In a new regular column, George Sell talks to a wide range of passionate greyhound people to find out what makes them tick. This week we go behind the traps with Beatrice Steiner, who left a successful medical engineering career in her native Switzerland and moved to Ireland to become a professional greyhound trainer, based at Jaxx Kennels in Co Cavan.
The best part of my job is…
“Working 24/7 with greyhounds and constantly being around the dogs is very rewarding.”
The most challenging part of my job is…
“Living with the up and downs, especially when you have an injured dog.”
My proudest moment in greyhounds was…
“There have been several. I had a lot of success on the continent where I raced for more than 20 years and I won nearly everything there. I moved to Ireland in 2013 and started from scratch. Proud moments since then have included getting a public trainer license, having my very first winner, winning my first open class race, and having a runner in the Derby. Then probably the proudest moment was winning the Fair Warrior at Mullingar with Olympic Dollar, my first Classic. Winning a Classic in Ireland means you are known by the title Champion Trainer. Most recently winning a race at the Winter Festival at Shelbourne Park in December 2023 was a high point.”
The best/favourite dog I have worked with was….
“Probably Olympic Dollar. A homebred dog, he won his novice stake and then straight after an A3 stake at Shelbourne Park. We moved him to sprints and he won the Fair Warrior in 2020, and got to the final in 2021, winning every round on the way.”
If I wasn’t working with greyhounds I would like to have been a…
“I have a degree in mechanical and business engineering and worked for many years in research and development in the medical field.”
The best piece of advice anyone ever gave me was…
“Never give up.”
If I could tell my 18-year old self one thing it would be…
“Working with greyhounds, you never stop learning.”
The person I admire most in greyhounds is…
“The track staff, responsible for preparing the track for every trial and race meeting, ensuring it is running well and providing safe conditions every day, all year, in every type of weather. They know their track inside out and don’t get enough credit for the great work they do.”
The person I admire most in history is…
“Albert Einstein. A dual Swiss/American citizen and a genius.”
I am surprisingly good at…
“Keeping the dogs in a routine.”
I am surprisingly bad at…
“Being on time. I‘m always late leaving home. When the dogs and all the kit is packed in the van for racing or trialling I never have time to change my clothes!”
My perfect day off would be…
“In the snowy mountains skiing or on a ski tour.”
