Leo Vanderburg's 50-year love affair with greyhound racing is showing no sign of slowing down.
Vanderburg, a son of Dutch migrants, became hooked on greyhound racing while at school and is a regular winner at NSW tracks.
His current 12-strong team is spearheaded by brilliant front-runner Queen Charlie, whose Wentworth Park record is a consistent three wins and five placings from nine starts.
Vanderburg's parents migrated from Holland in the late 1950s, with Leo having seven sisters and five brothers.
Three of them - Hank, Tony and Bert, also became greyhound trainers.
"For my parents to have such a big family there was obviously no television in Holland back in those days,'' Leo quipped.
"It was while attending primary school at Riverstone that I became interested in greyhounds.
"Opposite the school was a greyhound farm, I still don't know who owned it, but at lunchtime I would cross the road and sit on the fence of this farm watching the dogs.
"They fascinated me so much that I promised myself I would eventually became an owner and a trainer.''
Like several greyhound identities of the 1960s and 70s, Leo Vanderburg's working life began at the Riverstone Meatworks.
"Then I had a stint at Austral Bricks but since then have managed to earn a living doing what I love - training greyhounds,'' Vanderburg says.
"My first city winner was Flying Reward, nearly 30 years ago, and he remains the best dog I've trained.
"He won over 732m at Harold Park but his best win was in a heat of Richmond's biggest race of the year.
"Jimmy Coleman, then the leading trainer and still a legend, had the favourite and I got a tremendous buzz when Flying Reward beat Jim's greyhound and he congratulated me.
"Lucky Shadow, who broke the track record at MUDGEE, was a good short course greyhound I trained, along with a big white dog named Very Fast, who won a dozen races before being sold to Melbourne.
"Another I trained was Diamond Fibre who won in 31.46 on the old Richmond track, which was sensational time in those days.
"Perhaps because it is close to home, Richmond is now my pet track.
"My all-time favourite was Moss Vale, which closed about 10 years ago, because any greyhound could handle it.
"I trained a smart dog called Run To Me who ran so wide he chalked up three or four seconds on the roomy Bulli track but he went around Moss Vale, which was virtually a complete circle, like a bird.
"Run To Me won a big heat and final there but win or lose everyone had a great day out at Moss Vale.
"There was a wonderful family picnic atmosphere, race caller Graham Tonkin would play rock and roll music over the public address system between races, and there were six or seven bookmakers so you could have a decent bet if you so desired.
"I haven't trained any champions but I've been blessed with terrific owners, like Scott Rowe and Scott Curran, who own Queen Charlie, and Michael Phillips, for whom I'm raising several litters.
"The two Scotts are at my kennels every Sunday, giving me a hand with the dogs and even going trialling with me."
Vanderburg has seen plenty of super greyhounds in his time but nominates a current star as the best of the lot.
"It is impossible to compare champions of different periods, but it is hard to go past Fernando Bale as the best of them all," he said.
"It is amazing to watch animals like Fernando Bale in action and I dream of one day getting a dog like him.
"It doesn't hurt to dream, does it?''
