OBITUARY J. C. Irving

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33291, 31 July 1973, Page 8

OBITUARY J. C. Irving

One of New Zealand’s most ‘ enthusiastic thoroughbred breed- ' ers and owner. John Carlyle 1 Irving, . died at his home in , Blenheim on Sunday. One of the best horses raced by Mr Irving and his wife was , Careen. This daughter of Dogger: Bank and Roanne won 11 races, - from five to 11 furlongs, and ; $21,085 in stakes. Her most im- : portant wins included the , Hawke’s Bay Guineas, the Can- 1 terbury Jockey Club’s Winter | Cup and August Handicap, the , Manawatu Racing Club’s Summer Cup, the Waikato Racing < Club's Golden Mile Handicap and the Wairarapa Racing Club’s . gueen Elizabeth and President’s ' andicaps. Cinnaman, a half-brother to Careen, won nine races—eight ; over fences—in the Irving : colours. Wins in the Beaufort I Steeplechase, at Riccarton, the | Balmoral Steeplechase, at Ellers- . lie, the Wanganui Steeplechase. 1 and a second in the Grand National Steeplechase contribu- , ted to his stakes total of , $15,950. Other winners left by Roanne were Anabel, Khyber, The . Prince, and Vanita. At the stud Careen produced Onset, which to date has won ; seven races, including this sea- , son’s Nelson Cup, and $9930 in stakes for Mr and Mrs Irving. 1 Mr Irving, who came from a Southland farming family, was one of four brothers who became managers of Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd, branches. He joined the firm in Christchurch in April, 1916, and except for a period with the armed forces during World War I, remained in their employ until his retirement in June, 1957. At that time he had been branch manager in Blenheim for 21 years. Mr Irving was a past-president of the Marlborough Racing Club and a steward of that club for many years. He was also a pastpresident of Rotary, the Blenheim Repertory Society, the Blenheim branch of the National Party, and for three years was a Dominion counsellor of the National Party. Mr Irving was also chairman of the building committee of the Wairau Hospital Board for nine years, a member of the Marlborough Rehabilitation Committee and a Justice of the Peace.