing industry, brothersGary and Trevor Tavener have seen the error of their ways.And when they got chatting to long-time greyhound man Greg Cannon one night atthe Arana Leagues Club in Brisbane, they knew it was time to switch codes."We'd raced trotters for 20 years," said Gary. "Ten horses in all, but we gave up indisgust."Cannon is a sweet talker."Greg put us into a pup, a dog by Scottish Express and it was first-up at AlbionPark," said Gary. "But Greg was quick to move it on and he sold us a pup."That pup is now Buckingham Chuck (Token Prince-Stargari Heiress) a recent PuppyClassic finalist.Gary and Trevor race it in partnership with Cannon's mate Laurie Meteyard, arethe Tavener's have quickly been won over to greyhound racing.Buckingham Chuck is named after Prince Charles of course. "His sire is Token Princeso Buckingham Chuck was a natural."August 23Heats Young Gun Series 520mAugust 30 Final Young Gun Series 520m - Winner $10,000.September 54 x Heats Futurity 520m - Conditions Apply.4 x Heats Derby 520m - Conditions Apply.September 12 Final Futurity 520m - Winner $5,000.Final Derby 520m - Winner $5,000.Memorial Trophy Best 8- Winner $3,000.September 19 & 26 Heats Highland Smash Repair 100,000Auction Series 431mOctober 34 x Semi-Finals 100,000 Auction Series 431mOctober 10Final Highland Smash Repair 100,000 AuctionSeries 431m - Winner $12,000.October 24 Heats City of Ipswich Gold Cup 520m.October 31Final City of Ipswich Gold Cup 520m -Winner$20,000August 15$$”Important DateCorporate Dollar Night “ Where we chase the CorporateRefer Club notes for details.Ph: 07 3202 2977 Fax: 07 3202 2510 Email: igrc@gil.com.auThe (June, 2006) Journal Page 31