Vale Mac Henry

The New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust offers its sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mac Henry, who passed away recently in Invercargill at the age of 72.

Mac was a true Southland racing all-rounder. He rode winners, trained and owned winning thoroughbreds, and was a doyen of southern racing journalism. He was well known by his peers in the racing industry as a quiet achiever, an absolute professional and a gentleman.

He was respected as an accomplished horseman, riding 7 winners and training 71 winners. Mac was secretary for the Southland branch of the Trainers' Association for over 30 years.

Lifelong friend and Trustee Dr Bill Bishop described Mac as "good at everything he did. He was very intelligent, loved his writing and he was a great listener. He hid his light under a bushel and when you talked with Mac, he quickly turned the conversation, so it was all about you, not him," says Bill.

Mac was a regular contributor to the Harness Racing Weekly and Harnessed publications from 2003 to 2017.

In his last few years, Mac managed the deployment of the Southland-based horse ambulance.

"He loved his job as driver and ambulance operator on track at every race meeting, and we loved having him on board. He was ideal for the task with his wide horse experience and the calm and measured way he dealt with horse emergencies."

We feel grateful and privileged that we have had a person of Mac's calibre and reputation as part of the team. His presence and contribution to the Southland community in which he lived and worked will be sorely missed.