scone.com.auJohn Arthur Clift OAM
YESTERDAY well-known local racing identity the late John Arthur Clift was honoured with an Order of Australia.
His son, John Clift said his father knew of the nomination before he died in February last year, but would have been ‘chuffed’ to know he had received the honour.
Mr John Clift OAM, well-known racing identity was recognised in the Australia Day Awards yesterday.
Mr Clift’s contribution to racing was described by Peter V’landys the chief executive of Racing NSW as ‘unsurpassed’ giving more than 65 years of service to race clubs and breeding winning thoroughbreds such as Gunsynd at Kia Ora in Scone, but his son best described the measure of the man who was well-known and well-loved.
“He was a very stable person he was an only child who came from a small family to having nine children which was quite a change but he always lived on the land, originally at Breeza and then moved to Scone and retired in Tamworth,” sad John Clift.
“He was a down to earth person he’d talk to you whether you were the Prime Minister or Billy the blackfella he’d talk to you, he was always very popular like that because he didn’t have any class distinctions or anything it didn’t worry him,” he said.
“The other thing that did strike me with dad was the satisfaction he got with any horse that he bred whether it was sold or someone sent the mare, if the horse won a race whether it was a maiden in Scone or Sydney it used to light him up; he just really enjoyed people having success and breeding winners.
“Just the satisfaction not only of his own success, he really fed off the success of his clients and friends he was just as happy if they did well as if he did well,” he said.
“He was a very generous person, there were times people would fall on hard times and he’d say ‘that’s fine, we’ll sort it out when things pick up’ and I think back in those older times a lot of the people were much more honourable and they would pay; the ones who struggled the most were probably the most reliable, but now it is much more of a commercial business and people are looking for returns,” he said.
“The new stand at Tamworth was named after him and he was really chuffed when they named the stand after him; I am sure he would be quite moved by this and the family are certainly very proud,” John Clift said.
The family will accept the Order of Australia Medal on his behalf at government house later this year.
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