When George Schofield was inducted into the Australian Greyhound Racing Association's Hall Of Fame at last month's 2014/15 awards, nobody was prouder than his son, Londonderry trainer Peter Schofield.
Peter, whose dog Merlin's Rocket finished third at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night, grew up assisting his famous father on their greyhound property at Yuroke, Victoria.
Born in 1955, Peter spent his formative years living in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg.
"The greyhounds outgrew that place so we moved to Yuroke, where, at one stage, my parents George and Maree had 12 stud dogs, 40 brood bitches and 120 puppies," he said.
The greatest sire George Schofield stood at stud was Shan's View, which he had trained to win the 1960 Wentworth Park Gold Cup.
Shan's View was also fastest heat and semi-final winner of the 1960 Australian Cup but was beaten in the final by Meadow Vale.
At stud Shan's View was even more successful, topping the Victorian sires' premiership from 1963 to 1966 inclusive, siring 1967 Australian Cup winner Fawn Nulla and becoming grandsire of Benjamin John, the Sydney champ who took out the 1969 Hobart Thousand and Australian Cup double.
In one amazing year, 20 per cent of all Melbourne metropolitan winners were sired by Shan's View.
"My sister Maureen and myself were called upon to help out with the greyhounds before and after school,'' Peter Schofield said.
"Dad is 98 years old and after being Victoria's most famous greyhound and show dog chiropractor for most of his life, he has only recently relinquished that task.
"But he taught me well and the main reason I moved to NSW 22 years ago was because my father had a monopoly on the chiropractic side of the greyhound business and I wanted to establish myself.
"These days, apart from training 11 greyhounds, I am the proprietor of boarding kennels which can cater for up to 60 domestic dogs and work as a chiropractor.
"Greyhounds now make up only a minority of the dogs I check, because I also look after police and prison guard dogs, show dogs and agility dogs.''
Although Peter has enjoyed Wentworth Park success in recent years with One Man Alone, Atlantic Queen, Distinctive Fire and Jimmy Bamboo, it was as a handler that he enjoyed his biggest thrill in the sport.
"My sister trained a greyhound called Jacadus, which was owned by the legendary race caller, the late Bert Bryant,'' Schofield said.
"Jacadus qualified for the final of the 1971 Melbourne Cup but because women were not permitted to lead dogs out in those days, at the ripe old age of 16 I was called upon to handle Jacadus on race night.
"Jacadus ran a good race and finished fourth to Gerard The Gent, but it was, and still is, the thrill of a lifetime for me."
Schofield has had plenty of useful greyhound sin his kennels over the years.
"I have not trained any world beaters but have always had a handy greyhound in my kennels," he said.
"Although she did not win in the city, Handy Rosy is among the best greyhounds I have trained.
"She was placed in three Wentworth Park races in 2002 but was a Richmond specialist and at one stage was unbeaten in seven straight races on that track.
"My favourite dog though has been Jimmy Bamboo, who won eight of 47 starts and was successful at Wentworth Park in 2010.
"When he passed away six weeks ago, at nearly nine years of age, it was one of the saddest days of my life."
Schofield's love of greyhounds also remains undimmed after all these years in the sport.
"I love greyhounds and every dog I have had has either been adopted out as a pet or gone into the adoption scheme," he said.
"If I can't immediately place one of my retired greyhounds I hang onto them until I can find them a good home.
"And I'm proud to say that in 40 years as a trainer none of my dogs has ever returned a positive swab.
"When it comes to favourite tracks I like Bulli, Maitland and Wentworth Park, and because it is in my backyard, Richmond.
"People query this, saying those tracks are where all the best dogs race, and I reply that is why they race there, because they are the best courses."
Schofield also rates a current star as the best greyhound ever to set paw on the track.
"I never thought I would see a faster greyhound than Brett Lee, who won the 2001 Golden Easter Egg, but the present day champion Fernando Bale is better," he said. "What a complete dog!"
"He has early speed, pace to the back straight, and then gets to the line strongly.''
