A PIONEER HORSEMAN

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 55

A PIONEER HORSEMAN

A few days ago it fell to my lot (says an Invercargill correspondent) to look up some of the early records in connection with racing away back in the early sixties. I had often heard of the doings of one of Inrercargill's well-known residents' in the person of Mr Tom Monoghan, who is still a well-known figure in che town. The genial Tom started his career as a horseman in, the year 1864,. when he rode the late William Medwin'.s General Blucher in the Miners' Purse at Tuapeka. There were 18 starters, and young Tom, who rode 4sfc 111b, scored his first win. Shortly afterwards, Monoghan secured a good berth with the late Mr John M'Kellar, who owned the big station at Tapanui. In those days there % was an absence of boys suitable for the vocation, and Mr M'Kellar, having a btring of horses under the charge of the Victorian trainer William Edgar, soon made Monoghan his leading jockey, and the confidence reposed in Tom was not misplaced, as he rode many of the hcrses in that stable to victory. After severing his connection with Mr M'Kellar, Tom took up a vacancy ;n; n Mr Thomas Dwyer's stable at Lawrence, and established a record that was the envy of the riders on ins goldfields. In 1876 Tom Monoghan left Lawrence for Invercargill, where he iook charge of Mr John Kelso's two Australian-bred horses. Day Dream and Nigger, who were responsible for a number of wins against such horses as Sir fTattaw and Atlas, who were numbered among the leading horses in the colony. These latter were in charge of the old veteran Stewart Waddeli. Monoghan, ■who is now hale and hearty, was one of the gamest light-weight cross-country riders of those early days. I notice that James Cotton and Monoghan rode eight stone ;n; n a hurdle race, of 150sovs, at Forbury. I have not been able to find any record of any other man in New Zealand riding that weight over hu«d!es, and about the end of the seventies the racing clubs made the minimum weight for riders over sticks 9st. Thomas Monoghan is of Irish American descent, has a clean record, and is to-day one of the most respected residents of the town. He is in good health, though increasing 5 ears have left their imprint on his personage. Be that as it may, from all appearances the genial Tom will yet be spared many years before hist vigorous career is brought to a close.