PROFILE: George William Leesley was born in 1900 in Washta, Iowa. Although wounded in World War I, he overcame his injuries to become an avid outdoorsman and sportsman. He owned and operated a wheat ranch, the Lazy L, near Kimball, Nebraska. “Buck” as he was known, died unexpectedly from complications following an attack of influenza while racing in St. Petersburg, Florida.

HISTORY; Leesley and his wife, Mae, raised Greyhounds on their ranch in Nebraska and the two were well known at both coursing and racing tracks throughout the country. He was a charter member of the national Coursing Association.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Leesley’s established a dynasty by breeding their greyhound WILD QUENN CANNON to John Pesek’s Hall of Famer JUST ANDREW*. In the late 1920’s, offspring of this duo ranked the Leesley Kennels as one of the best young kennels in the country. Leesley died while at the peak of his success. A week earlier GOVERNMENT LOAN had won the Grotto stakes feature event of the reopening of Derby Lane. The day after Leesley’s death, CHIEF MOKAN raced the futurity distance to win by six lengths and set the fastest time of the season, 23.6 seconds. GRAND LARCENY then won his futurity in a time just one fifth of a second slower.