TGA Archived News

2007 2006 2005

Board of Directors meeting

TGA Board of Directors meeting has been scheduled for Monday, November 26, 2007
at 11:30 am
at the TGA Office.

Click to view the agenda.

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Corpus Christi Greyhound Track

Corpus Christi track is scheduled to close on December 31. Track management will be working with the kennel owners, the Texas Racing Commission and the Texas Greyhound Association to ensure an orderly transition for the greyhounds.

If you have greyhounds currently running at Corpus, please coordinate with your kennel owner. The TGA will be working with several of the adoption groups if your greyhound needs to be placed. We have a scheduled meeting with the Commission this Friday(19th)to help determine the plan of action, and we will keep everyone posted on this on the TGA website and Global.

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Irish Track Tour

The Texas Greyhound Association is looking at organizing a travel tour next year to Ireland to visit some greyhound tracks, farms, etc. This is in the formative stages; no dates or rates have been determined, but we would like to get an idea of potential participants. We think if we can get a good number of people that we can negotiate a good tour price.

It is my understanding that Ireland has turned its greyhound racing industry around, and the idea of many U.S. people going to see a different way of operating might be useful.

The tour would be open to anyone with an interest in greyhound racing, from track managers to greyhound owners to trainers to gamblers. Your thoughts and comments are welcome to determine if this is feasible; call (254) 857-4377 or email Lois if you'd be interested in going on the trip.

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IH 35 Expansion and how it affects the TGA:

We contacted TX Dot today concerning the I 35 expansion and it appears that the
East Option is preferred. This option will affect the TGA slightly; our fence line will be
pushed back and the right of way will cut through the office parking lot.

They are in the process of refining the areas of expansion and will hold a hearing late next summer to present the information to the public. The acquisition stage of the project is at least a couple years away.

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Texas Racing Commission determines 2008 Greyhound Race Dates:

Last Thursday, October 4, the Texas Racing Commission met to determine the 2008 racing schedule for greyhounds.

Gulf Greyhound Park requested 314 performances. This is made up of Wednesday matinees, Thursday evenings, Friday evenings, Saturday matinees and evenings and Sunday matinees, with 13 races in each performance.

Valley Race Park requested 130 performances, for the meets January 1-April 6, 2008 and November 28-December 31, 2008. Valley's 2007-2008 meet begins this November 23.
Valley's performance schedule is basically Wednesday matinees, Thursday evenings, Friday evenings, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees with 13 races in each performance. In addition, Valley will add some abbreviated performances to all but Thursday, making each performance 15 races.

The Commissioners approved both the Gulf and Valley schedules, which the TGA supported.

Corpus Christi proposed a 2008 race meet from April 17, 2008 through July 5, 2008. The schedule consisted of 60 performances of 13 races each performance, held on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings with a matinee on Sunday. Along with this proposed 2008 schedule was a modification to the 2007 schedule, which would close the 2007 meet as of November 19.

As set forth in the TGA's letter to the Commission, the TGA could not support this proposal for a number of reasons. Three Corpus kennel owners and a trainer drove up to Austin for the hearing. After hearing testimony from the TGA, the Commission staff and Flagler (representing Corpus Christi), the Commissioners denied approval of Corpus Christi's proposed 2008 schedule. Subsequently, Corpus withdrew its request to close the 2007 meet early, and will run live through December 31. Since the Commission did not approve 2008 race dates, Corpus will not be allowed to simulcast as of January 1, 2008 and it will effectively close as a racetrack. The Commission did leave the door open for Corpus to modify its request prior to December 31.

The agenda and supporting material is available on the Texas Racing Commission's website. When transcribed, the transcript will also be available there.

This was a difficult decision for everyone involved. Now we need to ensure that an orderly transition will occur, as there are an estimated 500 greyhounds in the kennel compound. We will help facilitate the communication between the kennels and greyhound owners.

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Our sincere condolences on the loss of Betty (Saulters) Hennigan.

Betty passed away surrounded by her family and friends, at her residence Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Visitation is Thursday November 1, 2007 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Pecan Grove Funeral Home
3124 Robinson Dr
Waco, Texas 76706
Phone: 254-662-2131

Funeral services will be at will be Friday, November 2, 2007 at 11 am.
Christian Life Church
3015 Robinson Dr.
Waco, TX
(254) 662-3991

Click to view the Obituary

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LeeRoy Soechting
died Sunday at the age of 78. Mr. Soechting was a longtime of the NGA and TGA. He, along with his son-in-law partnered with James Tuddy Dietz in the greyhound business.

Three years ago, the 3 of them opened a kennel at the Corpus Christi Greyhound Race Track as the Flying Dutchmen. Mr. Soechting will be missed because he was a friend to everyone.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. today at: The family will receive friends until 6 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Goetz Funeral Home.
713 N Austin St
Seguin, TX 78155
Phone: (830) 379-2313

The funeral for LeeRoy Soechting is set for 2 p.m. Thursday at Cross United Church of Christ.

Interment will follow in the Guadalupe Valley Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to Cross United Church of Christ.

Survivors include his wife, Marciel Soechting; daughter, Sally Maierhofer and sisters, Virginia Masonis and Betty Fields. (read more)

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The Texas Greyhound Association regrets the untimely passing of Bruce Bronson, longtime TGA and NGA member. His life was tragically cut short last week. Following is the obituary from the San Antonio Express News about Bruce and his greyhound interest.

Bruce G. Bronson born on August 22, 1949 in San Antonio, Texas was taken away on September 28, 2007 at the age of 58. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Diana Bronson; daughter, Georgette Goacher; nephew, William Calvert; niece, Toni Powell & husband Steven;
8 grandchildren, Justin, Austin, Matthew, Ashtin, Micayla, Tyler, Jordan and Bronson.
Memorial services will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday - October 4, 2007 at Sunset Funeral
Home Chapel.

 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Heart of Texas Greyhound Adoption, Inc., 24430 Camp Site, San Antonio, TX 78264. (read more)

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SUPER PUPPY 'SYLVIA' DESTROYS FIELD IN 8TH STRAIGHT VICTORY! (more)

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The 2007 Membership Renewals were mailed out the first week of December. If you have not received yours, click on the link above to download it or call the office at 254-857-4377. You can also email Lois Mowery to have one sent to you.

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The TGA office will be closed Thursday November 23rd to observe the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

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This year's Seminar was held on September 18 & 19th in Waco with over 60 attendees representing Wheeling, The Woodlands, Derby Lane, VictoryLand, Dairyland, Birmingham, Gulf, Corpus Christi, Valley, Phoenix, Tucson, Daytona, Jacksonville, and Mile High. It was held in conjunction with a Judges' Accreditation Seminar, providing over 20 judges the opportunity to hear from tracks and veterinarians on safety issues. more...

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We are pleased that we have over 20 participants in the Judge Accreditation Classes that will be held in Waco this weekend, along with the 5th Annual Greyhound Safety and Track Surface Seminar. Click to view the final program.

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The TGA office will be closed Monday September 4th to observe the
Labor Day holiday.

We will be open for normal business on Tuesday morning.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

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An accreditation seminar for racing judges will be held on September 17 and 18 in Waco, in conjunction with the AGTOA/GGP/TGA Annual Greyhound Safety & Track Surface Seminar. Click for the Agenda, and for the Application form. Anyone seeking accreditation, or just wanting more knowledge on racing law, medications & testing and general racing rules and regulations is urged to attend.

The accreditation fee is $250, payable to the University of Arizona-RTIP. There is no charge for those just monitoring the class. Please note the reference letter(s) required. The accreditation test will be administered about 2-3 weeks after the Seminar at each individual’s home racetrack.

You may bring the completed form and payment with you to the Seminar.

Please RSVP to Lois Mowery or (254) 857-4377, so that a spot will be reserved for you.

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The 5th Annual Safety and Track Surface Seminar is scheduled for September 18 and 19 in Waco. This event is co-sponsored by Gulf Greyhound Park, AGTOA and the Texas Greyhound Association. This is the first year the TGA will serve as host, and we are pleased to welcome participants to central Texas. Click for the Agenda.

Click to view the open invitation with travel information.

Along with the Safety Seminar, a new Judge Accreditation program will be held on Sunday, September 17 and part of Monday and Tuesday, in conjunction with the University of Arizona RTIP. For information on these events, and to RSVP, please contact us.

Make your reservations TODAY!

Clarion Hotel
(254) 757-2000

Best Western Old Main Lodge
(254) 753-0316

Super 8 Motel
(254) 754-1023

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Committee Hearing on Texas Racing

On Wednesday, July 26 the Texas House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee heard testimony on the current status and future outlook of the Texas racing industry from Charla Ann King , the Executive Director of the Texas Racing Commission, , and Tommy Azopardi , the President of Texans for Economic Development (TED). more

Click here http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/broadcasts.php?session=79&cmte=350 to access the video of the hearing, listed under 7/26/06. The testimony of Charla Ann and Tommy is in the first part of the hearing.

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CALL TO ACTION

Simulcasting and Common Pool Wagering At Risk!

The House passed the Internet gaming legislation, H.R. 4411, which, as passed, does NOT treat the pari-mutuel industry equally under the law...
more...

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Telephone 202-224-5922
Fax 202-224-0776
Website to e-mail www.hutchison.senate.gov/

Senator John Cornyn
Telephone 202-224-2934
Fax 202-228-2856
Website to e-mail www.cornyn.senate.gov/

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The Texas Bred Registry is now available to view online. Click the link on the navigational bar to the left. (Texas Bred Registry). The registry will be updated periodically to keep all of our members updated on the breedings in Texas.

Attention Schoolers!!

Due to July 4th, 2006 falling on Tuesday, there will be no schooling that day, but there will be schooling on Wednesday, July 5th, 2006.

The office will also be closed to observe the holiday and resume for normal business hours Wednesday morning at 9:00 am.

Have a safe and happy July 4th!!

The TGA office will be closed on Memorial Day, May 29.
We will reopen Tuesday May 30th at 9:00.
Have a safe holiday!

Beginning this week, the TGA track will be open for schooling on the following days:

Tuesday
Friday
Saturday

Schooling begins at daylight. In case of bad weather, or special circumstances, Paul Saulters can be reached on his cell phone at 254-855-4867. This schedule will be in place until the greyhound schooling numbers increase.

The TGA Office will close Friday April 14th at Noon to observe Good Friday. We will reopen Monday, April 17th at 9:00 am. Have a Happy Easter!

The TGA held its annual Membership Meeting, followed by an Executive Committee meeting on March 24 at the TGA offices.
read more...

March 22, 2006

Reminder...The Annual Membership Meeting is as scheduled Friday March 24th @ 1:00 PM.

March 15, 2006

Reminder!! Annual Membership Meeting
March 24 @ 1:00 PM. Click to view or download the Agenda. The Executive Committee meeting will be held immediately following the Membership Meeting.

March 14, 2006

The TGA and its members extend their deepest sympathies to Linda Rudd and family on the passing of her husband, Wayne.

Visitation is tonight, Tuesday March 14 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Roselawn Funeral Home in Seagoville (972) 287-2121.
Services will be held at Roselawn on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.

Click to view or print a map to Roselawn Funeral Home.

Wayne and Linda are longtime TGA and NGA members, always active in the greyhound business, and we will miss him.

March 9, 2006

"My dog is FASTER than your dog" Mini-Meet at the TGA...read more

March 3, 2006

The TGA is now selling Birdwell supplies!
read more

"Pride of Texas"

Saturday night, the eyes of Texas will be on Bob’s Skeet as he makes a historical run in the finals of the inaugural Derby Million. After 4 tough qualifying rounds, Skeet joins an elite field of the 8 top greyhounds in the world. Owned by longtime Texas breeder and owner, Robert Stokes, trained by Gulf kennel owner Tommy LaRosa, handled in St. Petersburg, Florida by Tom LaRosa, Skeet has all the homebred connections.

Best of racing luck to Bob’s Skeet!

Bring it home for Texas!

February 21, 2006

Texas Greyhounds Making Waves in Florida

After three tough elimination rounds, two Texas-bred greyhounds are still in the run for the Derby Million against the finest greyhounds in the world...read more

February 16, 2006

Due to the limited number of entries received, the scheduled TGA Spring Meet will not be held this year. We are currently exploring alternatives and will post additional information soon.

February 9, 2006

For IMMEDIATE Release!

-MILLION DOLLAR PUP- read more...

February 7, 2006

-Another Successful Adoption Summit-
Click to view pics of the 2005 and 2006 Adoption Summit

On Saturday, February 4, the Texas Greyhound Association hosted its 2nd Annual Adoption Summit, drawing 20 representatives from Heart of Texas Greyhound Adoption, GPA North Texas, GPA Houston, GPA Central Texas, Greyhound Adoption League of Texas, Hill Country Greyhound Adoption and Gulf Greyhound Park ....read more

January 23, 2006

2nd Annual Adoption Summit Saturday February 4, 2006.
Click to view or print the tentative agenda.

January 12, 2006

2006 Spring Meet
March 18 - 25th

The deadline for Slot Reservation has been extended to February 15th. Click to download a copy of the reservation form.

January 11, 2006 - Track Update

The TGA schooling track is now open for training. We schooled 49 greyhounds this morning and the lure system ran very well. Our schedule is back to normal, with schooling on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Bring ‘em on.

January 10, 2006 - Track Update

All of the new conductor bar has been installed on the rail. However, we have a few electrical connection problems which we hope to get resolved tomorrow (Wednesday), so we will not be schooling tomorrow. Please check the website tomorrow afternoon for Thursday's schooling.

January 9, 2006 - Track Update

TGA Track Manager Paul Saulters and a hardworking crew of 6 including Phillip Saulters, Ray Campana, David Ritz, David Hays and Doyle Beeman, and assisted by Linda Saulters, made good progress on the track rail repair over the weekend. Despite the wind, which slowed down the soldering of the brass bus bar, a little over 1/2 of the rail is up. We anticipate the rail being completed and tested on Tuesday, with track schooling available on Wednesday. However, please check with Paul or the TGA office on Tuesday afternoon prior to coming up on Wednesday.

January - 6, 2006

We received the final parts this morning, and the replacement of the conductor bar on the schooling track has begun. We will have an estimate tomorrow on the time frame, but we plan on working steadily over the weekend. On Monday, we will post an update on expected completion date. Thank you to all the schoolers for your patience in this project. The resulting product hopefully will be breakdown-free.

December 23, 2005 - Reminder! GET YOUR 2006 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS IN BY DEC. 31ST!

2006 Membership Renewals will NOT be mailed this year. Click to download a copy and mail to the TGA Office by December 31, 2005.
The form is also in the Fall Issue of the Newsletter that was mailed to you in November.

- 2006 Elections Nomination Request. All forms must be turned in by December 31, 2005
.

-2006 Spring Meet Slot Reservation forms due January 31, 2006. Click to download a copy and mail to the TGA.

December - 15, 2005 - STATE OF OKLAHOMA HITS JACKPOT WITH REMINGTON PARK’S INITIAL DAYS OF OPERATION.

- Office Holiday Hours

December 13, 2005 - The TGA schooling track is closed as of Wednesday, December 14.

December 8, 2005 - Due to the extreme cold, the TGA track will be closed for schooling until Monday, December 12. The track is currently frozen solid, and the forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning is in the upper teens. While it is due to be warmer on Friday afternoon, we do not want greyhounds running with frozen ground a few inches down. It should warm up enough on Saturday and Sunday to make schooling safe for Monday.

December 7, 2005 - Due to the weather forecast of freezing temperatures, strong winds and sleet, the TGA office will close at 3:00 pm on December 7th and reopen at 10:00 am on December 8th. The Schooling Track will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 8th.

December 1, 2005 - Mysti "Mystic Mckenzie" wins 4th place in the Night of Stars Pet Photo Contest...

 

November 22, 2005 - BREAKING NEWS!!
This morning the highly anticipated opinion from the Texas Supreme Court on Public School Finance was released...


-The Fall/Winter Issue Newsletter is now available to view or download on the website. Please note that your 2006 Membership Renewal and 2006 Spring Meet
Slot Reservation form is also available in the newsletter...


-The TGA Office and Track holiday schedule.

November 17, 2005 - 2006 Membership Renewals will NOT be mailed this year. Click to download a copy and mail to the TGA Office by December 31, 2005. The form will also be available in the Fall Issue of the Newsletter that will go out this week.

- 2006 Elections Nomination Request. All forms must be turned in by December 31, 2005
.

-2006 Spring Meet Slot Reservation forms due January 31, 2006. Click to download a copy and mail to the TGA.

November 4, 2005 - Entry deadline for amateur races has been extended. Get your dogs registered!
(TGA Members welcome to participate)

-Information needed for dogs to participate Dec. 3, 2005.

-AGC, Virginia Tech Announce Greyhound Health Website

November 2, 2005 - Update on Jeff White, CCGRT

October 31, 2005 - TGA Schooling Fees

October 27, 2005 - The TGA to host Amateur Racing

October 4, 2005 - TGA featured on television

October 3, 2005 - A special thank you from TGA Member Lynn Alexander

September 30, 2005 - Jeff White, Racing Secretary at Corpus Christi Greyhound Track hospitalized

September 29, 2005 - CANINE FLU STORY OVERHYPED BY MEDIA, EXPERT SAY

September 28, 2005 - The TGA is on record as opposing the licensing of a new horse track

September 26, 2005 - Tejas Industries (Hereford Bi-products) is out of the meat business