TRIBUTES have been flooding in for "voice of the North" Tom O'Ryan, who died of cancer last week aged 61.

A former jockey and apprentice to Pat Rohan in the early 1970s, Tom became a journalist when he retired from racing. He was the racing correspondent for the Gazette & Herald and was also a presenter on Racing UK.

Norton-based horse-racing photographer Alec Russell said he first met Tom in the early 1970s when he was a young apprentice jockey.

"When he retired from the saddle some years later he became a Raceform race-reader, and he wrote to the Gazette & Herald saying that he was concerned there was no coverage of horse-racing in the paper," he said.

"He was encouraged to write a weekly piece, which he did, and that was the start of his journalistic career.

"It became evident that he had a natural gift for writing and a deep love and knowledge of the sport. This, together with a dry sense of humour, led to him joining the Racing Post and culminated in his award, in 2002, as Racing Journalist of the Year."

In May 2013, Tom was involved in a serious accident when he was cutting the grass at his home in Brawby. After being taken to hospital by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, he was confined to a wheelchair and had to wear a body-brace for six weeks.

He had more than 150 cards wishing him well, and by chance his accident featured on the BBC's Helicopter Heroes programme. In the wake of the accident he became a firm proponent of the YAA charity.

Tom trained young jockeys, often using "Neddy", a mechanical horse, at his home and also at Jack Berry House in Malton. Before his injury he also rode out for racehorse trainer Richard Fahey in Malton.

Mr Fahey said: "Can't say how much we will all miss him. We've lost the voice of the north. Tom was an incredible horseman and brilliant writer. Racing is a poorer sport without him in it."

Perry Austin-Clarke, editor of the Gazette & Herald, said: "I’ve known Tom as a writer for our newspapers since my first stints as editor of the Gazette & Herald in 1988 and his contribution to our sports pages since that time has been immense.

"His in-depth knowledge and understanding of the racing scene, and particularly that in York, Ryedale and North Yorkshire was legendary. His loss is a huge blow to our newspapers and, more importantly, to race fans across the district.

"Our very deepest sympathies are with his family at this sad time."

Martin Jarred, former sports editor of the Gazette's sister paper, The Press, said Tom bravely battled his way back from the injury, and added: "Ryedale readers have lost their voice of racing. He was a top-class self-taught journalist who loved his sport. He put so much back into racing by helping a string of young jockeys with his words of wisdom. He was also an absolute gent."

Tom is survived by his partner Wendy and brother Robin. His funeral service will take place at 11am on Monday, September 12 at St Leonard & St Mary Church in Malton.