The third annual Woodlands Stud combined Canterbury Awards ceremony was held in the Silks Lounge at Addington Raceway on Saturday 3 September 2016. These awards saw branches of the Canterbury Trainers and Drivers, Standardbred Breeders and Owners Associations join forces to honour many of the local industry’s high achievers. The area covered is the South Island from the Waitaki River north.
Master of Ceremonies for the evening’s proceedings was local resident race caller Mark McNamara. Unlike traditional Award ceremonies where the leading performers (those that topped premierships or amassed most stake earnings for the latest season) are rewarded, these awards focussed more on those who whose seasonal achievements merited recognition whilst not necessarily at the top of their respective category.
The Outstanding Contribution to Canterbury Harness Racing Award for 2016 went to : STANDARDBRED RECYCLING and RE-HOMING CANTERBURY
In Mid and South Canterbury their representatives are MICHELLE MORRISON , TRUDI FLECK and JAY BALL while in North Canterbury they are JACKI LAW and NIGEL STEWART.
Michelle and her team have rehomed over 1000 standardbreds since Michelle commenced rehoming horses 20 years ago for Carol and Frank Bennett. The team does all this for the love of the horse and whilst they do get a nominal fee for the horses that they rehome, it in no way covers their costs.
The team mainly work with Trainers and Stud Farms in Canterbury, they love the broodmares as they make fantastic riding horses. Recent success stories include the rehoming of 15 horses for the Cadrona Trekking Company and when a horse they rehomed for Amanda Burton won the IN-Hand section at the National Horse Of The Year Show.
The whole team are real enthusiasts who get great joy out of seeing the success of their rehomed horses on Facebook.
A full list of Award winners follows :
FLAIR – For Ladies Advancing The Interest Of Racing : ROSE DAKIN, for her personal and business commitments to racing across several decades involving sponsorship (Dakins Group), breeding and owning horses across the Canterbury region. Rose attends many race meetings and in her 80’s still owns horses and is part of many syndicates. Rose is an active member of Flair, always attending Flair events when possible.
NZ Cup Week Golf Most Winning Canterbury Owner of Trotters : RICHARD CORNELIUS, owner of Wilma’s Mate who recorded eight NZ victories during the latest season including NZ Trotters Oaks, Yearling Sales 3yo Series, West Coast Bonus (three Xmas/New Year wins at Westport [2], Reefton) as well as VIC Trotters Derby, Aust Breeders Crown – 3T, second in Harness Jewels and runner up to High Gait for NZ 3yo Trotting Filly of Year.
Nevele R Stud Pacing Breeders of the Year : HAMISH SCOTT, DR KIM LAWSON, SONYA SMITH, for notable achievement of having bred 100th winner this past season. This achievement was reached when AS KIWI AS won at Addington in July, the third dam being Kiwi Ingenuity.
Robbie Close Junior Driver’s Award : STEVIE GOLDING, crowned winner of the 2016 McMillan Equine Feed Junior Driver Championships, he drove 20 winners and 52 placings ($193k), finishing eighth on NZ JD Premiership in his last season in the Junior ranks.
Philip and Glenys Kennard Most Winning Canterbury Owners of Pacers : PORONUI FAMILY TRUST, Peter Higinbottom manages the Poronui Family Trust, which now owns Cullect a Guinness, bred by Peter with ownership being transferred to the Family Trust to give family members a greater opportunity to be involved. The seasons highlight was the winning of the Country Cups Final at Methven together with Rangiora, Westport and Oamaru Cups.
Motukarara Trotting Association – Lifetime Membership Award : ALAN KILLICK
Canterbury Standardbred Breeders Association Pacing Broodmare of the Year : HYDE PARK ROYAL, bred by Jack Smolenski, her eleven foals include six winners from seven to race including Royal Mach, The Royal Garden and this years GN/VIC Oaks and Harness Jewels winning 3yo filly Piccadilly Princess (1:53.1, 1:55.9AUS, over $300k) racing out of the Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen stable.
Dexter Dunn Driver’s Award : JOHN DUNN, the 2015/16 season was the most successful of John’s career so far with 109 wins and over $1.1 million in stakes (career to date : 825 wins, $8.9m). He combines a hectic driving schedule with the day to day running of the Southern arm of his father Robert’s very successful stable, which was second only to the All Stars (Purdon/Rasmussen) in the season’s trainer’s premiership.
NZ Cup Week Golf Canterbury Harness Racing Owners of the Year : PHILIP & GLENYS KENNARD, and their Kennard Bloodstock operation. From Smolda to Lazarus and everything in between, from yearlings to aged horses, from winning races to supporting the industry and those in it in every way.
goStallions Trotting Breeders of the Year : DIANNE & KEN FORD, AMANDA & MARK TOMLINSON, long standing breeders of trotters who have bred many winners. The horse who stood out for them this year was Marcoola (NZ/GN Trotters Derbies, Sires Stakes – 3T). Amaretto Sun, Zachary Binx, Arabess, Midnight Invasion, Jacquimo, Zsa Zsa, Zuri, Aramid, Fortuno.(pacer) are among others of note bred in recent years.
Natalie Rasmussen & Mark Purdon Trainer’s Award : MARK JONES, had a total of 57 wins for the 2015/16 season for stakes earnings close to three quarters of a million dollars. Group One wins came with Rocker Band in the 4YO Jewels Diamond at Cambridge in June and Master Lavros winning his second Dominion Handicap at Addington. Delightful Memphis with wins in Cheviot Stakes (Leonard Memorial) and Southland Caduceus Club 2yo Fillies also featured.
Canterbury Standardbred Breeders Association Trotting Broodmare of the Year : DIEDRE DARLING, dam of a winner of 7 Group 1 races, 1 Group 2, 1 Group 3 and other feature races in his thirteen wins from 15 Australasian starts – Monbet stamped his mark on latest NZ Harness Racing Season. Named 4YO Trotting Entire or Gelding, Trotter of Year and New Zealand Horse of Year at the 2016 NZ Harness Racing Awards, Monbet is the third winning foal left by Deidre Darling (Donaldson, McConway).
Woodlands Stud Outstanding Contribution to Canterbury Harness Racing 2016 : STANDARDBRED RECYCLING AND RE-HOMING CANTERBURY
Peter Craig
19 September 2016
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
