A chance reading of the Otago Daily Times in 1973 led to a career of more than 40 years in harness racing administration for Ken Dempster.
The Forbury Park Trotting Club accountant takes his first step in easing his way out of the club's office doors on Friday.
Then, he will finish as the club's in-house accountant, one of a raft of responsibilities he has held with the club.
Dempster's first taste of harness racing administration came from an unlikely beginning.
''I was in hospital and I had a burst appendix.''
Dempster read the ODT while laid up in hospital and saw an advertisement for a meeting to seek interest in the formation a non-tote racing club in Dunedin.
He attended the meeting and met long-time Forbury Park administrator, the late Viv Anngow, he said.
''I probably never would have met Viv Anngow, otherwise.''
Though the non-tote club was never formed, later Ms Anngow called Mr Dempster asking if he would take on the job of Treasurer of the Otago Owners, Trainers and Breeders Association.
He accepted and soon moved into the role of secretary-treasurer.
''It was a chance to be involved in the game.''
Mr Dempster was keen on racing, it was in his blood, through two Southland uncles that raced horses.
He remained with the Otago Owners Breeders and Trainers Association until he stepped aside in 1994, due to having heart bypass surgery, but still remained actively involved.
Mr Dempster's working career was as an accountant, he worked in Dunedin's Deloite Offices. In 2002, after some previous professional dealings with the club, he also took on the task of doing Forbury Park's books, he said.
He retired from his role at Deloite in 2009, but continued doing the club's accounting, from their own offices.
While in his in-house role at Forbury, Mr Dempster filled the in as Chief Executive Officer three times, after resignations between 2009 and 2016.
Mr Dempster will be just months short of racking up 15 years handling the club's books when he leaves on Friday.
He has been handing over the reins to his successor at Forbury Park, Lisa Butler, since she joined the club in January.
Race nights have no been a chance for Mr Dempster to sit back and admire his administrative work, though he does have one of the best seats in the house.
He has been the club's judge, with the responsibility of determining which horse has won in the closest of finishes, since 1982.
Before that he first served as an assistant in 1977.
Of the horses he has seen from the judge's box one has stood out.
''The one I can remember is Courage Under Fire. He sticks in my mind.''
Mr Dempster, who has also judged at other Otago clubs and at greyhound meetings, will continue officiating race finishes at Forbury Park until the end of the current racing season, in July.
Working with the people involved in harness racing was what he enjoyed the most over his time in his many roles.
He plans to keep following racing, but also spend more time on his golf game.
''I have got two grandsons in Auckland. I will see them a bit more hopefully.''
Acting as chairman of the Otago Medical Research Foundation and Secretary-Treasurer for the New Zealand Society for Oncology will also keep him busy.
Mr Dempster is also a life member of the Otago-Southland branch of The Cancer Society.
-By Jonny Turner