ALBURY Racing Club held a race named in the honour of former club president Brian White the day before he lost a long-running battle with cancer.
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The opening race on Albury Gold Cup day last Friday was named after Mr White, who was president between 1986 and 1989, but he was too ill to attend.
Mr White served 33 years on the committee, which led to him being made a life member.
He owned and bred horses for 45 years and raced horses with many of the leading Border stables including Jack and Richard Freyer, Ollie and Brian Cox, Alan Curtis, John Ledger, Stephen Aldridge and Michael Hoysted.
Mr White owned city winners including Name The Day, Palla Strozzi, Caught Posing and Be Mine.
His country cup successes included Northern Poet (Kilmore) and Averted (Wodonga) and Maid In Monaco won a Jack Maher Classic with all three horses prepared by the Cox stable.
Two weeks ago he won a Canberra maiden with Any Day Will Do, which is trained in Sydney by Guy Walter.
He also raised successful broodmare My Madonna.
Race club president David Wallace said Mr White had a lifelong passion for racing.
“I doubt there was a more passionate man about racing around this area than Brian,” Mr Wallace said.
“He bred and raced horses for a very long time and loved the thrill of winning a race.
“As a past president and committeeman of the Albury Racing Club, he did a lot.
“He was also very generous of spirit and will be sadly missed.”
Mr White was also a well-known figure in the Border motoring industry.
But his first job after leaving school, aged 15, was at the Holbrook post office.
He moved to Albury in 1959 when he landed a job as a cadet salesman with Preston Motors, which was located in Dean Street next to the ambulance station.
Mr White bought the business in 1976 and re-opened it as Brian White Holden.
His youngest son Ben followed him into car sales and is the manager of Wodonga Prestige Cars on Melbourne Road.
Oldest son Brendan said his father showed a great fighting sprit after first developing melanomas in his 30s.
“He lived by an honour code based on trust, loyalty and respect,” he said.
“His handshake was his bond.
“Even though he was in the car business for 55 years he regarded himself as being in the people business.”
He is survived by his wife, Robyn, and four children, Brendan, Jodi-Ann, Sarah and Ben.
His funeral will be held at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Albury, on Thursday at 11am.
