Retired Racers Steal the Show at Valley Greyhound Stadium Family Fun Day
The community around Valley Greyhound Stadium in Ystrad Mynach gathered at the venue on Sunday for a day of racing, activities and celebrations.
The event, which acted as a prelude to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s (GBGB) National Greyhound Week, also served to celebrate the end of the first year of GBGB-licensed racing at the track and the development the Stadium has seen under new regulations.
As well as offers of free food and drinks and a giveaway of wristbands to children, the Stadium hosted GBGB Greyhound Ambassador Bob Boswell and his retired greyhounds Mojo and Cookie for the day. Attendees of all ages at the event were keen to interact with the retired racers, noting their gentle and playful nature.
Reflecting on the event, Bob said:
“It was wonderful to join the celebrations at the Valley’s Family Fun Day on Sunday and soak up the friendly, community atmosphere at the track. It’s clear the positive impact which the venue has in the area not only for the thrilling racing on offer, but also as a social hub for local people and families.
“National Greyhound Week is both an excellent opportunity to celebrate the introduction of licensed racing in Wales, and to highlight what fantastic family pets retired racers can make.”
Peter Broadbridge, GBGB Stipendiary Steward for Valley Stadium, added:
“Following the success of the first National Greyhound Week last year, I’m so pleased that we could bring the event to Wales this year to celebrate our historic sport. The Stadium has transformed in the past year as a regulated racecourse, and it was fantastic to be able to mark this with the local community. Thank you to everyone who came along on the day, and to all staff at the Valley who put on such a wonderful event.”
National Greyhound Week, which is running from 26th August – 1st September is an event run by GBGB as regulator for British licensed greyhound racing. The Week provides an opportunity for the greyhound community to celebrate the canine athletes and families at the heart of the sport, with many tracks across the country offering free entry and special events for families and children.
In the first days of National Greyhound Week there have been celebrations across the country, with family-oriented events taking place at Romford, Crayford and Nottingham stadia. GBGB is also taking an NGW Roadshow to tracks nationwide, offering exciting giveaways and an NGW Trap Challenge competition for punters.
You can find out more about National Greyhound Week here: https://nationalgreyhoundweek.gbgb.org.uk/