Conversations with Sponsors: DB Philpott Real Estate

CONVERSATION #2: DB PHILPOTT REAL ESTATE, PROSPECT, SA

DB Philpott is a real estate agency based in the wealthy suburb of Prospect, 10 minutes north of the Adelaide CBD, in South Australia.

In early February this year, the agency sponsored a dog race held by Greyhound Racing South Australia at the Angle Park racetrack.

On March 10, I spoke with the Managing Director of DB Philpott Real Estate, Beverley Philpott, about the agency’s decision to sponsor dog racing.

“That decision wasn’t made by me. It was through a contact we had at a cricket club. The dog people [Greyhound Racing South Australia] didn’t talk to us directly about it.”

“It was nothing to do with me,” she said, “you’ll need to speak to one of my sons.”

(Beverley’s sons also hold managerial roles at DB Philpott Real Estate.)

By the time I spoke to Beverley, there had been over 170 injuries to dogs and 6 deaths at greyhound races in South Australia—in just the first 2 months of the year.

I asked her if she was aware of this, given the company’s sponsorship.

“No, we wouldn’t have been,” she said.

Beverley wrote me an email a few days later.

“Our [sponsorship] contact was to support a function held by the Enfield Cricket Club. We have no comment on Grey Hound [sic] racing as we have never been or intend to go to this venue no do we go to any other type of racing.”