“I would rather keep her here because she knows the track inside out and has a race pattern that suits the Bundaberg track. But, with the track closing later this year (for conversion to loam) I might take her to Brisbane during that renovation.”
For the past 20 years Bryant has been based on five acres at the small hamlet of Tiaro, after moving from nearby Maryborough, where he had lived working as a plumber.
His debut as a greyhound trainer came three decades ago when he wasn’t satisfied with how the dogs he owned were being trained.
“I went and picked up the dogs and brought them home and started from scratch,” Bryant recalls.
“I didn’t know the front from the back of a greyhound. It took me two years before I won a race and it was with one of the dogs that I had with that original trainer and she won as a five-year-old.”
In recent years Bryant has been in and out of greyhounds because of health issues, but says he is now in good health and keen to continue with his greyhound passion.
He has always had a small kennel, preferring to give plenty of time to each of the dogs in his care.
“I moved to the Tiaro so I could do all my own rearing and breeding,” he explains.
The highlight of his training career came via another dog that got to him – Big Easy Red.
Bryant bought the dog as a pup in 2014 and guided the Barcia Bale and River Seine stayer through a stellar career that included Group 1 placings, 22 wins and 14 placings from 57 starts and $132,878 in prize money.
“I bought Big Easy Red from Russell Farrell (another Fraser Coast Region dog man),” he recalls.
“I was there when his litter was whelped and I would go over to Russell’s place each week to visit the pups.