by Duane Ranger
Many harness racing stories have been written about Bill Darrah, but his greatest story undoubtedly came on the last day of his life – last Thursday, August 10.
It was a love story to match no other. His wife of 76 years passed away at 12.30am aged 97, and then 17 hours later at 5.20pm Bill followed her to heaven aged 94.
Harness Racing New Zealand had Mr Darrah listed as 96 but his daughter Jan (Collier) said his birth certificate told her that her Dad was born in 1922.
“He always told us he was born in 1921. He’s the only man I know that kept getting younger,” Jan said.
She said her father simply died of old age and never suffered in his final days.
“He was able to roll himself and sit up, right up until the time he died. He had been very tired and mostly in bed for the last three months. Wee mum nursed him throughout this time at home.
“Mum joined Dad in bed at home seven days before they both passed away. She was exhausted but continued to look after him even in bed. They both looked after each other, neither wanted to leave the other behind,” Jan said.
“It was a true love story right up until the end,” their daughter added.
She said it was heartening that the couple passed away surrounded by family in Thames.
Born in Parnell, Mr Darrah never attended High School but went to Wharepoa and Thames South Primary Schools.
His daughter said Mr Darrah was not born into a harness racing family.
“His parents were dairy farmers. Dad’s older sister Emma was married to Dick Bax of Hikutaia and my earliest memories of visiting them was of their paddocks of horses which they raced.
“Dad rode a horse when he went to Tairua in 1938. He was a farm worker for Cory-Wrights. He rode his horse from Hikuai via the Neavesville Track to Turua in 1942, when he came out to take over his fathers farm in Turua.
“This horse passed away shortly after arriving on the farm, and he never allowed another horse onto the dairy farm,” Jan said.
Mr Darrah trained 16 winners from 242 starters, between 1992 and 2015. He also placed 40 times and banked $181,529 in stakes.
His last win came at Alexandra Park on June 27, 2014 when his beloved Iwi Baldy and Peter Ferguson got the chocolates. His last runner to the races was ironically at his beloved Thames Racetrack, when Awa Catherine and Ferguson finished fourth on February 1, 2015.
He was New Zealand’s oldest licensed trainer at the time and was affectionately known as ‘New Zealand’s Gentleman of Trotting’.
His daughter verified that he absolutely loved the squaregaiters and Elizabeth Bay, and her second foal Iwi Alex were his best.
Darrah bred and trained Iwi Alex to 10 wins, nine placings and she banked just over $107,000 in stakes.
Included in those triumphs were the Listed 2007 Nevele R Northern Breeders Stakes and the Listed 2005 House Of Nobilo Great Northern Breeders Stakes.
Iwi Alex was the second foal out of Elizabeth Bay, whom Darrah bought Elizabeth off Charlie Hunter in 1991. Prior to that the Court Bay mare had won six races for previous trainers, before going on to win two more for Darrah.
“Elizabeth Bay was my first horse, but Iwi Alex was my best. I only ever breed and race my own but sold Awa Catherine to Dale (Moore) because I’m getting too old, and I was accumulating too many horses,” Darrah told HRNZ in October last year.
Darrah said he never got into harness racing until the mid-1980s – that was when he was in his late 60s.
“I was a late starter. We farmed in Turua in the Hauraki Plains for 44 years, and when we retired from dairy farming we bought a small property in Thames. I’ve been hooked since,” he said.
The grand old gentleman of New Zealand harness racing trained his first winner in 1992 when Elizabeth Bay won at Alexandra Park on May 13, 1992. Frank Cooney did the driving.
Outside harness racing and family Jan said her Dad’s big passion were jersey cows, fishing, and rugby.
“I was blessed to have parents like Mum and Dad. It was a very sad, yet happy day last Thursday. They will be together forever. The perfect love story,” Jan said.
“Forever together,” she added.
Mr and Mrs Darrah had seven children – Rob (deceased), Pat, Rae, Peter, Jan, Wendy and Graham; 21 grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren; and four great-great grandchildren.
In accordance with the Darrahs’ wishes private cremations have taken place.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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