Reminiscences of champions

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 39

Reminiscences of champions

11 To many regular patrons -1 |of trotting meetings today;! • mention of horses such as t • Highland Fling. Vodka, f > and Johrmv Globe means j • little. ; However, even those wholi > did not see those champions! racing will derive pleasure; 1 i from reading of their ex-is • ploits in Ron Busman’s latest 1 ; ilbook, “New Zealand Trotting(i • Greats." t ;| The book produces little' > I not previously known about < -■the 20 “great'” from the lasi I >l3O years, and there are i I j omissions, possible not of a I ('major nature, in the back- j ground stories of some of .the horses. . The exploits of Vodka and I his trainer-driver. Jackl ? Shaw, in the Uniied States s and also the Australian! 4 pacer. Ribands, in New Zea-; - land and North America, are, ijof great interest. In those] I days most transport was by ■ II ship, although Ribands had a 1 rugged trip by air, and little t was known of “down under", | horses in the United States | k’ I Vodka and. to a lesser 5, degree, Ribands pioneered s ,the racing of Australian and New Zealand horses in! e North America. Today it isj s commonplace with dozens of ! Ihorses leaving New Zealand, t!each month. n As well as horses such as t!Caduceu<. Cardigan Bay,| False Step and Young: f j Quinn. Bisman devotes chapiters to Jack Litten. Cecil'

Devine, Peter Wolfender, • • Holmes family, the Nyhan family and the Berkeit family, all of whom have played an important part m the history of trotting over a long period. Their contributions to trotting are well chronicled and they give added value to a book which will be read with interest by all followers of the industry. "New Zealand T'rotttng Greats” is published by Moa Publications. Auckland, "t association with Dominion Brewenes. Ltd. Its reta 1 price is $8.95. — G.K.Y.