Ask any who worked with or for Rob Bovell during his career and the image portrayed is always that of an urbane, mannered, dapper, polite and gracious man of exemplary character – fair and impartial – but with a steely resolve not to be confused with his amenable presentation.
Bovell was a strong, courageous administrator, who, as CEO of the WA Trotting Association, had often to battle the wills of boards, governments and committees, yet found a method to do it peacefully while usually getting his way. He never took a backward step, but nor did he make enemies, and in his time at the helm of harness racing in the West, he achieved significant milestones.
Rob Bovell learned the industry from the inside out, starting as the junior office boy at Gloucester Park in 1969 and ending his service 43 years later in 2012. From the start he used his innate determination to succeed by educating himself to multiple facets of the sport’s administration and function, including how racing was conducted, accounting practices, stewarding and the IT department.
It was in the latter field that Bovell would forge important inroads for trotting. Grasping early the likely impact of the new technology of computers, in 1976 he was given the opportunity to explore his ideas as WATA Office and Computer Operations Manager and under his guidance the WATA would eventually introduce the first computer-driven harness racing management system in the world.
This was later transferred to Harness Racing Victoria and then morphed into the current-day HARVEY system. In the late 70s, Bovell gained a Bachelor of Business Degree with a Major in Accounting, which he attained while still working full-time at Gloucester Park.
Then, in 1979, he left the WATA to take up the position of Secretary Manager of the Fremantle Trotting Club at Richmond Raceway. He worked there for a decade before returning to the WATA and Gloucester Park as Chief Executive Officer in 1989, soon after the Perth Inter Dominion won by Jodie’s Babe.
A couple of years later, with the closure of Richmond Raceway, Bovell oversaw the amalgamation of the Fremantle Trotting Club and the WATA.
Back in 1989, when he re-joined Gloucester Park, Bovell was almost immediately confronted with the retirement of longtime course commentator, George Grljusich, and one of his initial projects was to supply the framework for the new commentator, John Hunt, to re-imagine the electronic media presentation of WA harness racing.
Gloucester Park became the first track in the nation to incorporate recorded pre-race interviews for CCTV and live trackside interviews, produce historical and promotional documentary films for television and public sale, as well as secure a vastly expanded radio broadcast service on ABC Statewide in Western Australia. Bovell was also CEO during the evolution of Racing (now TAB) Radio and the birth of SKY Channel coverage of WA harness racing.
Perhaps the most difficult achievement of Rob Bovell in his 23 years as industry CEO was to maintain an equitable share of TAB distribution for the trots. It was a never-ending battle, however one that he never tired of fighting and he earned the respect of all his peers for doing so.
Bovell also managed the hosting of three Inter Dominion Championships – in 1996, 2004 and 2012 – the last being the hugely successful edition won by pacing great, Im Themightyquinn.
After that series, the Inter Dominion Event Committee quickly recognised Bovell’s passionate support of the Inters by presenting him with the Brian Hancock Distinguished Service Award, which followed on from his 2008 Harness Racing Australia Distinguished National Service Award. For his remarkable contribution to West Australian harness racing, Bovell was accorded the state’s highest honour, the James Brennan Award, upon his retirement in 2012.
Now, the journey is complete as Rob Bovell joins the hallowed assemblage in the WA Racing Industry’s Hall of Fame.