Parsonage dreaming big as he launches his training career
Karl Parsonage has paid his dues as a kennel hand and is now set to take out his own trainer's licence with the plan to start out with graded runners at Sheffield.
New trainer on the block in Karl Parsonage
After serving an 'apprenticeship' both in the coursing field and on the flapping tracks when he was a kid, Karl Parsonage moved onto greyhound racing under rules when he became mates with Gary Griffiths.
"I was with him for a good few years after he came down from Belle Vue" Parsonage said. "Then an opportunity came up at Towcester with Laurence Tuffin. He had 120 dogs, so it was a bit of a difference!
"I met my wife when I was at Towcester, her Dad has had dogs for 50 years. I moved up to Yorkshire and became a kennelhand with Phil Milner where my sister-in-law is a kennel hand."
Parsonage speaks highly of Milner and looks forward to taking him on in the future on a Saturday night in opens at Doncaster, but he is realistic enough to know that might be a little while off at present.
"The plan to start with it just to get a couple of graded wins under my belt, watch the pups progress and then hopefully aim for competing in some opens.
"I love the open racing, so my plan is to travel as long as i have the right dog. I know it’s early days but that’s my plan. I’ve not come into it (and with no disrespect to graded trainers, obviously, i'll start there and work my way up) with an aim to be competing at a good level.
"I'm definitely looking to take on Phil on a Saturday night at Doncaster."
Parsonage will start from a base near Rotherham, "I’ve got three pups in at the minute and have got a couple of owners who are waiting for my licence to come though before they move their dogs over.
"Eight is the maximum that I can have in at the minute just to get my foot in the door, and then I have room to expand up to 14. I had a meeting with Sheffield which went well, my licence should be active from today (Wednesday) and then we are good to go."
When asked about the types of dogs he likes, Parsonage replies. "I like the stayers, I'd much rather have a stayer than a sprinter but then as long as they are competing at a good level, I don't mind."
That love of a stayer could be a good thing as Parsonage is sweet on a bitch he has that is currently called Tommys Una who he thinks will be, "a nice prospect for six bends."
She is a December 24 whelp by Iconic Rory out of Droopys Goodtime. The dam was a decent stayer in her own right, missing out by three-quarters of a length from a spot in the Coronation Cup final in 2023. She won opens over four bends at Hove, Nottingham and Towcester as well as Towcester and Monmore over six.
There was another Parsonage mentioned but not by name. "I've just bought another one who was an A2 winner at Tralee, so hopefully he can make it to open class over here." That is going to be one to keep an eye open for at Sheffield over the coming weeks.
When asked about the timing of his decision, Parsonage said, "I've always wanted to do it (take out a licence) and i just think that he greyhound industry needs some fresh new faces to try and give a bit of positivity to the sport with all the negativity going around.
"I would've kicked myself years down the line if i hadn’t done it now."
With his wife and father-in-law both in tow as kennelhands, one thing that Parsonage won't be lacking is a support network to try and achieve his dreams.
