The Healesville Greyhound Racing Association recently hosted its successful annual Celebrating Women on Track event, drawing more than 100 attendees for a day of racing and High Tea.
The event featured scones and champagne but the four ‘ladies-only’ races for women trainers were the highlight of the day. Australia’s only female race caller, Victoria Shaw, did the honours track-side.
Club manager Cynthia O’Brien presented the Women on Track Award for service to the industry to veterinarian Dr Barbara Backhoy.
“Barbara has been around greyhounds since childhood, she works as a vet at the Healesville, Cranbourne and Warragul clubs and at Lang Lang Coursing Club, she is on the Industry Consultative Group and gives talks and presentations to promote the industry – she has made a fantastic contribution to the industry,” Cynthia said.
Barbara’s parents were puppy trainers and her connection to greyhounds was the motivation for her decision to become a veterinarian. As well as working with greyhounds she has one as a pet, Fergie, and a whippet.
Cynthia said the day was a fantastic way to acknowledge the terrific contribution women made to the industry.
While it was a day honouring women, men were also welcome – although they happily restricted their participation in the ladies-only races to handling the dogs for their wives and partners.
