Meet Lucy (Leumeah Miss) - "Simply Grey" greyhound

By Fatima |

Thursday, April 29, 2010

A very special greyhound has just arrived to GAP Kennels in Sanson and is up for adoption: Lucy (Leumeah Miss), who has recently retired (after having a very succesful racing career with Canterbury trainer John McInerney). She is a gorgeous blue fawn girl, with the cutest smile :)

But that is not all!

Lucy is also the dog on the rails (far right) on this Simply Grey (www.simplygrey.co.nz) image:


Cate Marshall, greyhound handler and photographer responsible for this and other gorgeous Simply Grey images of greyhounds, recognized Lucy while handling her on the track , and has just written a diary of the "Dog on the Rails" for my blog! (Thanks a million Cate! BTW- I have writen about Cate and her own hounds before, in one of my previous posts here)

Cate says:

It started as a typical Tuesday in Christchurch...a kiss for Joe, Grace & Flynn and off to Addington for a day of racing. With 20 races ahead of me, I knew it would be a busy one - just the way I like it. Minutes before race 20, feeling exhausted, hungry and covered in mud, I agreed to help out a trainer and handle one of their dogs. She was small, but strong with a quiet confidence. I collected her from the race kennels and as I put her race cover on she gave me a smile which was infectious and something felt, well strange -I couldnt put my finger on it. So off we went - out to the track, into the boxes and away she went. A winner!!! What a great way to finish my day of racing.

It was some weeks later when her trainer asked me again to handle her as she "seemed to run well for me". Of course I agreed and a funny thing happened...we all realised that this little dog was in fact the "dog on the rails" in the Simply Grey image ‘Track to Sofa’! Meet Leumeah Miss (Lucy). I had goosebumps on my goosebumps. What are the chances of Lucy and I meeting on the track?

I was thrilled when her trainer and owners agreed to put her on the GAP list and this past week Lucy officially retired from racing. I brought Lucy home to the "Know More Kennels" to meet Joe, Grace and Flynn and the fun began. Lucy learnt that the pots and pans cupboards are for climbing into, that licking that stuff called "soap" in the bathroom is NOT nice and the sole purpose of fences are for sideways trampolining. I stood back one afternoon and watched four dogs make the most amazing race track through my house, into the kitchen, through the shed and back into the house.

Below: Lucy with Flynn, Joe and Grace



Last week I got a call from Sonja and Irene at GAP that there was a space available for Lucy and with a tear in my eye (yes, I could have quite happily kept this wonderful girl), Lucy set sail on the ferry to meet Fatima in Wellington. After a great breakfast and a comfy ride with Fatima, Lucy met Sonja and Irene at the GAP kennels.
Today, Lucy has passed her temperament testing and is now available for adoption. She is happy as ever and running round the kennels and enjoying the start of her retirement.

I feel very honoured to have met Lucy and to have handled her in her last win of her career. Simply Grey wishes Lucy all the very best in her new home and thanks everyone who has been involved with her adventures (so far!).