Greyhound stalwart passes away

Mervyn Eade

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Mervyn Eade was a driving force behind greyhound racing moving from the former Invercargill show grounds to the Ascot Park Raceway.

Eade, an executive member of the Southland Greyhound Racing Club, died at his Woodend home last month. He was 52.

The club's move to better facilities at Ascot Park in the early 1990s has lifted the profile of greyhound racing in Southland. The Ascot Park Raceway is the only venue in New Zealand where all three codes race.

Eade also threw his support behind the club changing its track from grass to sand in 2006.

He and an electrician have designed a battery-powered lure, which should be operating on race day within two months. It will be the first of its kind in New Zealand.

The lure in use at Ascot Park is powered by electricity.

Eade was elected to the Southland GRC's committee in 1981 and  served as secretary-treasurer from 1983 to 1987. He took two years off before returning to the role. Eade worked tirelessly in the position which changed to secretary-manager in recent years.

The administrator was also the lure driver, while he earlier trained greyhounds at Woodend.
Wife Bronwyn has held the trainer's licence in the family for 11 years.

Gabatepe was the first greyhound Mervyn Eade owned and trained in the late 1970s. Cheerful Sheila, whom he imported from Australia in 1980, won 17 consecutive races, including the NZ Stayers' Champs. She was the 1980-81 Southland Greyhound of the Year.

Other successful greyhounds trained or owned by Eade included Solid Top (1984 NZ Cup), Wee Donna Dandy (1984 Ladies' Bracelet), Stress (1986 South Island Champs), Cecily Mae, Total Effect, Handsome Kiwi, Essayman, Miss Stressful, Bluffer, Burst Of Energy and Silver Value.

Tributes to Eade include:

* Greyhound photographer Dave Robbie
''Mervyn played by the rule book and did everything right. He was a friendly chap who loved greyhound racing. At the next meeting down here, he'll be looking down keeping an eye on things.''

* Rangiora greyhound trainer Gary Cleeve
''Mervyn was always approachable and would listen to people's views. He's had a strong hand in the southern region and was a huge driving force in the game down there.''
* Southland GRC president Paul Conner
''We're certainly missing him. He was passionate about greyhound racing and was a visionary. His ideas on greyhound racing were five years ahead of the industry.''

* Trackside presenter Mark Rosanowski
''Mervyn always struck me as an innovative thinker looking for ways for the club to keep punching above its weight. When I first got involved in greyhound racing the name Eade was inextricably linked with the Southland GRC and that is still the same over two decades later. Without Mervyn's drive, I wonder whether the club would have survived tough times. There have been others involved of course, but he has been a constant presence and he made his voice heard at national administration level when required too.''

* Greyhound Racing NZ racing manager Ross Gove
''Mervyn was a loyal servant not only to greyhound racing in Southland but to the whole country. His club is easy to deal with and rock solid. Mervyn was passionate and had strong views. He was very fastidious for getting things right. The track down there is arguably the best racing surface in the country, due to Mervyn's passion and commitment. He really was a stalwart of the game and we can only hope his legacy lives on.'' 

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