HILLIS WINS AWARD

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31384, 1 June 1967, Page 4

HILLIS WINS AWARD

‘Personality Of Year’ (N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. W. J. Hillis, of Riverton, was last night elected “New Zealand racing personality of the .year.” He was presented with the award at the annual dinner in Auckland of the Racing Writers’ Association. The citation accompanying the award said that Hillis had achieved the unique distinction for a private trainer of heading the list of winning trainers for the second successive season and being the leading jockey over fences. That he was the rider only of horses he himself trains, said the citation, made his position as the Dominion's most successful jumping rider even more noteworthy. “Hillis has charge of his horses from the time they are weanlings. His ability to condition them for the most gruelling tests is well known and, in educating them for hurdling and steeplechasing, he has shown himself to be without peer,” says the citation. He has ridden four Grand National winners (and trained three of them), six Great Western Steeplechase winners, (and trained three), and he trained Eiffel Tower to win a Wellington Cup and Macdonald to win a Great Northern Hurdles. The award was decided by a poll among racing writers throughout the Dominion. The dinner was attended by 125 racing and trotting men from many parts of New Zealand. Among the guests were the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Seath), the DeputyLeader of the Opposition (Mr Watt), the president of the New Zealand Racing Conference (Mr R. A. Whyte, of Wellington) and the president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference (Mr A. J. Nicoll. of Ashburton).