‘He was a man to wear his heart on his sleeve’: Vale Brendan Drechsler

VICTORIA’S racing and emergency services communities are mourning the loss of country racing and Country Fire Authority (CFA) stalwart Brendan Drechsler.

The long-serving former Bendigo Jockey Club (BJC) committee member and board chairperson and Country Racing Victoria (CRV) director died aged 67 on Saturday 24 May, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

He is survived by his wife Pam and their sons Ben and Sam.

His death has been hard felt throughout Bendigo and Victoria, where he was a cherished and respected member of the racing and emergency services communities.

Mr Drechsler is being remembered as a great leader and mentor, and a man who always wore his heart on his sleeve and never did things by halves.

He served more than 50 years with the Sedgwick Fire Brigade and was the captain of the brigade and a CFA life member.

Mr Drechsler’s association with the Bendigo Jockey Club spanned more than two decades.

During that time, he served as a committee member for 23 years and as its chairperson for eight years.

His visionary leadership was instrumental in elevating the Bendigo Cup to Group 3 status and securing its place in the peak spring carnival timeslot, enhancing its prestige as a key lead-up to the Melbourne Cup.

In 2015, he played a key role in luring high-profile Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse to Bendigo to contest the cup with her previous year’s Group 1 Sydney Cup winner The Offer.

Not only did The Offer win the race but would go on to finish eighth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington five days later.

The performance paved the way for other trainers to target the Bendigo Cup as a last-gasp shot at entry into the Melbourne Cup, a path successfully taken in recent years by the likes of the Ciaron Maher-trained Interpretation, which won at Bendigo in 2023 and finished sixth in the Melbourne Cup, and 2024 Melbourne Cup winner Sea Legend, who finished fifth the week before in the Bendigo Cup.

An avid supporter of jumps racing, his passion was central to the introduction of the Mosstrooper Steeplechase at Bendigo, later run on the same day as the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle, an honour bestowed upon him by the BJC.

Run in recent years at Pakenham, the two races will need to find a new home after Pakenham held its last jumps meeting in April.

Reflecting on Mr Drechsler’s legacy, BJC chairperson Jack Lyons said Brendan was always a huge advocate for racing in Bendigo and the club.

“He was a great mentor and a friend and his passion for racing and his dedication to community service set a standard we all aspire to,” he said.

“Whether it was on course at Bendigo or out in the community, Brendan brought people together.

“His leadership was thoughtful, his presence reassuring, and his commitment unwavering. We are incredibly grateful for all that he gave.

“His vision transformed our club, and his contributions to the CFA have left an enduring mark on our community.

“Brendan’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations, and he will be dearly missed by all.”

As a CRV board member for the past nine years, Mr Drechsler’s passion for racing throughout regional Victoria was instrumental in driving the growth and success the industry enjoys today.

Mr Drechsler was a life member of the BJC and Marong Racing Club.

Country Racing Victoria CEO Scott Whiteman said it was with great sadness that CRV acknowledged Brendan’s passing.

“His passion for all things country racing was unmatched and his contribution and service to the industry over his lifetime immense,” he said.

“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.”

Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron Morrison hailed Drechsler’s immense contribution to racing.

Brendan faced his illness with the same fierce determination that defined his more than 20 years in racing administration,” he said.

“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.”

Beyond the racetrack, Mr Drechsler dedicated more than five decades of service to the Sedgwick Fire Brigade, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as captain.

Testament to his unwavering passion and commitment to the CFA and broader Bendigo community, Sedgwick brigade chairperson and training officer Andrew Semmens said despite his illness, Mr Drechsler was still attending fires as recently as two months ago.

“I should say, much to our chagrin, as we were trying to get him to ease off,” he said.

“But after his diagnosis a few years ago, there was no such thing as taking it easy for Brendan. If anything, he hit life harder.

“He was a man to wear his heart on his sleeve.

“He put a lifetime of work and commitment into the CFA.

“CFA and family and racing were about it for Brendan.

“I didn’t have much to do with the racing side of things, but you would come to the fire station, and he would always have the racing channel on.”

During the 2009 Black Saturday fires, Mr Drechsler was part of a three-man unit which contained a fire on Eaglehawk Road at California Gully, stopping its spread to residential houses and nearby bushland.

A particular source of pride was when the Sedgwick brigade was presented with a new fire truck a year ago.

“The fire truck would always go in for its annual cut and polish and it was always a talking point for the rest of the group, who were of the opinion it never went to any fires at all because it was always so highly polished,” Mr Semmens said.

“That was just an example of the pride and excellence that he exhibited with the fire brigade.

“He was a bit like salt and pepper, Brendan … in everything.

“He’ll be sorely missed. The fire brigade would not be where it is without him.”

A funeral service will be held on Monday 2 May, at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo, starting at 1pm.