BLAST FROM THE PAST
W G GARRARD - Journalist
 W G GARRARD
By the death of Mr W G Garrard in his 80th year, trotting has lost one of the men who helped to build it, the press gallery has lost one of its most colourful and popular characters, and the editor of the Calendar has lost a great friend. We will miss you "Garry".
Mr Garrard died "with his boots on." He wanted it to happen that way. He had gone to Greymouth to cover the trotting meeting there for the Calendar, and also to see his many friends on the Coast. He took ill on the morning of his arrival, last Friday, and died the same night.
"Garry" was a brave old gentleman. Many a time when he and the writer were ploughing through the index or results together, he would have a twinge of pain. But if anyone showed any concern about him he would berate them soundly. There was nothing neurotic about "Garry". No one knew better than himself that his 'old ticker' was due to stop ticking at any moment, but when it used to give him a reminder, as it frequently did, he would give that inimitable grin of his and blame his feet or "those damn sandwiches I had for lunch."
Mr Garrard was one of the best known sporting writers in the Dominion. He retired from journalism in 1932 after 50 years as a sporting writer. For the last three years, Mr Garrard had been the statistian for the 'NZ Trotting Calendar,' and he was also a member of the committee which compiled Volume XI of the New Zealand Trotting Stud Book for which he gave valuable service.
After being first dux of the Normal School, Christchurch, Mr Garrard took a wide interest in sport. For a number of years he was a member of the NZ Amateur Athletic Association, and he played cricket for the Midland Club for 20 years. When district cricket was established he played for the St Albans Club. After being a Merivale delegate to the Canterbury Rugby Union for a period, he was elected to the committee of the union, and in 1895 was appointed honorary secretary, an office he held till 1913. He then became one of the union's auditors for more than 25 years. In the jubilee year of the Rugby Union, 1929, Mr Garrard was elected a life member.
On retiring from playing football, Mr Garrard was a well-known referee of representative matches, and was chosen to referee the Rugby match between England and Australia in Sydney in 1899. He was first treasurer of the New Zealand Hockey Association, and held other executive positions in the sport.
Mr Garrard had always taken a keen interest in trotting as a delegate to the South Island Trotting Association, and when the New Zealand Trotting Association was formed, he was elected to the Board and became first chairman of the licensing committee. He later became deputy stipendiary steward for a long period. Mr Garrard had seen every race for the New Zealand Trotting Cup.
For many years Mr Garrard was secretary of the Christchurch and St Albans Money Club.
His wife died many years ago, and he had no family.
Credit: Editor, NZ Trotting Calendar 25 Oct 1944
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