One of harness racing's most popular administrators, Cobram Harness Racing Club secretary manager Bob Watson, reckons he deserves the chance to ease up.
At nearly 80 years of age, the long-serving secretary-manager has handed the reins of the dynamic northern Victorian club to fellow committee member Karen Dwyer.
Karen managed her first meeting last week since taking over the role and it marked a significant changing of the guard.
Bob has been involved with the Cobram Harness Racing Club for more than 20 years and was a life member when he took up the secretary's role.
"Things weren't going along that well for the club at the time – they advertised for a secretary and I was looking for a change and applied, not really thinking I would get it," Bob said.
"I loved the sport and loved the club. I'm a local born and bred and have been in the Cobram area all my life – in fact I was at the first trots meeting at Cobram 60 years ago with my dad," he said.
"It's been fun, it's had its highs and lows, like everything, but there's never a dull moment and you're dealing with some of the best people you will find and that's where the real rewards are."
Bob admits he was always "horse mad", over the years being involved in showing horses, playing polo cross, as a harness racing owner, thoroughbred owner-breeder and various equine management roles.
He was stud master at Denison Farm (later Eliza Park Stud) for 28 years and he and his wife Margaret set up and still run a thoroughbred agistment property, Rosewood Park at Tocumwal.
Bob, a life-member at Cobram, took up the role at a difficult time for the industry and inherited a club with a small member base, limited sponsors and facing some obvious financial challenges.
"I'd always been around horses, the sport and harness racing people. I'd also spent time around the club as the honorary clerk of course for 22 years, so I thought I might be able to help," he said.
"I was perhaps a bit more confident that some of the other committee members, but basically we set our sights on living within our means.
"That meant a lot of voluntary work, cutting unnecessary expenses and finding new members and community sponsors."
The club has been able to build a four-box trainer's facility on-course, upgrade water and power supplies, improve the drivers' and members' rooms and upgrade the amenities.
"Most of it was done with grants – but you've got to do the work to win those and that's a big job," Bob said.
"Margaret came on board after the first couple of years, and she's terrific at that sort of thing. I was also lucky to have the support of some fantastic committee members and the backing of our community. That engagement is critical and will become even more important in future."
Margaret Watson
Bob has twice been recognised at HRV's Premier awards night for his expertise in managing the club – in 2011 as Secretary of the Year (part time) and in 2017-18 as Secretary of the Year.
But more than that, Bob and Margaret are known throughout Victoria and southern New South Wales for their passionate support of the sport and its people, well beyond their Cobram harness racing community.
The couple have been key drivers of initiatives like the club's iconic Pink Day at the races in May (a hugely successful fundraiser for the Jane McGrath Foundation), and Margaret is also the energetic scribe behind the club's lively social media presence on Facebook.
"She's not much younger than me, but she knew that social media was a way to reach people in a new way, and she loves writing people's stories," Bob said.
"The thing that really gives us a thrill is supporting local people and the battlers. If an underdog wins a race in town, that's what we love and it's great to tell people about it – and people love to read about it."
New secretary manager Karen Dwyer comes to the role with a harness racing background, after moving from Bathurst with her horse trainer husband Darrell two years ago.
Bob Watson has officially handed the reins at Cobram HRC to Karen Dwyer
"I'm definitely there for Karen if she needs me, but I'm not looking over her shoulder – I didn't want anyone looking over my shoulder when I started!" Bob said.
"Margaret will still be involved for a while and we won't be leaving the area, because this is home. But when you're nearly 80, there are other things you want to do, and we have daughters in Melbourne, Sydney and in Ireland we'd like to spend some more time with.
"It's a new chapter for the club and for us – but it's a fantastic club and a great industry and I hope we're still getting stronger and continuing to progress well into the future."
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura