Edward Gillespie – honoured with an OBE
The former director of Cheltenham Racecourse has been appointed OBE in the New Year’s Honours list.
Edward Gillespie spent 32 years at the helm and was credited with developing the National Hunt Festival into one of Britain’s greatest sporting occasions.
He was given the honour for his services to horse racing in the town.
Mr Gillespie said he was “surprised, honoured, privileged” and hoped it reflected the “friendliness, warmth and uniqueness” of Cheltenham.
He started in the role in 1980, at the age of 27, and announced he was stepping down as managing director shortly after the 2012 Festival which attracted almost a quarter of a million spectators over the four days.
“The place has grown and yet its essence and its DNA has remained the same. The Festival particularly has got longer, larger, deeper, wider and is more accessible to all sorts of different people,” he said.
“I don’t know a sporting event quite like it. I’m thrilled to have been a part of that and to help get it to where it is today.”
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