Where it all began
IT was a career path BRIAN JUDD was destined to take!
And love was the facilitator.
Judd’s engagement to his future wife Julie at the time resulted in him forming a close attachment to the racing industry – courtesy of her late father Tom O’Neill.
“Julie’s family lived across the road from Broadmeadow racecourse, and Tom was a bookmaker there,” Judd explained.
“He suggested one day that I should come to the races and help him out.
“That’s how it all started.”
It has been some journey indeed for Bellingen-born Judd, who became a Novocastrian after his family moved here when he was primary school age.
Judd at the end of the month will ring down the curtain on an outstanding career in racing and sporting administration spanning no less than five decades.
Fittingly, that will be where it all began at Newcastle Jockey Club.
A former Chief Executive of the leading provincial club, he will stand down both from the Board and as Chairman.
“The timing is right at the end of the current financial year,” he said.
“I’ll be 78 in a couple of months, and it’s been 10 years since ‘retiring’ from full-time work and joining the NJC Board of Directors.
“The club is not only in a good position, but in good hands and the future is very bright.”
That wasn’t the case Judd says when he was appointed to replace the late Bob Dawbarn as chief executive.
“I thoroughly enjoyed working with Tom at the races, and became really interested in everything about the industry,” he said.
“Whilst my first job was with Commonwealth Industrial Gases, the opportunity to join the NJC as an administrative clerk when I was 22 was too good to pass up.”
Judd spent eight years at the club before taking the top job when Bob Dawbarn vacated the position and moved next door to run the newly formed but now defunct Hunter and Central Coast Racing Association (both offices were then side by side near the 1600m starting point).
“Obviously at only 30 years of age the promotion was great, but it was a difficult time nonetheless as the club’s financial situation wasn’t the best,” he recalled.
“So much so that we converted 12 Saturday dates into midweeks (including the autumn and spring carnivals) as they were lucrative from a financial viewpoint.
“It’s remarkable that the wheel has turned full circle, and Saturdays at the provincials have been very popular for many years now.
“We conducted three different race meetings – Broadmeadow, Cessnock and Beaumont Park greyhounds – during my term as CEO.
“By the time I was 40, I had run 1000 race meetings.
“They were busy times.”
Judd credits one of the club’s former chairmen, the late Roy Mahony, as being a wonderful guiding light in the formative stages of his administrative career.
“Roy was a great man, and my mentor,” he said. “He had contacts everywhere, and could talk with the Premier the same as the man in the street.”
Judd’s time then and now at his favorite race club is of course special to him, but also only part of his lengthy professional path.
He was also a founding Director of the Newcastle Knights, spent some time there as the rugby league club’s Chief Executive after leaving the NJC in the late 1980s, and then took on a new “field” when he became CEO of Harness Racing New South Wales.
The thoroughbred code though was calling, and he joined Racing NSW at its Sydney headquarters as CEO of RacingNSW Country, and then General Manager Industry.
Judd also was executive officer of the NSW Provincial Racing Association (Newcastle, Wyong, Gosford, Hawkesbury and Kembla Grange are the member clubs), and also was executive officer of the Racing Industry Consultation Group.
In 2016 he decided to retire from a full-time position to move back “home” and enjoy a quieter lifestyle at Nelson Bay.
But the winds of change were blowing and the NJC had taken a new direction with the Board reduced from 10 to seven, including four voted in by members and three appointed by Racing NSW.
Judd was one of the three initial RNSW appointees before taking up a position as one of the four NJC Board members in 2018.
He was elected chairman in August 2024, and has served on a number of sub-committees; chairman of the Racing committee, and a member of both the Projects and Finance and Risk committees.
Judd says there have been numerous changes for the better in the racing industry during his time; too many to mention all.
However, the level of prizemoney of course was a major factor in the strength of NSW racing.
“RacingNSW’s victory in the Federal Court over the off-course bookmakers was a real turning point, getting paid well for providing the product whereas previously there was little or no return at all,” Judd said.
“There’s no doubt it is much more enticing now for owners to be involved.
“During my time, Newcastle also was the first club to be able to introduce the inter-city tote at our race meetings, betting on Sydney and interstate metropolitan meetings.
“Turnover on course clearly became much bigger, and that certainly helped improve our financial position.
“In more recent times, hospitality has become a keynote for all race clubs.
“We can no longer rely simply on wagering to survive, needing to ensure entertainment is as big a part of the raceday experience as the racing itself.”
Judd says that whilst he is standing down, of course he will continue to take a keen interest in the club’s affairs, and looks forward to attending some race meetings, especially the carnivals.
And he won’t have any trouble filling in any spare time.
“We have family in Western Australia, so there will be more opportunities to spend visiting them,” he said.
“Also Jim Hall and myself are heavily involved at Nelson Bay in The Sporting Hope Association, which is a wonderful charity.
“Our annual Port Stephens Cup race meeting will be held at Newcastle in August,
“Port Stephens Council is on board, and so is Destination Port Stephens, which is doing such a fantastic job attracting visitors to the area for many different special events.”
And though the erection of a well overdue new stabling complex at Broadmeadow unfortunately won’t come under Judd’s watch, he is very confident the long-standing project will become reality.
“Absolutely it will happen,” he said.
“But in a different form than seeking RacingNSW funding.
“The club will fund the stables by means of commercial development of areas of the racecourse land – the overall project is underway and it will be fantastic.”
Story originally published by John Curtis at Provincial Racing NSW. Visit the original article here.