Living Legends’ Andrew Clarke receives King’s Birthday honour

Dr Andrew Clarke’s commitment to equine welfare has been acknowledged, with the driving force behind thoroughbred retirement home Living Legends receiving a Medal of the Order of Australia in the King’s Birthday honours.

Clarke has been chief executive officer and director of Living Legends, which is located at Oaklands, north of Melbourne, for 22 years.

Before his time at Living Legends, the globally respected vet worked as a Professor in Equine Studies at the University Of Melbourne as well as in similar roles in Great Britain and Canada.

Living Legends has become the post-racing home of some of Australia’s most famous racehorses and currently features Melbourne Cup winners Prince Of Penzance, Twilight Payment, Brew, Efficient and Almandin as well as Group 1 stars such as Chautauqua, Lankan Rupee, Serpentine, Harlem, Beat The Clock, Santa Ana Lane, Beauty Generation and Apache Cat.

Clarke was the founding CEO and director and has been a permanent fixture at the property ever since.

“Rather than retirement marking the end of a public connection, the idea emerged to create a place where legendary horses could enjoy a well-earned life after racing, while still remaining accessible to the people who admired and supported them,” Clarke said of the concept on its 20^th anniversary in February.

Reflecting on his OAM, Clarke said the honour was totally unexpected.

“It’s more of a reflection on the people I’ve been able to work with and the groups and teams we’ve put together,” he said.

Other racing industry-related connections to receive OAMs in the King’s Birthday honours included Justin Coleman, former chairman of Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory, and John Cook, former president of Orange Jockey Club, former chair of the NSW Country Racing Council and founding director of NSW Thoroughbred Racing Board.

Anne Pang, who was involved in thoroughbred ownership together with her husband Barry, received an OAM for service to the Chinese community of Melbourne and to women.

Lilijanna Ravlich, a former racing minister, also received an OAM, in her case for service to the people and Parliament of Western Australia, as did Canberra-based Andrew Stasia, who served on the ACT’s Racing Appeals Tribunal.

Among those to receive a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division were former WA racing minister Brendon Grylls, shadow WA racing minister Michael Murray and Goulburn and District Racing Club board member Gary Worboys.

Gerald Murnane, who once worked as an instructor at the VRC’s former Apprentice Jockeys’ School, and has written many books about racing, was awarded as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division for distinguished service to literature as an author and novelist, and to tertiary education.