Greyhound trainer Robert Britton was the recipient of the Ned Bryant ‘Silver Fox’ Award at the Victorian Greyhound Awards this evening.
Named in honour of the late Ned Bryant, who was considered the Bart Cummings of greyhound training ranks and was also one of Australia’s most respected canine chiropractors, the award goes to a person for showing outstanding achievement in the training, breeding, welfare or promotion of greyhound racing.
Britton enjoyed a remarkable 2017 racing season, winning five Group 1 events with Fanta Bale as well as the 2016 McKenna Memorial (Bruce Tycoon) and 2017 Warrnambool Cup (Leo’s Gift).
The Lara trainer also contributed plenty to the sport off the racetrack. He is joint Vice President of the Greyhound Owners Trainers & Breeders Association (GOTBA) and he regularly gives up his time to help promote and improve the sport on a broader level through regular media appearances, speaking engagements and as a key contributor at GRV’s stakeholder engagement workshops.
Upon receiving the award, Britton said: “This is a shock. Ned Bryant had no peer as a trainer and he was also a great (injury) checker.”
Of his work in greyhound racing aside from training, Britton said: “My passion on helping the broader industry dates back to 2002, when I was one of a group of trainers were trying to organise permits for our dogs. A group of us got together and got someone on to our local council and we ended up getting our permits. It’s amazing what a group of people can achieve if they work together on something they believe in.”
