The death of former trainer Lawrie Fownes yesterday triggered an outpouring of emotional tributes for a man not only held in tremendous esteem professionally, but also remembered as someone who lived a full life with a rare combination of enthusiasm and integrity.
Fownes died peacefully at his Tai Po home early yesterday morning, aged 77, after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by his wife, Pamela, and their three children - Stephanie, Fenella and Caspar.
Fownes also leaves behind 10 grandchildren and a racing legacy that lives on through Caspar, Hong Kong's reigning champion trainer and a three-time championship winner.
LIFE AND TIMES: From Raj to riches for Lawrence Fownes
Fownes said he had not only lost his father, "but also my mentor and my best friend".
"He was someone that guided me in the right direction. We will love and cherish him forever," he said.
"The key values he passed on were honesty, integrity, compassion, love and forgiveness. He tried to instil those qualities in me, and always said if you have that you can live your life in a good, positive way and respect people; it will serve you well.
"I've just been blessed to have him in my life and I just hope I can be as good a dad to my boys as he was to me.
"The last few days he was fighting and his mind was so sharp until the end, but his body failed him. He was doing it tough, but he has been remarkable."
FATHER, MENTOR, BEST FRIEND: Caspar Fownes' emotional tribute
Fenella and Stephanie said their father would be remembered for his "generous spirit, love for his family and tremendous work ethic".
"We are honoured and proud to call him dad," they said.
Born and raised in India, the son of a cavalryman-turned-horse trainer, Lawrie Fownes trained more than 650 winners before making a brave decision to move to Hong Kong in 1981. After some lean early seasons, he went on to train 636 winners in 22 seasons, including a Hong Kong Derby win with Super Fit in 1994.
Rival trainer John Moore lamented the loss of a "great mate".
"Lawrie was such a great man, and I'm very sad," he said. "He was kind-hearted and a real gentleman, but he was also a straight shooter."
Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said Fownes was "a real gentleman and respected by all in the racing industry".
"Lawrie was a popular and knowledgeable horseman who was an asset to the Hong Kong racing scene for over 30 years. He will be greatly missed. I wish to extend the club's deep condolences, as well as my own, to Lawrie's family at this time," he said.
Cyrus Madan, a former chairman of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club, was a close friend of Fownes and said the trainer's success in Hong Kong was a point of pride for many Indians.
"We will always remember him as champion trainer from the 'City of Joy', but Indian racing will in many ways be in his debt, as he was the first professional of the turf from India to have travelled out of the country and made a success of his life as a trainer abroad," he said.
"It was almost as if he had put Calcutta and Indian racing on the international racing map. He had a zest for life and he lived it to the full."
