Tayla Chardon taking on family business

By Jordan Gerrans

Just like her late grandfather Glen Carrington taught her in her younger years, teenager Tayla Chardon has brought a winning approach to her own training team. 

At just 18 years of age and not yet having finished her high school exams, Tayla collected the maiden victory of her training career earlier this week on the Q2 Parklands circuit. 

Tayla is a third-generation participant in the sport with her grandparents Glen and Patricia Carrington long-time trainers while her mother Sonja Chardon is preparing a kennel at Haigslea. 

The Carringtons were regarded as Ipswich stalwarts before Glen’s passing and the shift to The Q.

Young Tayla has had a passion for the sport from a young age and while she is training chasers at the minute, she is aiming to become a veterinarian following further studies after high school.

Tayla has had a dream start to her training tenure, taking three dogs to the races under her own name and walking away with one winner and two more placings so far.

It was emerging bitch Got Style who went into the history books as Tayla’s maiden training winner earlier this week over 520 metres. 

Patricia is full of pride in regards to her granddaughter's achievement and she says her late husband Glen would feel the same way.

“Tayla used to follow him everywhere, he would be really proud of her,” Patricia said.

Glen passed away about four years ago following a lengthy battle with cancer. 

In recent times, the 79-year-old Patricia has also battled with her health, so Tayla’s triumph is bringing a smile to the entire clan at Haigslea. 

“It was so good and my Dad would be so proud,” Sonja said.

“When Tayla was little, she used to help their Pop a lot when I was at work.

“My Mum would go pick them up from school and they would help out after school.”

Got Style, a daughter of Aston Rupee and No Talking, was handed the red rug on debut on Tuesday and saluted by almost a length in 30.13 seconds.

“I was so happy for her,” Patricia said of Tayla’s win with Got Style.

“She always helped me since she was a little girl with the dogs.

“She is doing really good. I always thought she would go into the dogs because she loves the animal.”

The red fawn bitch is prepared by Tayla and owned by her mother Sonja.

Got Style’s littermate Eternity Bridge has placed twice in her two starts.

The kennel have another chaser from the Aston Rupee and No Talking mating that will be at the races soon enough. 

“She has really taken it on and she liked it,” Sonja said of her daughter.

“Once you get a bit of a bug for something like this, you grab on to it.

“The dogs that she has started, they have shown improvement every time they have run and they should be good bitches.”

Patricia has not been training in recent times as she battles ill health, so her kennel has been transferred over to Sonja’s training name.

Young Tayla takes all the family’s dogs racing and trialing to the track.

"Dad and I bought three of the litter as 12-week-old pups from Victoria, reared them up and educated them," Tayla told The Greyhound Recorder.

"They have always shown something and kept improving.

"It's a pretty good feeling and I'm a bit lost for words. I love it, so much fun.

"Pop taught me everything about greyhounds and I know he would be so proud.”

As well as her training pursuits, Tayla has worked at the Laidley Veterinary Surgery for the last few years and is keen to attend university to become a veterinarian in the coming years.

Tayla Chardon is one of several of the next crop of young dog participants in the Sunshine State alongside passionate Kiwi Ella Cole, Northern Rivers trainer Holly Taylor and Bailey Dargusch, among others.