READERS LETTERS

Sir, I was incredulous reading in Sunday’s Racing Post the results of the winning nominations for Kennel Hand of the Year. It was, of course, an ineluctable fact that the South of England bias would once again surface after a request in the Greyhound Calendar for nominations for outstanding kennel hands from all kennels in England and Scotland.

Last year’s winner hailed from a Hove kennel, again this year the same track received two runners up awards, the winner coming from a Romford kennel. Exacerbating this Southern bias is the fact that the panel placed in-situ to analyse these nominations were all South of England based. To avoid criticism surely there should have been a panel of assessors coming from the South, the Midlands and the North or Scotland, made up of, for example, experienced owners, failing that then, three experienced racing managers from these three regions?

I myself chaired numerous panels of Governor’s on selection appointment committee’s for over forty years, appointing Hospital chief executives, with a salary of £235,000. Eighty six applications and thirteen short-listed for profound three day interviews. Also for a Head Teacher of a top OFSTED outstanding rated school, with a salary expectation of £100,000.

I know that there were exceptional kennel hand nominations from the Midlands and the North that have been totally dismissed by the incumbent panel, save for a runner up award for a Sheffield kennel hand. If there was an appeal criteria I would have registered a vehement appeal against this extremely disappointing Southern bias, of course there is no appeal criteria, but it would have been interesting for a totally independent panel from three regions of the UK, to look again at the nominations and subsequently reflect their view of the final placings. On any panel, of any description, you have to be totally impartial, fair and unbiased, with no favour for gender, race, or personal knowledge of a candidate, or where they hail from. These awards were totally prescient and extremely disappointing with the lack of balance and due diligence afforded to outstanding kennel hands nominated from the far reaches of the M25 and “North of Watford.”

As owners, my wife and I cannot understand why nobody really stands up for greyhound racing when a bad review is posted. We need somebody to reply firmly in support of our sport.

We constantly hear of protesters and see them ,has anybody taken the time to show how much money is raised for there welfare while racing and after care to retirement.

You do not see them protesting about horse racing where 95% of injured are put down. 95% of greyhounds are repaired by top vets and cared for until they can be re-homed.

This is the sort of thing I thought should be explained to the protesters in the correct words. I understand this is a delicate subject but any words on behalf of greyhound racing is better than none.