Tasmanian thoroughbred racing lost an icon of the industry with the passing of Paul Geard last Friday.
Along with wife Elizabeth, Paul began his foray into racing and breeding at the turn of the century.
With experience in breeding champion dairy cattle, the Geard’s looked at doing the same with their thoroughbred experience and the purchase of a broodmare La Quita that was in foal to Clangalang would deliver them one of the best gallopers to grace the Tasmanian turf.
La Quita’s foal became Geegees Blackflash which won two Hobart Cups and a Launceston Cup as well as the state’s most prestigious sprint event the Newmarket Handicap over 1200m.
The gelding ended his illustrious racing career with stake earnings of $1.193 million accrued from 22 wins and 17 minor placings from 69 starts, a record for a horse that only raced in Tasmania, and he also is a Hall of Fame inductee.
Paul and Elizabeth invested heavily in their breeding enterprise and the arrival of stallion Wordsmith (X Testa Rossa) was not only a boon for their business but a bonanza for the state’s thoroughbred breeding industry.
Wordsmith’s first crop would ensure he was Tasmania’s leading juvenile sire, and subsequently awarded the title of leading sire numerous times as well as being recognized as a champion sire of top-producing broodmares.
The Geard’s owned and raced all the horses they breed, and they all carry the now famous Gee Gee moniker, with Elizabeth taking on the responsibility of naming their racehorses.
Their GG Horse Stud and Racing Stables is a multi-million-dollar enterprise that at one stage provided just over 11 per cent of the acceptances at each Tasmanian thoroughbred race meeting.
Paul and Elizabeth Geard were recognised for their contribution to the industry with induction into the Tasmanian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame in 2022.
Tasracing extends sincere condolences to Elizabeth, their children Donna, Maree, Alison, Pauline, & Ben along with their extended family.
Paul’s funeral will be held at Turnbull Funerals, 71 Letitia St in North Hobart at 12:30 on Thursday, 30 March.