East Gascoyne Race Club dedicate Landor Cup to life member Tubey Bain, who's memory lives on in the region

The Landor Races hold a special kind of magic, filled with dust, racehorses and people who breathe life into the outback, but this year’s event carried a heavier tone.

Hundreds of people met at the East Gascoyne Race Club for the annual event, and to send off the late Dudley Michael “Tubey” Bain, who was described as a cornerstone of the races.

Regular attendees declared that it was a sombre weekend without “Tubey” who died in early September aged 66, having missed a only a handful of rounds in his lifetime and whose presence, many say, felt as much part of the festivities as the red dirt and landscape itself.

Mr Bain’s strong ties to the club date back to when his grandfather Ernest Potts founded the races and became the first ever life member of the EGRC.

His wife Bronny Bain and their five children were delighted with the tributes paid to their loved one over the course of the race weekend this year.

“So many people came up to me, everybody knew who Tubey was, not because he put himself out there but because he was that type of person,” Mrs Bain said.

“Going this year without him - it was weird.”

Participating in events by the age of 14, bar managing in the 90s, operating fuel sales in the early 00s, acting as the official timekeeper for 23 years, and in recent years, cruising around in his gopher keeping an eye on younger generations to make sure things were running smoothly, Tubey was undoubtedly committed to Landor.

“He would be on the racetrack picking out rocks as a kid to make sure the jockeys were safe,” Mrs Bain said.

On September 28-30, Tubey’s ashes were spread around the bar and the racetrack as family and friends gave a heartfelt cheers to him, each holding his drink of choice — a VB longneck.

Despite not being at the races physically, his daughter Yasmin Mairead said it felt like he was still around.

“It was sad in parts, but then it just felt like he was there,” she said.

Born and bred in Meekatharra, Tubey grew up on the family station at Woodlands and became a life member of EGRC in 2021.

A lifelong supporter of the Chapman Valley Football Club, his contributions extended far beyond the racetrack.

He was described by loved ones as someone who found joy in simple pleasures — like watching the tug-of-war at the races and helping the kids cheat just a little bit if he thought the teams were lopsided.

His wit and humour shone through in those moments, where he would commentate with a king brown in hand, making memories that his family hope will live long after his death.

This year, the Landor Cup was dedicated to him, with a memorial held on the Monday, while Gymkhana winners were presented with a Yeti stubby cooler engraved with ‘In Memory of Tubey Bain’.

Mrs Bain said she hopes the family can take over as sponsor for the tug-of-war event and rename it to the Tubey Bain Memorial tug-of-war, and plans to meet with the committee at the next annual general meeting.

Going forward, the Bains will continue attending the festivities, each with their own roles to manage.

“Byron, my eldest son, he took over the commentary, and he actually did a really good job. There were people saying to me, if they closed their eyes they’d swear it was Tubey,” Mrs Bain said.

Yasmin has taken over timekeeping, after jumping at the opportunity to help her dad four years ago.

In a post to Facebook, EGRC secretary Sandy Wendt offered her condolences to Tubey’s family.

“Our sincere condolences to Tubey’s entire family, especially thinking of you Bronny, Yasmin, Byron, Courtney, Finlay and Matilda and their families. Also, to Cheryl and Miles and their families,” Ms Wendt said.