Thread: Toby's day. (By Rushy)

RUSHY'S TRIP REPORT.......

"When Carpe Diem and I arrived in Wairoa on Monday, Brads was already there with a carton of Waikato cooling for me (I shit you not). The three of us went around to Toby's home and I was immediately blown away by the tributes being made to Toby. the most amazing of these to me was that Toby's two brothers (Troy and Luke) had been out that morning to have the same hunting scene tattoo that toby got a few months ago, put on their arms and what is more, Toby's sister Krystal had done similarly with the tattoo outline.

On going in to the home, toby was laying in his casket with the lid off. The foot of the casket was draped with a camo net and on top of that was Toby's 6.5 x 55. The coffin lid was against the wall and there were many messages from friends and family written on the underside. I had a chat with Toby and told him that a 6.5 is the mongrel child of a .243 and a.270. Carpe Diem assured Toby that I was not telling the truth. Brads meanwhile was getting a tad misty (on ya Brads) so not long after we exited to have the worst steak a man has ever stuck in his gob.

On Tuesday we attended the funeral service at Toby's home which was conducted by a close friend of the family. Gibo, Pointer, EBF (and his good lady), Carpe Deim, Brads and I stayed close to one another to draw strength from each other. I delivered a eulogy on behalf of us all (the wider NZHS community I mean). Below is the eulogy for those that are interested:

Today I am sad. Sad because I will never again sit with Toby, shooting the breeze and talking about all manner of things hunting and shooting related.

And today I am mad. Mad because someone so young who lived life to the full, has been taken from among our number way, way too soon.

But also, today I am glad. Glad because for my young friend Toby and his family and his friends, the pain and suffering for him and those close to him has come to end.




Hello, my name is Allan Rushworth. To Toby I was known as Rushy, for that is the name by which I am known on the internet based community NZ Hunting and Shooting (NZHS for short). I am here today in a personal capacity to join with you all in a celebration of the life of my young friend Toby, but I am also here to represent the huge number of fellow hunters and shooters that belong to NZHS who can’t be here in person today but who would like you all to know that they admired Toby and the contribution he made to the NZHS forum community and that they all share in your sorrow and your grief at the sad loss of your, son, your grandson, your brother, your nephew and your mate.

NZHS has 5122 members and Toby who joined the forum in September 2012, was one of the more active contributors to the forum discussions averaging just on ten posts per day to amass a total of 11,108 posts across his three years among our number.

In a forum where members have names like Moonhunt and Mucko, R93 and Gadgetman, Gapped Axe and Carpe Diem, Neckshot and Niblett, Gibo, EBF, Pointer, Vietnamcam, Stingray, Pengy, Dundee and Brads, Toby’s member name was simply Toby. Such was his no nonsense approach. Although if you ask a few of us later I am sure that many among us will tell you that we knew him affectionately as “Ballsack” for Toby had a fixation with drawing a cock and balls on anything that stood still long enough for the phallic graffiti to be applied.

When I first met Toby, he was a boy about the same age as my eldest grandson is now and he was in a hospital in Auckland for round one of his fight with cancer. In the three years since meeting him, I observed Toby as he transitioned from the manling that he was, into the man that he became.

To say that he was truly inspirational to me and the many fellow members of NZHS that I speak for now is an absolute understatement. Toby enriched our lives in so many ways that it is difficult for me to recount them here. But Toby you should know this. You were the most amazingly natural shot with a rifle that I and many in our NZHS community have ever met. You were a far better hunter at your young age than me and most that I have met who have many times your experience in the pursuit of game. And you were without doubt the single most outstanding individual that it has ever been my honour and privilege to have met. Know also that I and many of my fellow NZHS members have been hugely proud to call you our friend.

In the face of adversity, I have met no one more stoic.
In the face of misfortune, there are none more heroic.
You have enriched the lives of all that you’ve met.
And will continue to do so, for several years yet.
Know that we take pride in having all known a man.
That spat in the face of great torment and said “yes I can”.

Two Saturday’s ago in Palmerston North Toby and our friend Brads were talking and planning about fulfilling one of Toby’s last desires which was to hit a steel target set up at two kilometres distance. Unfortunately that is not now something that Toby will ever do but I do believe that in this unfulfilled desire, Toby has left us all something that can bring us together and unite us in his memory.

Without reference to anyone here since last Friday, I have placed an order for a trophy to be made. This trophy will be engraved “NZHS Long Range Shooting Competition” “TOBY GOODLEY MEMORIAL TROPHY. When I receive this trophy, I will gift it to the NZHS forum with a suggestion that they facilitate an annual event at Duncan Bradley’s farm at Ongaonga to honour Toby’s memory and to celebrate the richness that Toby bestowed upon us all and my strong suggestion will be that NZHS invite you his family and friends to attend this event to present this trophy to whomever from among our number wins the 2K challenge laid down by our mate.

Thank you. Take the easy road now Toby for you have definitely done the hard yards.

After the service finished a large number of people (including us lot) went out to Toby's range with his casket and had a last blast with him. It was incredibly nice for his family to have facilitated this.

Today I have received the trophy that I spoke of and soon I will liaise with the only forum admin that I have contact with (7mmsaum) to get it into the hands of the forum





I have some ideas as to how the competition should be conducted but will leave that up to you guys."