Ben Keith Photo: © Steve Nash
The Greyhound Writers’ Association is delighted to announce Ben Keith as the latest recipient of the GWA Services to Greyhound Racing Award – a thoroughly deserved recognition for his continued support of this great sport.
Ben is a lifelong greyhound fan, a passion which has manifested itself in his unwavering backing of the Greyhound Derby – this year his Star Sports company will be sponsoring or co-sponsoring the world’s greatest greyhound race for the fifth year running.
We all know how tough this past 12 months has been, but greyhound racing can be proud of the way it’s handled itself – especially in the work of trainers, their kennelhands and staff, supported by owners, whose love for this majestic breed knows no bounds.
It’s that love of greyhounds and greyhound racing which shines through seemingly everything Ben does. He is hugely respected in the game as a real champion of the sport and is already a Greyhound Ambassador for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
The GWA hopes Ben accepts this award as an appreciation of not just a passion for greyhound racing shared by so many, but of how this love has manifested itself in race sponsorship and, just as importantly, in the way he spreads the word in all walks of life.
As ever, GWA members were also keen to recognise a number of other individuals whose work in 2020 shone brightly and was ground-breaking, or to those whose loyalty and service to the sport has been unmatched over a period of years.
So step forward greyhound racing’s social media innovator Josh Sealey, the team behind the Your Greyhound’s History Facebook group, GBGB trainer representative Peter Harnden, Lincolnshire GT home-finder Kevin Stow, track consultant Nathan Corden, former champion trainer Mark Wallis, now-retired Derby-winning handler Danny Riordan, LadbrokesCoral track boss Ian Smyth and RPGTV executive producer Clive Lawrence.
Posthumously, GWA members wanted to pay particular tribute to the late Romford trainer Yvonne Gaskin, home-finders Mike Reynolds and Johanna Beumer, Ballyregan Bob’s trainer George Curtis and former GWA life-president Bob Betts, all of whom we sadly lost in 2020.
Our respect and thoughts to their families and to the families of all those whom greyhound racing will miss greatly.
