Harness Racing Victoria has lost a great bloke and champion man in Merve Dillon

Merv theentertainer


ROD CASE

03 Jun, 2011 04:00 AM

Merv Dillon’s ability as ahorseman and his contribution to harness racing as a trainer, driver, officebearer and consultant are well known.

His great heart, love of people, passion fora chat and ability to spin a good yarn cemented his popularity in the industry.

From his Dumosa racing stables in Marong orat any racetrack around Victoria, and sometimes beyond, Merv Dillon was happyto entertain.

Merv had a great sense of humour and hissayings and stories hit the spot no matter how many times you heard them.

Take snakes, for example.

During laps of his Marong training trackduring the summer it was not uncommon to come across a brown snake happilybasking on the warm sand.

The horses didn’t care, failing even to breakstride as they passed over a suddenly aggrieved reptile less than impressed amorning slumber had been disturbed.

On returning to the stables the question wasoften asked of Merv: “How many bloody snakes have you got here?” His answer,although delivered a hundred times before, remained always humorous: “Only one,you just keep running into it”.

The weather provided another “oldie but agoodie” moment for Merv.

On days when most were muttering about thecold, the mud and the persistent rain, Merv would simply layer up with warmclothes, his well-worn wet weather gear and keep heading back out on the track– horse after horse.

Days such as these tried valiantly to coverhis trademark smile with a crust of sand and mud, but never succeeded. Thatsmile rarely left his face when he was around his horses, the stables andpeople.

Merv would go about his business as otherscursed these days, offering a simple philosophy: “It’s just a passing shower –might take all day to pass though”.

Of course, the day’s work was never done forMerv.

When the last horse had been worked, thestables cleaned and morning visitors had all filtered away, no doubt better forthe experience, Merv would announce it was time to head into the house to “dosome bookwork”.

Such dedication impressed those that didn’tknow him but it was the smirk that gave the real story away.

In reality “bookwork” was code for kick offthe boots, stretch out in the recliner and enjoy a well-earned sleep.

Another Merv Dillon trademark was histoughness.

On those rare mornings when a “young one” gotthe better of Merv by tipping him out, it was obvious he was hurt. But therewas a job to be done and feeling sorry for yourself was never part of hismake-up. He would simply soldier on to the next horse.

Was there ever a “young one” that really gotthe better of him?

His dedication was displayed week in, weekout as he travelled to night meetings as far as Mildura, only to be up and aboutfirst thing the next morning.

When he had one good enough, Saturday nightswere spent at Moonee Valley, but he rarely missed the early morning trials atMarong, Bendigo or Maryborough the next day.

So many people in the harness racing industryhave learned from Merv Dillon.

In a tribute in Monday’s Bendigo AdvertiserDaryl Douglas said Merv kick-started his career.

Many others would harbour such thoughts.

Merv loved telling the story of how the nowrichly talented reinsman and trainer Grant Campbell started driving horses atthe Dumosa stables at an age where his feet rested in the dust sheet of thesulky because the footrests were well out of reach.

It was fitting that Campbell won the featurerace during a Merv Dillon tribute meeting organised by the Charlton HarnessRacing Club in 2008.

Of course, Merv didn’t let the opportunitypass without telling the story of a young Grant Campbell one more time.

A death notice in Wednesday’s paper from Timand Zoe Mannix summed up Merv’s standing: “A great mate and treasured mentor”.

The first trip to the races with Merv remainsa treasured one for me. While carting a truckload of horses to a far-flungvenue such as Terang was a way of life for Merv, it was a major adventure forme.

The adventure got even better when he won thefirst race.

It reached mountainous heights when hepunched home the second winner.

Thankfully, I would learn many times over inthe following years that Merv revelled in victory and could often be heardspruiking as the horses pulled up in the back straight after a race, all theway to the parade ring and back to the stalls.

But Merv was a professional and spruikingwhile you worked came easy to him.

On the other hand, I was now part of the MervDillon stable which was taking all before it that night at Terang.

We had won the first two races with everychance of winning the third and this was time to put the chest out and soak upthe rewards of victory.

Suddenly, a bellowing voice snapped me backto reality: “Where’s that bloody water? We haven’t got all night!”

The fact I moved at only one speed – veryslow – became a great source of amusement for Merv through the years.

As did the fact I had no issue putting gearon any horse unless it was my own, at which time I would descend into adithering mess.

Merv simply stood back and chuckled away – itwas entertainment for him.

His favourite story centred on a day atStawell where true to form nothing was going right in putting the gear onWinchester Arms.

As the battle with hopples, boots and bridleraged on and the minutes to race time flew past with lightning speed, Mervcould hardly contain himself for he had seen something that I was blissfullyunaware of – there was a shoe missing.

True to form, my discovery of thiscatastrophe was the catalyst for a meltdown to which Merv casually offered: “Itwill be in the float”.

After my fruitless search of the float, Mervwandered out to the car park, retrieved the shoe from its resting place underthe straw and called the farrier to have it nailed back on. It made his day.

These are just a few of my favourite memoriesof knowing Merv Dillon.

I never did get to tell him how much Iappreciated his goodwill and that he, partner Lyn and son Tony had helped makemy first transition away from “home” that much easier through their welcome andacceptance.

What’s special about Merv is that everyonewho attends his final farewell today, along with those that can’t but knew him,will have their own “Merv Memories”.

Sadly, last Monday those memories became alot more special.