BATHURST Greyhound Racing Club’s racing manager Jason Lyne was a shattered man on Thursday afternoon after he heard the news the sport he is so passionate about will be banned in New South Wales from July 1 next year.
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The decision was made by the NSW Government after a report from a Special Commission of Inquiry into the greyhound industry was handed down.
The Special Commission of Inquiry was formed after what NSW Premier Mike Baird called “very disturbing reports [which] emerged of cruelty to animals and other illegal activities”.
“In response to widespread illegal and unconscionable activity, including the slaughtering of tens of thousands of dogs, I can today [Thursday] announce that NSW is putting an end to greyhound racing,” Baird posted on his Facebook account.
“I feel much empathy for innocent trainers and those who will lose their job or hobby as a result of this. And I understand the disappointment of people who enjoy having a punt on the dogs. But we simply cannot and will not stand-by and allow the widespread and systemic mistreatment of animals.”
It was a decision Lyne had not anticipated.
“I honestly didn’t see this coming, I doubt anyone in the industry did,” Lyne said.
“I knew there was a report submitted to the government, but I thought there would just be a lot of rationalisation and regulation – this is just heartbreaking.
“I certainly didn’t think that it was going to go this way.
“I’ve given my entire life to this sport, since I was 13 or 14 I have been involved in the industry on some level. I’ve been a steward, an owner – I’ve always tried to give back to the industry.”
Lyne was in Grafton on Thursday heading to a racing carnival staged by the local club. He was looking forward to meeting with his friends in the industry, but now his trip has taken on a different tone.
“I was looking forward to catching up with a lot of my good friends, but now, yeah, I am in shock and they will be too,” Lyne said.
“It has just caught me completely off guard, it’s hard to comprehend this is happening.
“It’s just unbelievable, I think it is going to take a while to sink in.”
NSW is the first state in Australia to ban greyhound racing and it will have an impact on a lot of Central West residents.
Breeders, owners and trainers – as well as club officials like Lyne – now face an uncertain future.
“This is not just about me and my job, there are a lot of breeders around here I am good mates with and all the local trainers,” he said.
“Breeders like Marty Hallinan at Clergate, Dave Pringle at Clergate, Greg Board at Spring Hill, what does it mean for those guys? Some of the best dogs in the country have come from out our way.
“There are a lot of Bathurst owners who breed their own litters, the impact is going to be massive. I don’t know what they are going to do with all the litters that they have at the moment, and what about the people that have just bought dogs?
“There are a lot of implications, it is going to take me a while to get my head around it all.
“I think I need a beer, or maybe a couple.”
