PARKES HARNESS RACING CLUB

BRUCE LARGE MEMORIAL

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Bruce Large started out training horses in 1972 assisting Malcolm Cunningham. He trained his first winner, a filly named Fair Comment, in a 2yo race at Wagga Wagga. Malcolm drove the filly that night but only a few weeks later Bruce drove the same filly to a win giving him his first winner as a driver.

 

The first winner of the race was Bachelor Ben ,a Parkes horse trained & driven by Artie Elliott. Over the years many fine horses have been successful in this race including Hunter Cup Champion Rapid Frost.

 

Bruce branched out on his own stabling his horses opposite the Mitchell St gates of the Paceway. He started to pick up a few clients along the way and winning races  with horses such as Shy Beau & Tralee Bill.

 

Bruce & his wife Margaret then made the big leap and purchased Malcolm & Win Cunningham`s stables on the Condobolin Rd in 1977. This was the start of Bruce`s dream of wanting to make a career out of training horses. More clients started to notice the great job that Bruce & Margaret were doing with their horses and the stables were soon full. Some good horses came through the stables including Jamies Idol & Top Gear Pete.

 

On the 10th August 1981, Bruce was tragically killed in a work accident. Margaret with the help of Terry Powter kept the stables running until Margaret decided to sell up in 1992.

 

Margaret & her family would like to thank the PHRC for keeping Bruce`s memory alive with the running of this race each year.