ON Oaks day in Melbourne five years ago, well-known Inverell grazier Eugene Ehsman – known widely as Paul – was at Flemington racecourse cheering home a horse he part-owned in the 1400m Subzero All-Greys Handicap.

Berdibek, trained by John O’Shea at Randwick and ridden perfectly by Hugh Bowman, came from strictly nowhere at the 600-metre peg to win the feature race by the skin of a boarding house pudding – and Ehsman was absolutely beside himself.

He’d taken in the Melbourne Cup two days earlier and watched Twilight Payment lead all the way, but that had nothing on Berdibek’s last-to-first win on Oaks day.

Sadly, Paul Ehsman passed away last week, and an entire town and district is mourning one of Inverell’s most respected elder statesmen.

He was 76.

Paul leaves behind his wife June, son Matthew, and daughters Vicki and Tania, and their families.

Paul started working life as an accountant in the 1960s with Mansfield Hamilton and Ehsman, and later became one of the district’s biggest graziers.

Good mate, Wayne Oakenfull, who trained many winners for Ehsman over many years, said the district lost a part of its soul when Paul Ehsman passed away.

“Paul was a very well-respected person in Inverell – he was great guy,” Oakenfull said.

“He owned properties and traded a lot of cattle, and had a big property out west on the Macquarie Marshes called Wallangambone.

“He also had two blocks in and around Inverell – one out on the old Bundarra Road called Auburn Hill and another place in between Warialda and Delungra, where his son Matthew lives.

“Paul was an accountant by trade – a very, very clever man and a very, very fair man,” Oakenfull said.

Ehsman was also a knockabout bloke who loved his horse-racing, rugby league and cricket, and was instrumental in the success of all three codes in Inverell.

He was president of Inverell Cricket Club back in the 1980s as well as president of Inverell Hawks Rugby League Club three times.

He also served as Inverell minor league president in the 1980s.

Ehsman was a past president of Inverell Jockey Club, treasurer as early as the 1980s, and a long-serving committee member.

Another good mate, John Shaw, from Inverell radio station STA FM, said the district was numb after the news of Ehsman’s death filtered through.

“We lost a good mate,” Shaw said.

“Inverell RSM Hawks Rugby League Club and Inverell Jockey Club lost a stalwart with the death of Eugene Paul Ehsman.

“Paul was one-in-a-million. He did it his way. That was his favourite song by Frank Sinatra, and I had the pleasure of playing it after Paul’s passing.

“He wasn’t an easy task-master and had an opinion – and wasn’t frightened to give it,” Shaw smiled.

“Paul certainly loved racing, he loved racehorses, and he loved life.”

Ehsman’s rugby league journey started in the early 1970s with Inverell Swans, which later became the Inverell Hawks.

He was a generous club sponsor and chief organiser of raffles, and his crowning achievement as club president came 25 years ago when the Hawks collected grand-final trophies in three grades at Varley Oval – juniors, reserves and A-grade.

Last year, he was afforded life membership of the club he cherished.

Out on the racetrack, Ehsman stood tall.

He part-owned many good horses in the city and the bush, including 2022 Inverell Cup winner Renegade and multiple bush cups’ winner Jack’s Milton.

He also won a Glen Innes Cup and Moree Town Plate with Puzzling Wonder.

Renegade, Jack’s Milton and Puzzling Wonder were all trained by Wayne Oakenfull.

Oakenfull said Ehsman was a much-loved man who preferred to do things his way – just as the old Frank Sinatra song says.

“We had a lot of luck, and we had a lot of bad days as well, but that’s part of racing,” Oakenfull said.

“Paul certainly loved his racehorses, and he certainly liked having a beer and a bet, and it’s so hard to believe we’ve lost him.

“He had many good horses, many away from country New South Wales, but in the local area he won a lot of races,” he said.

“He won Inverell Cups, Glen Innes Cups, Warialda Cups, Mungindi Cups and Walgett Cups – quite a few features.

“Paul was a fantastic bloke, but don’t worry, I reckon he sacked me half-a-dozen times over the years and reinstated me half-a-dozen times – put me in the sin-bin quite often,” Oakenfull laughed.

“Paul had a lot of funny little traits and called a spade a spade. But he was, without doubt, the fairest owner you’d ever meet.

“And if Paul had a good win on a horse, he was very willing to share it.”

Ehsman loved a punt, and led many inspiring plunges at tracks across the north-west. Some days the earn was huge, and some days the cash stayed in the bag.

“If I told Paul I thought a horse could win, but they ended up finishing second or third, he’d cop it on the chin and wouldn’t whinge or whine,” Oakenfull said.

“But let me tell you, if they finished down the track when I thought they’d go all right, well . . .

“Paul wouldn’t mention it on the day, typically a Saturday, but come Monday, it was like a Pauline Hanson moment – ‘please explain’,” he grinned.

Outside the district, Oakenfull said Ehsman’s best horse was imported galloper Berdibek, winner of the all-greys race at Flemington on Oaks day in 2020.

“Berdibek also won the Wyong Cup and Rowley Mile, and started favourite in a Grafton Cup,” Oakenfull said.

“We argued many times about his best local horse. Paul always said Renegade, because he won an Inverell Cup, but I disagree.

“I think his best horse was Jack’s Milton, which came to us as an improver and went on to win open company races, including the Goodwood Cup at Inverell, Glen Innes Cup, and Mungindi Cup,” he said.

Oakenfull said Ehsman was a behind-the-scenes worker, who cared for his town and cared for his community.

“Paul was a great bloke, and a very fair bloke. He gave all the young people in and around Inverell a fair go,” Oakenfull said.

“He always wanted to help people, and would give jobs to kids starting out, so they could get an earn and get a start in life.”

A service and celebration of life for Eugene Paul Ehsman will be held at Inverell racecourse tomorrow at 12.30pm – Melbourne Cup day.

Past and present members of Inverell Hawks Rugby League Club are asked to wear Hawks’ shirts and jerseys in memory of their past president and club loyalist.

“It’s very fitting for Paul to be buried on Melbourne Cup day, being the racing man he was,” Oakenfull said.

“He was a great man for the industry, and a great man for Inverell.”