Equanimity wins top greyhound award
18 March, 2018
Greyhound
The Robbie Brankstone owned EQUANIMITY was awarded WA Greyhound of the Year for 2017 at the Pan Pacific Perth on Sunday, March 19, 2018.
EQUANIMITY trained by Enzo Crudeli raced 40 times during 2017 for 16 wins and nine placings for a total of $279,120 in stakes and a further $57,000 in WESTCHA$E bonuses.
EQUANIMITY started the year off as an inexperienced chaser but he defied his youth and took out the Group 1 Perth Cup at only his 10th career start.
He went on to make 11 feature race finals for the year, adding the Group 2 All Stars and the Anniversary Cup to his trophy cabinet.
Leading Trainer Award went to David Hobby with 313 winners; the first time he has been awarded this title.
Young Achiever Award went to Glen Price who is a shining light for the industry, as he started out as a catcher then progressed to a handler before starting his training career with his first win in 2012.
Mr Price, with the support of his family, now runs a large training facility in Nambeelup and is an exciting one to watch in the future.
Greyhound Racing Media Personality Award went to David Shortte, recognised for the high quality service and promotion to the industry over many years, as he has the greyhound industry close to heart.
Best Greyhound Racing Feature Story went to ‘Seizing the Moment’ by Steve Butler. The story reveals a heartfelt approach to facing adversity and a wonderful picture of a trainer who has brought herself back from a dire medical state.
The Gerry O’Keefe Achievement Award went to Ken Norquay with 48 years in racing administration, predominantly in the greyhound industry across three states: NSW, QLD and WA. Mr Norquay helped launch Northam in 1995 after he was lured back into greyhound racing administration when attracted to WA in 1993.
Taking over as WA Greyhound Racing Association (WAGRA) General Manager from Trevor Smith, Mr Norquay was also part of the steering committee to form Racing and Wagering WA (RWWA), commencing as General Manager of Racing in August 2003 before he ultimately retired in 2015.
RWWA also announced an integral new award to this year’s program, the Kerry Vernon Award for Excellence in Greyhound Welfare; the award is intended to highlight commitment to excellence in greyhound welfare.
The inaugural award went to Cheryl Isaac for her unwavering dedication to ensuring greyhounds are afforded every opportunity to succeed post-racing and for her support of the Greyhounds as Pets (GAP) program.