TO OUR LATE MATE

A whole generation of farmers lost an inspiration when Murray Ball died, and around Feilding and the Manawatu he was considered a local hero – even though he left our green pastures at a fairly early age.

But we feel Ball was one of us – in the same way that our other great Manawatu export, John Clarke, is. Sharing the antics of Dog and Wal with Dad was part of growing up for most farmers around here. Footrot Flats meant we always had a handy Father’s Day present. And now we’re grown up, we all see Dog in our own dogs, Horse in the stray cats who move in, and Wal in ourselves.

Please feel free to use this tribute:

They say you went away, mate/ And left the Dog to us./Packed up all your pencils/And gone without a fuss.//We’ll take good care of him, mate/Until there comes a time/The big man stands and whistles/Dog, get in behind.//So goodbye Murray Ball, mate/The world won’t be the same./You could’ve had the decency/To tell us the damn Dog’s name.//Yeah goodbye Murray Ball, mate/And thanks for all the laughs./You may be gone, but we’ll stay on/ With Wal and Dog in our hearts. Tim Saunders (Palmerston North)