Greyhound trainer’s contribution to the sport- Chris Allsopp, Michael Peterson, Paul Walden and others
Greyhound racing is not like any other sport in the world because neither the human mind nor the human body can control the outcome of the race. This is because greyhounds will not run just because they are asked to. They run because they love to. Even greyhounds
that are retired or do not professionally race still love to run around, as their owners often observe.
What makes this sport even more unpredictable is the fact that greyhounds do not have jockeys to guide them and help them maneuver their way during a race.
A greyhound is a master of its own, even while in a race.
In such a scenario, the job of a greyhound trainer is not just the most exciting but also the most tiresome.
The lean muscles that most greyhounds have do not come naturally. In fact they are built over time using the right exercises. This leaves little doubt as to the importance of greyhound trainers and their contribution to the sport.
Here is a look at the strenuous and exhilarating, yet highly exciting careers of some of the U.K’s most coveted greyhound trainers.
Chris Allsopp
One of the best trainers in the country today is undoubtedly Chris Allsopp of Monmore.
Last week he won the Betfair Pall Mall for the second consecutive year. This year his hound, Brittons Empire, won it while last year his pupil, Ballymac Ace, brought home the championship.
Allsopp has many other Opens and graded victories to his name. Ever since he ran his first dog, Miss Longford, at the Coventry Summer Derby in 2003, Allsopp has seen immense success.
Another current Monmore trainer is Patricia Cowdrill who has been associated with greyhound racing for the last thirty years.
She has to her credit, victories at Monmore Gold Cup, Christmas Cracker at Monmore, Summer Stayer Classic, Summer b*****s Classic and the Maiden Guys and Dolls final.
Michael Peterson
Oxford’s Champion Trainer, Michael Peterson, has a dual contract with Hall Green as well and is faring very well at both tracks.
He has been trainer of the year at Oxford for two years in a row now and is expected to receive the title for the third time this year.
John Simpson
At Wimbledon, football turned greyhound trainer, John Simpson not only sends entries to Opens but also works for the welfare of retired greyhounds, a very noble cause indeed.
His love for greyhounds is reflected from the fact that even before becoming a trainer he used to own 50 greyhounds.
He then proceeded to obtain training at Hackney and an official license in 1990.
Paul Walden
The highly successful Paul Walden who trains at Swindon is the son of one of the first professional women trainer’s, Hazel.
Three months into training, he sent Active Jack to the Midlands Puppy Derby and won and within a year of training had won 200 times.
Seamus Cahill
Brighton and Hove’s Seamus Cahill started training in 1997 and has since then come to establish quite a reputation.
In just 2010, he won as many as six derbies including the Kent Derby, the Nottingham Puppy Classic, the Wimbledon Puppy Derby, The Champion Stakes and The Springbok.
Jason Foster
Wimbledon’s Jason Foster is a newcomer to the field but has already earned himself a reputation by reaching the Grand National Finals ten times and even winning once.
Foster is an expert not just in training dogs to run on flats but also in teaching them how to run over hurdles.
These trainers and many more are examples of the dedication, perseverance and sheer talent required to train a winner, something most of us greyhound enthusiasts take for granted.
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