Vale Brendan Drechsler

It is with great sadness that Racing Victoria (RV) and Country Racing Victoria (CRV) announce the passing of Brendan Drechsler, a giant of the country racing scene and popular community figure in Bendigo and the surrounding districts.

A CRV Director from 2016 until his passing at the age of 67 and a Life Member of both the Bendigo Jockey Club and Marong Racing Club, Drechsler was instrumental in the development of Bendigo’s standalone Saturday meeting, Golden Mile Raceday.

Drechsler was a Committee Member at Bendigo for 23 years, serving as the club’s Chairman for eight years and on the Committee at Marong for 16 years, with seven as Chairman.

A racehorse owner for over 35 years, he was a passionate member of the jumps racing community and has a feature race named in his honour, the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle, which was initially run at Bendigo before being switched to Pakenham. 

Away from racing, Drechsler owned a car yard in Bendigo and was a leading figure of the Country Fire Authority (CFA), serving as Captain of the Sedgwick CFA for many years. 

Aaron Morrison, CEO of Racing Victoria, said: “On behalf of everyone at Racing Victoria, I extend our deepest sympathies to Brendan Drechsler’s wife Pam, and his extended family and friends. Brendan faced his illness with the same fierce determination that defined his more than 20 years in racing administration.”

“As the long-term Chairman of the Bendigo Jockey Club and a Country Racing Victoria board member, he played a hugely influential role in the promotion and advancement of racing across the state of Victoria. 

“He was a particularly passionate advocate for jumps racing, and to have a race named in his honour is testament to his standing in the sport.”

Scott Whiteman, CEO of Country Racing Victoria, said: “On behalf of CRV we are incredibly saddened by the loss of Brendan Drechsler. His passion for all things country racing was unmatched and his contribution and service to the industry over his lifetime was immense.

“Brendan was a regular figure at country race meetings especially since his appointment to the CRV board in 2016 and his presence and love of the industry will be sorely missed.

“Brendan fought his long battle with determination and courage and our thoughts are with his family including his wife Pam during this extremely sad time.”