GBGB announces details of 2026 annual veterinarians' conference

THE GBGB will host its annual conference for racecourse veterinarians on Thursday 8th October at Nottingham Greyhound Stadium.

All GBGB-licensed racecourse veterinarians are encouraged to attend this free event, which will bring together veterinary professionals from across the sport for a day of presentations, discussion and knowledge sharing.

The GBGB is delighted to be welcoming guest speaker Dr John Katakasi BVSc (Hons), CVA, CVCHM, who will lead a session on examination techniques for racing greyhounds.

Dr Katakasi has held a variety of roles within the Australian greyhound racing industry, including serving as a Director of Greyhound Racing South Australia for three years during a period of significant positive change for the sport.

He is widely recognised for his work in educating trainers and veterinarians on best-practice training methods, clinical examination techniques and the early identification and management of health issues.

Alongside Dr Katakasi's presentation, delegates will receive a range of regulatory updates from the GBGB, including a talk by Regional Regulatory Veterinary Surgeon (RRV) Barry Sangster, who will reflect on the first year of RRV-led annual veterinary kennel inspections of greyhound trainers' kennels in his area.

Dr Richard Payne, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham and Scientific Adviser to the GBGB, will also provide an update on the GBGB’s Disease Surveillance and Monitoring Programme (DSMP).

The programme is a national initiative that monitors and gathers data on diseases and sudden deaths within the racing greyhound population, helping to strengthen the evidence base that supports welfare and veterinary care across the sport.

The conference is free to attend and open to all GBGB-licensed racecourse veterinarians.

To register, please contact Meriel France, GBGB Learning and Development Manager, at meriel.france@gbgb.org.uk