Caption: Karly Rowe on her wedding day with husband Jordan Kara.

By GARY CLARK

KARLY ROWE has posted some impressive credentials on her greyhound racing CV for somebody so young. And she wants to add more.

Karly, 26, remembers when she was six and she and her brother Adrian played with their father’s greyhounds.

Twenty years later she has progressed to be a registered trainer, a starter and was trained to be a track judge.

“Dad gave me the chance to get involved with racing at the tracks he worked at as a lure driver, so I have to give him plenty of credit for helping me get started,” Karly said.

Her father, Andrew, started as the lure driver at his home track, Goulburn, in 2011, learning from one of the best, Ken Staines.

Nine months later he was driving the lure at Wentworth Park. Then came Dapto and Nowra where he has been for the past eight years. Karly went with him to the tracks, learning along the way.

Known to so many as “Rowey”, Andrew also has been training dogs since he was 17 and recalls his first winner at Dapto, Rowey’s Boy.

Thirty-seven years on, Andrew has had great success with so many, including Pawfessional (10 wins), Solitaire Gold, Just Like Stride, Hibiscus Moon and city winners, Silver Messenger, Summer Key and his best Sonic Oak.

Making the Group 3 Goulburn Cup in 2021, Sonic Oak was unplaced behind Wow and then made the Million Dollar Chase final at WP, unfortunately breaking a hock in the run.

He has also formed a business friendship with long-time owner and breeder Peter Spiteri, training Neat Irish, Irish Sapphire and Overstocked for him.

Andrew has bred three litters from his bitch Wayang Angel – to Fernando Bale, Barcia Bale and Orson Bale – has produced about 80 winners.

Following her father’s successes, Karly started training when she was 15, boxing her first dog at Bulli, Pawfessional, which won.

Three years later in 2017 she started working in the kennels at Wentworth Park, Nowra, Dapto, Goulburn and Bulli.

A year later Karly became the first female starter at WP and was trained to do the judging at Goulburn and Dapto.

“I must thank Glenn Midson at Nowra. He was a great teacher and now I can fill in at tracks when required,” Karly said.

The multi-skilled Karly is serious about training and has two racing at present, Exude Lightness and Mandalore.

She is working as a night filler at Woolworths, trying to balance work and training.

Last month Karly married her partner of five years, Jordan Kara. It was a day Karly won’t ever forget.

“On the morning of the wedding I found out I was pregnant, so a family is coming later this year,” she said.

“It won’t be easy to juggle work, training and a baby but with Mum (Debbie) and Dad it will help ease the pressure.”

Karly’s future will include the dogs.

 “I would like to continue to prepare a couple of greyhounds.”

But she has ambitions to pursue a long-term career in the industry and would like to become a steward or even gain a place on a racing board.

“I feel we need young brains at the top level heading into the future.”

Maybe one day we might see a daughter call her father into the stewards’ room. Now that would be worth a listen!