Nowra celebrates 50 years of racing tonight but the club's existence is a tribute to the dozens of voluntary workers whose efforts kept the track afloat during its darkest years.
Local trainer Glenn Summerfield, was the unpaid assistant judge and timekeeper for Nowra's first race meeting on January 30, 1976, and three months later joined the committee before a long stint as club president.
Summerfield, who still works for Nowra on a voluntary basis, was an official for the next 18 years.
Glenn Summerfield receiving the GRNSW Distinguished Services Award at the GRNSW Greyhound of the Year ceremony
"The first race held at Nowra was the Ken Howe Trophy and was won by a dog called Gorgeous Travel, who was trained by Johnny Armstrong, a top class and very popular local rugby league player,'' he recalled.
"It is amazing to think Nowra almost ceased to exist yet we are now about to celebrate 50 years of racing.
"Congratulations to all the members and voluntary workers, including so many local people, who have combined to make Nowra such a success.''
Glenn Midson, who has been secretary-manager since August, 1990, said: "In 1998 we had a new sand surface track and began conducting Monday twilight non-TAB meetings.
Glenn Midson (centre) alongside Greg Hore (left) and Wayne Billett (right) at the GRNSW Greyhound of the Year awards
"But by 2005 times were really tough and rather than shut down, we accepted GRNSW's offer to stage non-TAB country race meetings.
"We were nearly broke but had just enough funds to conduct our first non-TAB country class meeting in January, 2006.''
Glenn Summerfield added: "The work done by Glenn Midson and his wife Karen over the years cannot be under-estimated.
"In fact when I phoned Glenn on Wednesday afternoon he was down at the local Woolworth's supermarket buying bottles of water.''
And when I called Glenn Summerfield to talk about Nowra's 50th anniversary he was at Bunnings buying top dressing for the parade ring.
At the same time Mark Suttle, the track's premier trainer for 2025, and fellow trainer Mark Forner, both now on the committee, were busy putting up a new fence around the same ring.
Tonight's 50 years celebration race meeting includes a top grade 520m event, featuring Taormina, a winner of 17 WP races, and a 630m Anniversary Cup, where Ayden's Warrior, winner of last Saturday's group 2 WP Summer Distance Plate clashes with I'm Sally, winner of eight long-distance races at Wentworth Park.
Mark Suttle, Nowra's most successful trainer in 2025, will be acknowledged with a 520m race named in his honour, where recent Sandown and The Meadows winner Consigliere will tackle start WP winner Ashby Gnocchi and the talented powerful finisher Vaya Con Dios.
Mark Suttle holds onto Skedaddle Arlo as the pair make the walk to the boxes at Wentworth Park
Suttle has several runners tonight, with Skedaddle Nikki in the 365m Maiden, Skedaddle Artie, Skedaddle Benny, Skedaddle Dennis, Skedaddle Percy and Skedaddle Louise in 365m fifth grades, and Skedaddle Arlo, the star of his team and winner of 20 races, in the top grade 520m Ladbrokes Nowra 50 Years Racing Stakes.
Probably more than any other track, Nowra epitomises the spirit and dedication of greyhound racing's participants.
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