Geoff was hooked on the sport after attending a meeting at the old Healesville circuit in the early 1960s and after being introduced to Kew trainer Dick Gibbs, with whom he formed a strong friendship.
Dick had a very clever mare named Lassie McTavish who was a regular winner at the Melbourne Showgrounds during the halcyon days when the sport flourished with huge crowds every week.
Geoff grew up in Box Hill and was involved in the sport, jogging a wayward mare named Noble Star for briquette and coal merchant Bill Wright. He even rode her during the trials in Gower Park (Preston).
He later hired a handy pacer by the name of Spring Deed, who won a two-year-old race at Cranbourne when trained by Gibbs and driven by Garry McMahon. She was a very smart horse that he would swim in the Yarra River near Warringal Park (Heidelberg) to improve her fitness.
Geoff moved to North Croydon in 1972 and set up stables and a jogging track, seeking advice from Gordon Rothacker and others on how to run it.
At this stage he began annual trips to Tweed Heads in NSW and often sold horses to continue their careers in Queensland.
Due to so much demand from owners and trainers, he had a five-horse truck built, which eventually became the start of ‘Senior Horse Transport’. This was mainly driven by sons John and Ian.
On a visit to the well-known breeder of the time Hec Nelson in Cressy in 1973, Geoff was shown a weanling foal by Delvin Dancer of Noble Star, for which he paid a deposit of $500, with a further $500 to be handed over when collecting the youngsters. This became Geoff’s top trotter Hec’s Hope, which would compete in the 1979 Inter Dominion (Christchurch) and set a track record at Moonee Valley.
Other of Geoff’s horses that come to mind are Noble Genius (NSW Trotters Derby), Vendors Boy, Beryls Prince, Lots Of Kings, Jaimie Low, Top Limit, Reformist, Bottled In Scotland, Stormy Dual and Icicle, which turned out to be his last winner. He also enjoyed watching his sons take on Edacity and Newcastle Cup winners Mendacity.
Geoff joined the board of the Healesville Trotting Club in the late 1970s, which would later become the Yarra Glen Harness Racing Club in 1986.
Geoff and sons John and Ian moved to a 60-acre property in Coldstream in 1980 and trained a team of 8 to 12 horses while also running Coldstream Produce.
Geoff also did many things other than horses during his life. He once bought a motel in Yea and after buying a minibus he organized excursions to the Wimmera/Mallee area for seniors and retirees.
This led to him making trips to Tasmania, which proved very popular.
Geoff was involved with numerous trotting bodies over the years, including as secretary of the Heidelberg Trotting Association, which held occasional trials in Warringal Park and sometimes a gymkhana to raise money for the Austin Hospital in the 1970s, making him Life Governor.
He was elected to the Trotting Control Board in 1979. Other board members at the time were chairman Tim Walsh, Reg Withers and Ron Anderson.
He also represented HRV in the Court of Appeal.
Geoff was a board member of the Healesville Trotting Club, Croydon Light Trotting Club, Yarra Glen Harness Racing Club (president) and Warrnambool Harness Racing Club (president).
Another position was as a long-standing member of the now defunct Metropolitan and Country Association and the Victorian Country Clubs Association.
Geoff was based in several Victorian areas including Coldstream, Yea and Koriot, which he passed through.
Geoff is survived by his wife of 70 years, Lauris, sons Robert, John, Ian and Wayne, and daughters Laurisanne and Janette.
Geoff’s love of horses and trotting has been wonderful for the family and he will be sadly missed in trotting circles.
Bernard Saundry, Chairman of Harness Racing Victoria, on behalf of the entire industry, extends his sincere condolences to Geoff’s family and friends at this sad time.
His funeral will take place on Wednesday, February 4 at 2pm at the Eastern Park Chapel, 271 Raglan Parade, Warrnambool.
Through Len Bakerfor Harness Racing Victoria
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