Gordon Forsyth was recognised for his years of service to the industry when the Hunter and North West Racing Association held their annual awards ceremony on Monday.
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The longserving Quirindi committeeman received the Bede Thomas Memorial Award for Services to Racing.
"It's much appreciated," Forsyth said.
"It's a longevity thing," he laughed.
Forsyth has been on the Quirindi Jockey Club committee since 1970.
"Been everything, president, treasurer but always been vitally interested in racing and the welfare of the club," he said.
"Been on the Hunter and North West Racing Association since before the Hunter joined when it was the North and North Western Racing Association."
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Originally from Wagga Wagga, where he remembers riding track work as a 10 year-old schoolboy during school holidays, he moved to Quirindi to "manage a property for the Sydney Opera House architects".
His family now owns two properties near Quirindi but his passion remains racing.
The QJC, he said, is in great shape financially from early days when it was doing it tough.
The advent of the TAB changed the fortunes of the club so that it didn't have to pay trainers and prizemoney from gate money.
More recently Racing NSW has boosted country racing dramatically.
"It's flying ahead, Mr V'Landys has done a wonderful job, we've now got the Country Championships, the Highway handicaps and the Kosciuszko," Forsyth said.
The only drop off has been in committeemen and women.
"We used to have 16 people putting their hand up to be on our committee of 16 now we are flat out getting six on the committee," he said.
