MORE PERMITS WANTED

Southland Times, Issue 24011, 29 December 1939, Page 8

MORE PERMITS WANTED

Claims Stressed Some

Years Ago

EARLY OWNERS AND HORSEMEN

The Winton Club was granted its first totalizator permit by the Gaming Commission of 1914-15, and at its first registered meeting distributed £750 in stakes. In 1929 £l7OO was given in prize-money and this year £1315 will be distributed—these totals being much above average as far as one-day meetings in New Zealand are concerned. For some years the club raced during the first week in December and then a change was made to a date in February. For the last 15 years, however, the meeting has always been held during the Christmas holidays. Many progressive measures have been brought about by the Winton Club and one in particular was the publi6ation of the draw for barrier positions in the race book. This proved a great help to owners and trainers where big fields were concerned but for some reason or other the authorities prevented the publication of _ the draw, after it had been in practice for several years. NEED FOR PERMITS The club has always advanced its claims for a further day’s racing. Before the club was granted a totalizator licence it was early in the field in voicing its claim for a permit and in the 1909 report of the club’s affairs the following paragraph was included: “During the year an application was made to the New Zealand Trotting Association for a totalizator permit for next season or when one should be available, but the usual reply that there was not a spare one was received from that body.” It was not until six years after this application had been made that the club was successful in its efforts. At the present time the club is still voicing its claim for an additional permit—it neing a recognized fact that Southland is poorly off in the way of trotting meetings. It is interesting to note from the records that as far back as 1919 the club sought a permit for a second day’s racing and now, 20 years later, it is still renewing its application. Both the Trotting Club and the Winton Jockey Club hold their annual fixtures on the Winton Racecourse Reserve—one of the very few reserves in New Zealand set aside for the encouragement of horse breeding. The reserve is controlled by a committee of trustees appointed by the Government and the course and appointments would compare with any in Southland or any other country centre in New Zealand. The gate admission charges for the first totalizator meeting were 2/- to the outside and 4/- to the lawn for men, while for women the charges were 1/and 2/-. The outside enclosure was done away with several years ago. LIFE MEMBERS During its 25 years the club has elected four live members—Mrs W. R. McCormack, Mr H. F. Nicoll, Mr W. M. Norman and Dr P. Gow. Mrs McCormack, of Balclutha, has been an enthusiastic supporter of the club for many years, while Mr H. F. Nicoll has been a prominent figure in trotting affairs in New Zealand as president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference. Both Mr Norman and Dr Gow have been associated with the club since its formation, Mr Norman acting as starter for many years. The Winton district may be justly named the headquarters of the trotting sport during the early eighties,

when horse-racing began to take definite shape as a popular pastime in Southland. Wyndham was next to come into line, closely followed by other centres in the Eastern district The claim of the Winton district is an unassailable one when it is pointed out that it was the centre of trotting serving Lumsden, Drummond, Centre Bush, Wairio, Otautau and other smaller districts.

Full trotting meetings were unknown in those early days but light harness events under the control of the Winton Jockey Club provided the highlights of the season, while racing and hack racing clubs in the Western district catered to the extent of one or more races for unhoppled square trotters—pacers were not recognized as such. STANDARD IMPROVED A sincere love of the trotter was widely recognized, where farmers were able to breed, train and ride their own horses. In the course of a very few years these enthusiasts were anxious to improve the standard of the utility horse and mares of trotting strains were brought from Canterbury, American sires were used, and in a big percentage of cases mated with thoroughbred mares. The names of a few of the enthusiasts of that generation who assisted materially in setting trotting on its feet in the Winton district, can be recalled at random. Two of the earliest Winton owners and riders—sulkies were at that period unknown—were H. J. Smeardon, now of Ballarat, Victoria, with a great staying mare called Anneaux de Or, and Mr R. Jamieson, who trained and rode his gelding Foremast, who won many races in Otago and Southland. Then there was Mr A. Jones, with Elizabeth. Mr Jones rode gallopers in earlier years and later became known as a handicapper in both sports in Southland. Mr J. Robertson and W. Mcßae, the premier horseman in his day, did much to further the sport with Tut d’Or and many other square trotters. ,W. Mcßae was probably the first man in Southland to educate successfully two-year-old straight-out trotters. Mr Arthur Gerrard, the Baird brothers and Mr J. Hamilton, of Oreti, were other promiinent early breeders. Mr Hamilton crossed three-quarter thoroughbred mares with American sires with great success, while one of his sons, Mr J. F. Hamilton, is a prominent breeder at the present time and a steward of the Winton Club. Messrs

W. and T. Hamilton are also well-known trotting meh in the Winton district.

Others whose names may be mentioned are: Messrs C. Broadbent, James Lawson (trainer of thoroughbreds and who handled Foremast early in his career), W. Perry (owner of Governor and other good horses), J. Duffy (breeder of many winners at both gaits and himself a horseman), J. Kirkwood, J. Boyle, D. McGregor (who Owned that good sire Stirling and noted broodmare Edith), G. Deegan, W. Kennedy (prominent horseman who owned a useful trotter in White Wave), Rollinson, W. Jones (a leading horseman), J. Powell (owner of Oreti), F. White, Walker, T. Smith, T. Brown, T. M. Stewart, John Keith, A. Baird, W. and R. Norman and many others.The best square trotter of the early days was undoubtedly Native, but Bellflower won more in stake money, and Win Soon took the highest rank of the hoppled brigade.