G.A. “Sonny” Alderson

Whenever two greyhound people get together to talk about the “good old days of racing,” eventually one of them gets around to talking about you, Sonny.

You have been racing greyhounds since 1933, and while many kennel owners come and go, at the time of your induction you were still running kennels at St. Petersburg, Tampa, Denver, and Council Bluffs.

Your greatest greyhound, Never Roll, preceded you into the Hall of Fame.  In 1942, Never Roll set four straight world speed records, a feat yet to be approached. You also raced five All-Americans: My Friend Lou, Cactus Lonesome, Rural Treasure, Faceless Man and Word Twister.

In 1926, your family moved to Florida, where your father, P.C. “Perry” Alderson, worked as a mutuels clerk. By the age of 19, you owned your first kennel in Tampa. You made enough money to buy a kennel from Harry Miller. With that purchase, the wheels were set in motion for the eventual emergence of many Alderson greats. Among the greats not already mentioned are Holy Brother, Bowie Steel, Paddy Barry and Sought After.

However, your greatest attribute is summed up by the words of a fellow greyhound owner: “He is one of the few people in the business you don’t need a written contract with. A handshake with Sonny is as good as any contract you can make.”