Logan Bell, February GRNZ Board Award winner.
By Peter Fenemor
Enthusiasm, reliability, pride and passion are all admirable work ethic qualities.
And 18-year-old assistant track curator Logan Bell displays all of those values, as he goes about his vital work in track preparation and maintenance.
Accordingly, he has been acknowledged as the February GRNZ Board Award winner, which recognises the input that young industry participants inject into the greyhound racing code.
In his own words, Bell was pretty much born into greyhound racing.
“My grandparents Rex and Leigh Bell raced greyhounds. Actually, Leigh at one stage was the President of the Palmerston North Greyhound Racing Club, the first female in the code to hold that role.
“My mum Leanne carried on training, then my brother Jake picked it up and continues to do so with his wife Dayze. Mum still retains an interest, working in the Palmerston Club’s kennel block on racedays, while also helping out Jake and Dayze. She can’t get enough of the greyhounds.”
Bell was still at school when he first started working on greyhound tracks, as he recalls.
“It was in 2023, while Hatrick was closed, when Jake (GRNZ National Track Curator) said to me he needed help working on the track.
“He pulled me in, and it was greatly satisfying when Hatrick resumed racing. I found that I really enjoyed the work and wanted more of it.
“At that point, I left school, and then I received a great opportunity when GRNZ offered me an assistant track curator position. It was a big move for me.
“I’m still young and I’m learning all the time, while gaining experience. Bill Wilson (GRNZ Racing Safety & Infrastructure Manager) and Jake helped me, getting me started and gaining confidence. I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity and the belief they have in me – they’ve got me onto my feet, getting me started and instilling confidence in me. Every day is a learning day.”
Bell doesn’t harbour any ambitions about racing greyhounds himself within the near future, but that doesn’t diminish his love of the greyhounds.
“I have always loved working with greyhounds and while Jake and Dayze put in the hard yards, I relish the occasions when I work in their kennels (Marton). I guess that’s something I have inherited from my family.”
Bell has been active on all North Island greyhound tracks as he explains.
“I guess I work on tracks five or six days a week. We have been flat out recently, working on the Hatrick, Manawatu and Manukau tracks, and I’ll be up at Cambridge shortly. I’ll go wherever I’m needed.
“I love the work, I love the people, I love the greyhounds and I’ll see where the work takes me. In other words, I couldn’t be happier.
“Maybe sometime in the future, I might race some greyhounds myself; however, at the moment, the tracks are my priority – they are my happy place.
“You know, when a raceday finishes and we have packed down the track, you reflect back with a sense of pride, thinking, wow I did all that.
“I’m rapt to have won the youth award, and preparing racetracks is a real desire for me – it isn’t work, it’s a passion and that’s an aspect that I really respect. Put it this way, I live and breathe for the tracks,” enthused Bell.
For the second time in three weeks a major harness racing meeting has been ruined by rain.