GAYLARD FAREWELLED
A PHOTO of rampaging racehorses wrapped Robert Gaylard’s coffin, as the man described as “racing royalty” made his final exit from the Geelong Racecourse’s Silks Function Room on Wednesday.
Friends, family and wellwishers attended Rob’s funeral and watched online, after the much-loved 70-year-old passed away from a heart attack at his Lara home on Tuesday, July 21.
The media personality, MC and mentor was fondly remembered during the service, with wife Karen describing the massive outpouring of support for her extraordinarily popular husband.
“I have had so many tributes and beautiful flowers, it’s like a florist’s at home,” she said. “He was very loved by everyone, and he made time to talk to everyone he met.” Karen thanked emergency services responders who spent an hour trying to resuscitate Rob, and provided her with great comfort on one of her toughest days.
“They were just so wonderful,” she said.
Rob’s daughter Casey Bruce described how she hoped to have Rob’s legacy live on by continuing a project the pair had thrown themselves into, to retrain crowd-favourite racehorse Chautauqua as a show horse.
“That was, to Dad, just something he was so excited about,” Casey said.
“For me it’s a pipe dream, for everyone I think, just to make Rob’s legacy live on with this project that we had dreamt to be together and do, which I think would have been one of Dad’s proudest achievements.
“The day I step out on the horse in the ring, I sort of said to (owner) Rupert Legh, ‘you’ve got to stand next to me right where Rob would be, and we’ll do this together, do this for Dad’.”
Rob’s contribution to racing – and various other sports – throughout Victoria was renowned, with Geelong Thoroughbred Club president Rob Windmill recalling how his mate helped boost the club from seven members to more than 100 in its early days. He also recalled how a day at the races could be slow going for those attending with Rob, who would stop and talk to everyone.
“When he walked on to a racecourse it was like he was racing royalty, everybody knew him, it was quite phenomenal,” Rob said.
Rob Gaylard was laid to rest at Lara Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon.