John Lawson has been one of the state’s most successful country trainers for over three decades and following a Wentworth Park double earlier this month was successful with each of his two starters at Muswellbrook on Sunday.
But if he had not been crippled by a virus in his spinal cord as a teenager he would never have become involved in greyhound racing.
“I was a good athlete at Muswellbrook High School but at 13 became paralysed from the chest down and spent a year in a wheelchair,’’ Lawson explained.
“Finally I was able to get around with a brace on my leg and was advised I should walk as much as possible.
“Tommy Binskin, whose brother Jack was a famous harness racing trainer and driver, was a family friend and he gave me a greyhound puppy to exercise.
“My grandfather Vic Brown had raced greyhounds at Muswellbrook when wages were a pound ($2) a week but you could win five pounds ($10) prize money.
“That was only family connection and I’m certain I would never have got a greyhound if I had not become sick."
“Having always lived at Aberdeen, in the upper Hunter, Lawson won his first race at Muswellbrook in 1973 with Aberdonian, whose dam Annette Carol was a litter sister of Roman Baron, a Harold Park star trained by Tommy Binskin’s friend Stan Cleverley.
“A friend and I then bought two pups from another Harold Park flyer, Lady Devo," Lawson said. "Another was Kalyara Magic, who was placed in the city but won the Chief Havoc Memorial and a stack of races at Newcastle’s Beaumont Park.
“Kalyara is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘quick’ and Kalyara Magic whelped Kalyara Duchess, who gave me my first city winner in a Wentworth Park maiden heat and final before reaching the 1993 Ladies Bracelet final won by Amy’s Doll.
“And when mated to Brother Fox, Kalyara Magic produced Kalyara Raider, a city winner who took out a Tamworth Cup and one day, After he won at Grafton, I raced back in time to attend the Muswellbrook meeting that night.
“It was a great dam line because Kalyara Duchess threw Kalyara Belle and Kalyara Prince, a big track specialist who would have been sensational had Harold Park still been in operation.
“After winning his maiden at Goulburn, Kalyara Prince went to WYONG where he defeated DAVE Irwin’s 2000 National Derby winner Fond Regards in the Straight Track Championship.
“Sydney trainer Hank Vanderburg offered me $30,000 for Kalyara Prince which was a fortune in those days, but I knocked it back.
“Kalyara Prince’s sister Kalyara Belle became the dam of Future Fund, who won 40 races and ran 40 placings for me.
“He raced until he was nearly six years old and is still at home, turning nine in November.
“I raced Future Fund annually in the GRNSW Country Challenge and he made the final several times.
“While campaigning for that series I twice took him to Broken Hill, a 30 hour round trip from my home, and he won both times.
“Future Fund won a Wentworth Park Country Challenge final, running down Dana Beatrice After she had won the 2009 Golden Easter Egg, but in fairness she wasn’t as good then as she had been for the Egg.
“I was employed as a meat inspector but had to retire at 40 and as I am now 58, with my leg and back getting worse, the time is not far away when I will have to find someone else to train my dogs.
“In the meantime I keep my team of five fit on a 330 metre uphill slipping track at Aberdeen, which was built by local greyhound enthusiasts with their own funding.
“On August 4 I won a 720 metre race at Wentworth Park in 42.69 with a little 23kg bitch, Asteroid Miss, who is not quite 19 months old so is a highly promising stayer.
“At the same meeting Sheba’s Image won a 520m race for me while her siblings Little Asteroid and Contact Details, which I bred from my brood bitch Sheba, were my Muswellbrook winners last Sunday.
“I’ve been a director of the Muswellbrook club for over 30 years and even when I am forced to find another trainer for my greyhounds I hope to continue in that role.’’
John Lawson has always enjoyed great success at Muswellbrook, his home track, but says his favourite course is: “Anywhere that suits my dogs.’’
