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PETER RENNELL: Administrator

PETER RENNELL

Peter Rennell rarely missed a race meeting at Addington Raceway and was renowned as the unofficial keeper of times and class records. Within seconds of a new class record being established on the track, Rennell would appear in the Press Room with past and present time details.

Rennell, who died age 82 last week, was a Life Member of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, but he was foremost a Canterbury Park man and served on the club's committee until retiring in 1996. Earlier, he was involved in the administration of the Akaroa and Amberley clubs while they ran equalisator meetings.

He started work in the registration department of the NZ Trotting Conference, before going to Wrightsons and National Mortgage and Agencies. From 1975 to 1981 he was the New Zealand representative for Parramatta Livestock. Paul Davies, who worked with Rennell from 1970 until he left Wrightson-NMA, said he was "a great man for detail, compiling catalogues and keeping records to an exceptionally high standard. And he had a strong following amongst yearling sales breeders and vendors, assisting many in upgrading their stock."

Along with his wife Bev, he was a member of the Met Syndicate that raced the top pacer, Likmesiah. Rennell was the father of Harness Racing New Zealand's CEO, Edward Rennell.

Credit: HRWeekly 29 Sept 2010