Bryan Young's enthusiasm for greyhound racing had an unusual foundation.
Young, whose dog Goodwin Terry was runner-up at Wentworth Park last Wednesday, earned valuable pocket money by selling the Greyhound Recorder outside the Bulli track as a 14-year-old.
"Ron, my father, owned a newsagency at Bulli and he got me to earn pocket money by selling the Greyhound Recorder at the local track every week.
"Dad also had some customers who trained greyhounds and when I was 16 I took out a handler's licence so I could catch their greyhounds for them on race night.
"One customer, Margaret Whitby, had a smart dog called Honour All who won at Wentworth Park, and I got a huge thrill out of catching her greyhound.
"After leaving school I worked in the banking industry in areas including Bowral, Braidwood and Ulladulla so in the early 1990s when I bought my first dog, Smooth Transit, I had no time to train him and placed him with a very good trainer, the late Terry Ransom.
"It was when Terry underwent a triple by-pass heart operation that I was forced to take up training.
"I was living at Loftus so put three kennels in the garage and won my first race at Goulburn with Eastview.
"Like many others, I got out of the sport when I got married and raised a family because there was no spare money for greyhounds.
"I worked in the banking industry for 25 years and was a bank's national project manager when I found a five-acre property, ideal for greyhounds, at Kearsley, near CESSNOCK, in 2004.
"My next door neighbour was, and still is Ron Lambert, a successful trainer, and he later trained on my behalf Goodwin Dell, who won six races including two at Wentworth Park.
"I commuted back and forth to Sydney for a while but in 2005 I retired from the bank and bought a newsagency and post office at nearby Abermain.
"In recent years most of my greyhounds have carried the Goodwin prefix, named after "Lord Ted'' Goodwin, the former St George rugby league star, who played 116 games and scored 322 points for the Dragons during the 1970s."
Young was born in Kogarah's St George Hospital and the area has played a big role in his life.
"My mum owned a milk bar in Dragons' heartland at Kogarah, and dad was always a keen Saints fan, so my support for that team was in my blood," he said.
"Best greyhound I have owned and trained was Goodwin Future, who won three races at Wentworth Park and nine overall, while Rhonda Berwick trained Goodwin Bennett for me, and he chalked up a Wenty success among his seven wins.
"Like all owners I have a hard luck story. The prolific group race winning trainer Eric Castle, now retired from the sport, was a mentor to me in my early training days and I owned a litter brother to Goodwin Future called Goodwin Pedro.
"Eric took a keen interest in Goodwin Pedro because he predicted the dog would become a top grader but tragically the dog broke down at his first start and could not race again.
"I now have high hopes for a litter whelped by Goodwin Future and sired by the American dog Bella Infrared. They are about to start their careers and include Goodwin Reddy, named after the Dragons' "Rocket'' Rod Reddy, and Goodwin Rodgers.
"I have another litter produced by Goodwin Future to another American stud dog, DJ's Octane, so am in the sport for the long haul now.
"As a GBOTA director for several years I was responsible for the Maitland track so while I might be prejudiced, it would have to be my favourite course.
"And when it comes to the best greyhounds I have seen, I can't split Brett Lee and Tenthill Doll because they had different racing styles.
"Brett Lee, who won the Golden Easter Egg in 2001, was a brilliant front runner who would usually be first out and first home, while Tenthill Doll, the 1996 Golden Easter Egg winner, would often come from behind, sometimes overcoming interference to win her races.''
