She's the top dog! KIWI SCHOOL GIRL'S A PAW-FECT CHAMP

Auckland teenager Rhian is already a star in the competitive world of greyhound racing

- Dionne Christian

She's only 13 years old, but Rhian Farrell already works with elite athletes - it's just that the ones she oversees are four-legged. The South Auckland high school student is one of Aotearoa's youngest certified greyhound handlers and is now being recognised for positive contributions to the sport.

Earlier this year, she became the youngest recipient of the New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association's Board Award for under-30s. An unsuspecting Rhian received her award in front of racegoers and Trackside TV cameras at a race meet on her Manukau home-ground.

"I had no words," remembers Rhian. "I was shocked! It took me a while to wrap my head around it."

It's deserved recognition for the teenager, the third generation in her family to race greyhounds after grandmother Glennis and mum Shelley. Rhian turns down invitations to friends' homes for Saturday-night sleepovers because she needs to be up bright and early on Sundays for races and, during school holidays, she'll travel with Glennis to out-of-town events.

Rhian is a staunch advocate for greyhound racing, saying it requires more care, attention and dedication than many realise, and she'd like the public to take a fresh look at the oft-criticised sport.