LONG-TIME NGA LEADER DUTCH KOERNER LAID TO REST

Former National Greyhound Association (NGA) President Herb "Dutch" Koerner was laid to rest today in his hometown of Hays, KS. Koerner died March 27 after a lengthy illness. A member of the Greyhound Hall of Fame and a winner of the NGA’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award, Koerner served the NGA as a Board Member from 1982 to 2000, and as President from 1990 to 2000.  

During his tenure on the board, Dutch Koerner participated in the creation of the American Greyhound Council (AGC), an organization formed jointly by the NGA and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association (AGTOA) in 1987 to fund and oversee greyhound health, welfare and adoption programs.

 

Koerner raised greyhounds on his Hays farm for more than fifty years, first joining the NGA (then the NCA) in 1963. His “Dutch” greyhounds were familiar on the racing scene throughout the decades, and his most noted greyhound, Dutch Bahama—twice winner of the American Derby—preceded him into the Hall of Fame.

AGC spokesperson Gary Guccione said Koerner was a strong advocate for holding greyhound owners and kennel operators accountable for responsible animal care. Under his leadership at NGA, the organization adopted stringent rules allowing for lifetime expulsion of members found guilty of failing to provide proper care and treatment for greyhounds. He was also an ardent supporter of greyhound adoption initiatives.

Survivors include his wife JoAnn; sisters Jean Karlin of Des Moines, Ia., and Wilma Clark of Louisville, Ky.; a sister-in-law, Betty Bunker of Greeley, Co.; longtime employee and special son Grady William and wife Tavia of Hays; special granddaughters Sarah Gottschalk, and Madalyn and Monique William; and several nieces and nephews.