Brian Hartigan

I did notice IanR his co owner and contributor on here in previous times paid us a visit yesterday.
 
The beauty of a forum is people have time to listen to, learn from and for the lucky one's meet some of your hero's in the flesh

Best wishes Brian - gone before your time but you left footprints that will remain visible long after this week

I've met many wonderful people on here and we have lost one or two over the years too.

Go easy Brian
 
Anyone in a position to organise a Floral Tribute to LordH from the Forum! Not something I'd be able to take on but would certainly contribute.
 
I'm of an age where contemporaries are passing with increasing frequency but this is such sad news. He was absolutely one of a kind.

Making his acquaintance on here, I think that that Champion Hurdle day in 2002 was the first time we actually met (and the only time I've met AC and Slim) but he was such an easy and interesting man to talk to. I later joined the Lord Noelie group and also had an interest in One Alone and Great Benefit, the latter group being his creation. We both moved on from here in the Wild West days but kept in touch via Christmas cards. Looking back to the last one, only a few weeks ago, the writing is a clue that he was unwell but I'm sure that he insisted on signing himself.

He was someone who believed in living life to the full but never at the expense of others. Unfailingly polite, enthusiastic and always first to the bar.

RIP
 
I think sponsoring a race in his memory would be lovely. We could call it the “Lord H.... I didn’t buy Attraction, dammit! Stakes”
 
archie said:
I'm of an age where contemporaries are passing with increasing frequency but this is such sad news. He was absolutely one of a kind.

Making his acquaintance on here, I think that that Champion Hurdle day in 2002 was the first time we actually met (and the only time I've met AC and Slim) but he was such an easy and interesting man to talk to. I later joined the Lord Noelie group and also had an interest in One Alone and Great Benefit, the latter group being his creation. We both moved on from here in the Wild West days but kept in touch via Christmas cards. Looking back to the last one, only a few weeks ago, the writing is a clue that he was unwell but I'm sure that he insisted on signing himself.

He was someone who believed in living life to the full but never at the expense of others. Unfailingly polite, enthusiastic and always first to the bar.

RIP
Click to expand...

Beautiful words from someone who clearly knew him.
 
As well as a race sponsorship, it may also be fitting to rename one of the forum competitions in Brain's memory - perhaps the Winter Prize?
 
What very nice tributes to Brian. Some of you may know that we have been friends for over 30 years. Thank you Colm for creating this thread. I have been speaking to Brian's wife Val about floral tributes and she would prefer to have donations made in Brian's name to The Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton the specialist cancer hospital who treated him. I think it is an excellent idea to have a race named in honour of Brian's life, our racing group will also do this as well.
Brian's funeral will be held at Randalls Park Crematorium Leatherhead KT22 0AG on Wednesday 2nd March at 11am and close friends and family will celebrate his life in the Queens Stand at Epsom afterwards.
 
2003, Breeders Cup Saturday.

My day job was always with Californian tech companies and (completely coincidentally) I always managed to be summoned to HQ for a business trip on any weekend the BC was run at Santa Anita or Del Mar. Brian had been very successful in business and in retirement was a man of means who always treated himself and Val (Lady H) to a nice seat on the plane and a comfortable berth at the races. This was the day that High Chapparall dead-heated with Johar in the turf and Brian (probably Bernardo and IanR too) were in a nice catered enclosure near the finish line, eating fine foods and drinking good wine. "Come join us" he offered and I kind of sneaked past the peaked caps at the gate and sat with him and the other seven hoods. Feeling peckish I went to the buffet and helped myself to a couple of tempura prawns and some salad. Security weren't impressed and all hell broke loose and it took all of Lord H's skills of persuasion to prevent me be fcuked out onto the streets of Pasadena. He never missed an opportunity through the years to call me 'the prawn thief.
 
I only met him once in a thai restaurant at Dublin after the leopardstown races
it was good fun that day, he did the booking and still remember him dresses in a chandal, powerfull man
RIP Brian
 
I didn't know Brian at all although I vaguely recall seeing his name a few times when first on the forum. He sounds like a great man who will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Sponsoring a race in his memory seems like a nice tribute - I would be happy to contribute if we do that.
 
Another wee story or two about Brian...

When I was alerted on the forum that there was a BHA Handicapper post going and prompted to apply for it, I said I would. Brian contacted me privately and offered to check over my CV. The address I used called my house 'Arkle'. He was back to me in a flash. "Is your house really called 'Arkle'?". I replied, "It is now!" He found that funny.

The other one was when old Foghorn Leghorn was going for his second Champion Hurdle win and obviously I'd been bigging up his prospects on the forum. I can't recall what else was prominent in the betting at that point but Brian wasn't mad keen on the grey and offered me 7/1 which I gladly accepted. Then RB missed out on the Tote Gold Trophy (now the Betfair Hurdle for younger forumites) - so pretty appropriate timing - by the width of a mouse's foreskin due to another awful tactical ride by Richard Johnson but Brian knew what it took to win a race of that nature, especially off 166 - yes, 166, can you imagine? - and was soon in touch to offer to settle the bet as an 11/4 winner, which I accepted and the cheque came through the next day.

A man of honesty and honour.

(No doubt I'll be accused of aftertiming now.)

Edit - just checked. It was Hardly Useless (33/1) that won the 2004 Champion Hurdle. Brian was probably on it!
 
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