Young Man with Cerebral Palsy Loves Greyhounds

Skip Potter has Cerebral Palsy. He tells his story of how he got involved in Greyhound adoption.

Randleman, NC July 14, 2004 -- In February of 2000, my mother and I went to visit friends and family in Iowa. While visiting a friend at the Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa, I made my way into the racebook area. My intent was to place some simulcast wagers on the horses. However, there was something else available via simulcast...Greyhound races! I had been interested in the American Kennel Club and dog shows for years, but had never seen or heard of Greyhound racing before.

I watched a race, and it was funny to watch the starting box open and the dogs take off at full speed. The race was fun to watch, and I decided to give wagering a try. I looked through the program, and found a dog racing under the name "CompuServe." At that particular time, I was an online volunteer for CompuServe Information Service, so I bet on the dog. That was my betting logic. CompuServe won his race, and I got paid. Through that evening, Mom was entertained by watching me go back and forth between my table and the betting window. I got four hours of entertainment, and won just enough to get a drink out of the hotel vending machine. I called my Dad and told him that I bet on Greyhound racing for four hours, and won a Coke.

In May of 2001, I flew up to Council Bluffs, Iowa for my cousin's graduation. The plan was to surprise my cousin Ashley, and my friend Brandy, at Ashley's graduation party. Because my visit was to be a surprise, my Uncle Dave needed to hide me somewhere until the party. He knew I liked to gamble, so he decided to hide me at the Bluffs Run Racino. There, on May 25, 2001, I witnessed my first live Greyhound race.

I was having a great time, wagering $5 per race. Little did I know that the 13th race on the card would change my life. Looking through the stats, I notice the 8th post position for the 13th race was "Backfire Brandy" (out of Molotov and Greys Racin Fire). With my novice betting style, I thought it was lucky that I flew to Council Bluffs to see my friend Brandy, and the Greyhound's name was also "Brandy."

I get excited and double my bet to $10. My Uncle quickly reminds me that the dog had BACKFIRE in the name, but I made the bet anyway. $10 on Backfire Brandy to win in the 13th. She came in to complete the superfecta, and my bankroll was gone. I had to borrow money from Uncle Dave for the last two races.

We go to the graduation party, and surprise cousin Ashley and friend Brandy. I meet Brandy's family for the first time, and everyone asked how I liked the Greyhound races. Uncle Dave laughs and says "tell them about the 13th race." Not wanting to admit to Brandy that I bet on a Greyhound named "Brandy," I pretend to only remember the post position. Brandy's Aunts get the racing form from the local paper, and look up the Greyhound's name, to see what was so funny about losing $10. They find the name, and everyone has a good laugh.

The 13th race at Bluffs Run was quite an ice breaker. I left Council Bluffs that weekend with many new friends. I make it back to Council Bluffs once or twice a year, but the 13th race on May 25, 2001 is truly my "claim to fame." Simulcasting in Tama, Iowa was my first experience with racing, but Backfire Brandy is credited with getting me interested in the sport. To this day, people in Council Bluffs still tease me about Backfire Brandy. Uncle Dave is always (jokingly) telling people that only bet on dogs named after the girls in Council Bluffs, Iowa

I really enjoyed going to the races, but I had never seen one up close. One of my Dad's colleagues had a retired racer, and invited me to come for my first personal Greyhound experience. The couple really encouraged me to visit the adoption organization where they adopted their Greyhound athlete.

I went home and immediately searched the internet for Greyhound Adoption in Greensboro, NC. I found Kimberly Jewell of Project Racing Home Greyhound Adoptions (PRH). I began volunteering with Kimberly in October of 2003. She has educated me about the breed, adoption, the American Greyhound Council, the National Greyhound Association, the Greyhound Racing Association of America, Rosnet, and more. I am very proud to be associated with Kimberly and Project Racing Home Greyhound Adoptions. Volunteering for PRH has truly been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Many of the dogs at Project Racing Home have had the same name as my friends and family in Council Bluffs, Iowa. We've had dogs named Brandy, Holly, Micah, Molly, and Lindsey. Our friends at Gold Coast Greyhound Adoptions in Florida had a dog named Ashley. I refer to this group of dogs as "The Council Bluffs Gang."

All the dogs are wonderful, but Spartan Spirited ("Molly") put her head in my lap on day one, and a true friendship began. Molly is a retired brood from Bahama Mama Greyhounds, Inc. She and I spent a lot of time together at Project Racing Home, and I walked her in the Greensboro Jaycees Christmas Parade.

I had the pleasure of helping Kimberly place Molly with a family here in Greensboro. The family has a nine year old boy who adores his new friend, Molly. This experience really helped me realize how important and wonderful adoption is for these special athletes in their retirement. They are great stars during their careers, and will bring companionship and happiness to someone after they retire.

Because of my friendship with Molly, Kimberly has told me about Bahama Mama Greyhounds' farm. She also told me about TalentedMrRippley and Cayman Went. I found the stories about these dogs, and the history of Derby Lane to be very informative, but I never grasped how great these dogs are.

When Derby Lane began beta testing onlineracing.tv simulcasts, I finally saw what Kimberly was talking about. Cayman Went is wonderful for the sport! In my personal opinion, Cayman Went is to Greyhound racing, what Tiger Woods is to golf, and Michael Jordan is to basketball.

Kimberly also introduced me to Wendy Hamilton of GlobalGreyhounds.com. After talking with Wendy, I decided to join GlobalGreyhounds. This has opened up a whole new world to me. I have met so many great professionals on GlobalGreyhounds. I credit GlobalGreyhounds with sparking a new passion for learning more about the sport of Greyhound racing! Thanks to both Kimberly and Wendy, I have a new wealth of knowledge and respect about Greyhounds and the sport of Greyhound racing.

In June of 2004, My Mother and I, along with a family friend, had the opportunity to make a trip to Florida, to meet Cayman Went and the staff of the Bahama Mama Kennel and Farm.

The first stop was at the Bahama Mama Farm. This was home to Spartan Spirited before she retired. When we arrived at the farm, the first Greyhound we saw was 2001-2002 All-American TalentedMrRipley. We also met Cayman Went's father, Snow Bow.     We then moved on to see the puppies and their mothers. There were a couple litters that were a few months old. We also saw a litter that was four days old, and also a litter that was two weeks old.

While at the farm, I met Sugar, a Greyhound with three legs. Meeting Sugar was neat because I have Cerebral Palsy. In addition to using an electric wheelchair to get around, I have very limited use of my right arm and hand, due to nerve damage caused by Cerebral Palsy. Sugar's right "arm" (front leg) had to be amputated because she also had some nerve damage. It was really funny to see a Greyhound with three legs following me in my wheelchair.

The care and attention that the Greyhounds get on the Bahama Mama farm was very impressive. The entire farm staff is very caring, and loves each and every dog. They also told me stories of Spartan Spirited when she lived on the farm. The stories were very touching for me to hear. Visiting the farm where she lived before I met her really meant a lot to me!

The next night was June 19, 2004. Cayman Went was running in the St. Pete Derby at Derby Lane. We had the pleasure of spending the evening with Francie and Donna, co-owners of Cayman Went and Bahama Mama Greyhounds, Inc. I have admired Francie and Donna for a long time, and was thrilled to meet them in person. I enjoyed spending this special evening with them. The excitement built throughout evening. The time had come for the Cayman Went's race, the St. Pete Derby! At post time, I was so excited that I was shaking and could feel my heart beating. I had never felt this way about any other Greyhound race before. The race was filled with surprises. Cayman Went ended up in third place.

After the race, Francie and Donna took us to meet Cayman Went and his trainers. He was a very personable dog, as are all of the Bahama Mama dogs. What impressed me the most about him was his desire to race. When he heard the announcer on the PA system, he got very excited and wanted to race again. Even though Cayman Went didn't win the 2004 St. Pete Derby, I still got to bet on him and see him run in person. I have been waiting to do that since January 16, 2004. He showed me the heart and desire that makes him the champion that he is.

Before leaving Derby Lane, I had the pleasure of meeting Vera Filipelli from Derby Lane media relations. I have read "Vera's News" on derbylane.com since January, and also talked with her on GlobalGreyhounds. I enjoyed meeting her and her staff. It is always nice to meet people in person, who I have talked to on GlobalGreyhounds and the Project Racing Home Message Board

The trip to meet Cayman Went and his owners was a very special trip. I learned a lot, met 2 national champions, and made some wonderful friendships. We met many new people, from fans to kennel operators. I hope to keep in touch with them, and visit them again next year.

What's next for me in the sport? That is really difficult to predict. The people on GlobalGreyhounds have taught me that there are many options open to me, even with my disability. I do want to continue with my adoption efforts with Kimberly and Project Racing Home. I also hope to join the Greyhound Racing Association of America and National Greyhound Association in the near future. A very nice lady from Mississippi has given me a Greyhound puppy to raise, train, and race. This will help me get started in the sport of Greyhound racing. If I am successful, my long-term goal is to one day follow in the footsteps of Bahama Mama, and develop a kennel and farm program of my own.

Meskwaki Casino - www.meskwaki.com
CompuServe Information Service - www.compuserve.com
Bluffs Run - www.bluffsdogs.com
Project Racing Home - www.getagreyhound.com
Bahama Mama Greyhounds - www.bahamamamagreyhounds.com
Derby Lane www.derbylane.com
National Greyhound Association www.ngagreyhounds.com
Greyhound Racing Association of America - www.gra-america.org
American Greyhound Council - www.agcouncil.com
Rosnet www.rosnet2000.com
GlobalGreyhounds www.globalgreyhounds.com
Project Racing Home Message Board www.petget.com/prh

Contact Information:

Skip Potter
c/o Project Racing Home Greyhound Adoptions
7015 Faulkner Road
Randleman, NC 27317

Email: e-mail protected from spam bots

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