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INTERNATIONAL HISTORY

The Siege of Stalingrad is lifted.

Turing and Flowers build the first programmable computer, Colossus.

LOCAL HISTORY

June 4 - At 1.45pm on Friday 4 June 1943 the Cromwell-Dunedin express, travelling at speed, derailed while rounding a curve near Hyde in Central Otago. Twenty one passengers were killed and 47 injured in what was then New Zealand's worst ever rail accident. The driver was later found guilty of manslaughter.

October - "Risingholme" bought by Sir John McKenzie and presented to the city as a public park. Early in 1949 it became a community centre, the first to be established in a large town.

Forty-eight Japanese prisoners die and seventy-four are wounded in a riot at a Featherston POW camp. One NZ guard is killed.

Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries

RACING HISTORY WAR YEARS

MATINEE MEETING

What amounted to a gift of several hundreds of pounds to owners was provided by the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club in stake-money at its matinee non-totalisator meeting held at Addington an Saturday, January 23.

The provision of several races for maiden and improving pacers and trotters, with stakes on a liberal scale, is filling a great want and giving an incentive to breeding. Besides, it is a means of meeting the shortage of races for this class of horse. At on stage it looked as though the horses in the lower classes had become nobody's business, and the Metropolitan Trotting Club's generous response to the plight of owners of the maiden and improving horse is deserving of the highest praise.

One well-known owner, whose interest in the young horse has always been uppermost, sent along a donation to the club, explaining that he greatly appreciated the club's move. The inclusion of a 2-year-old parade over seven furlongs also proved most popular with owners. Trophies were presented by the club to the winners. Nominations were large, and, to give the youngsters plenty of room at the starting barrier, the club decided to run the event in two divisions. This met with the approval of all concerned. With early 2-year-old events in the offing, the parade provided most valuable education for the baby pacers, and the club is sure to be approached with a view to this parade becoming a permanent institution.

In every way the Metropolitan Club's Matinee Meeting was a success, and a red-letter day for many owners; and the social side was by no means negelected. Stewards set themselves out to entertain those interested in the sport, and the Canterbury Owners' and Breeders' Association conducted a series of sweeps for patriotic funds. There was a good attendance of the public, and under the experienced management of the secretary, Mr H E Goggin, and his staff, the meeting was run without a hitch.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 3Feb1943

RACING HISTORY PEOPLE

W HAYWARD

The death occurred last Saturday week of Mr William Hayward, well known throughout the Dominion for the prominent part he took in politics, local body affairs, and sporting activities. Mr Hayward earned an unrivalled reputation for his many acts of generosity and the interest which he manifested in all affairs pertaining to the good of the community.

Born in Christchurch in 1868, Mr Hayward was the son of the late William Hayward, who was one of the founders of the transport industry in Canterbury. He was educated at St Leo's High School, Christchurch, and started work with his father in the Rink Stables, a company which later became the present firm of Rink Taxis, Ltd. As a youth he worked for his father on the old Sumner coach. When the motor-car was beginning to usurp the place of the horse in transport Mr Hayward's company was the first to introduce motor taxis in Christchurch.

Mr Hayward retained his connections with the transport industry until the time of his death. For many years he was chairman of directors of Rink Taxis, Ltd and was keenly interested in all new developments in the industry. He was chairman of directors of Hayward Brothers and Company, Ltd., and of Lamb and Hayward, Ltd. His other business interests were wide and varied, and he was respected as a man of sound and upright judgement.

Mr Hayward took a very prominent part in local body affairs in Christchurch. At various times he was a member of the Christchurch Tramway Board (of which he was chairman in 1929) and of the Technical College Board of Governors. In 1931 he contested the Mayoralty against the Hon. D G Sullivan, and in 1935 was elected a member of the Christchurch City Council. In 1923 to 1925 he was president of the Canterbury Employers' Association, and from 1926 to 1927 chairman of the Christchurch Citizens' Association. In 1915 he was president of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

In 1934 Mr Hayward was appointed a member of the Legislative Council, but was not reappointed at the expiry of his term of office. He was chairman of the Christchurch branch of the National Party and on the executive of the National Club. About five years ago he was appointed a sinking fund commissioner for the City of Christchurch, and at the time of his death was chairman of the commission.

Of an outstandingly generous nature, Mr Hayward was the benefactor of many deserving causes in the city. For many years he was a member of the committee of the Nurse Maude District Nursing Association and was directly associated with many philanthropic and charitable organisations. A member of the Roman Catholic Church, he did not confine his acts of generosity to the organisations of any one church. He was actively associated with the work of his own church in many diffent spheres, the most notable of his contributions to its social work being the part he played in founding St Christopher's Boy's Club at St Mary's Church, Manchester Street. Mr Hayward endowed one of the 'houses' of this club in memory of his brother and perioically gave lectures to the boys for whom the club was founded.

Dating from the earliest years of his career, Mr Hayward's interest in the sport of trotting was maintained throughout his life. He first took part in the sport as an amateur driver and trainer of his own horses. Later he became well known a club member, owner, and as a member of the board of the NZ Trotting Association, of which he was vice-president and at one time chairman of the licensing committee. Since about 1918 he had been a steward and member of the committee of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club. The last horse he raced was The Toff, a winner at Addington. Mr Hayward was much in demand as a judge of light horses at agricultural shows and was himself a successful exhibitor.

In his young days Mr Hayward was one of the best athletes in Canterbury and won races in all parts of NZ, competing successfully as a sprinter in Dominion championships.

In 1895 Mr Hayward married Miss Anne Harrington. He is survived by his widow, three sons and four daughters.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar: 16Jun1943

RACING HISTORY PEOPLE

T H McGIRR

Mr T H McGirr, who died recently, was a well-known figure in the trotting world. Living in the Methven district, it was only natural that Mr McGirr should be closely connected with trotters and pacers, as the district is a strong one for the sport.

The deceased became most prominent when he purchased the Australian pacer Man o' War, who was thought, at the time, to be past his racing career; but to the surprise of many, that fine pacer came out and defeated a very strong field in a free-for-all at Ashburton. It was a splendid contest.

On going to the stud, Man o' War sired a number of good performers, including War Buoy, Sabu, Happy Man, Waress, Warfield, Marceres, Battlefield, Lady Milne, Warplane and Navy Blue.

A pacer who raced very successfully for Mr McGirr was Reporter, winner of two August Handicaps and many other important events; and recently Native Man had carried his colours successfully.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 20Jan1943

RACING HISTORY MESCELLANY

MATCH RACE 27 March 1943

The match race between Haughty and Gold Bar at Addington on March 27 is acknowledged by veteran sportsmen who have seen all the big match races between two horses, to have been the best of all these contests.
Not because a new match race of 2.00 2/5 was made by the winner Haughty, and not because of the interest it created.

The Ribbonwood-Fritz match brought a record crowd from all parts of the Dominion and the Native Chief-Great Bingen was another highly-publicised event that drew many thousands from Auckland to the Bluff. But the Haughty-Gold Bar match was a "last-minute" arrangement, and there was no large purse to act as a spur to record-breaking. And so the majority of the public were expecting little and came away highly delighted at being treated to such a magnificent duel.

The general idea before the race seemed to be that a mile in around 2.04, with a last half in about a minute, would be all that would be asked of the champions, and the fact that the speed was on all the way and the first half was run in 59 1/5 secs was a pleasant surprise for the thousands of lovers of a good horse who were present. They accepted it as a nice compliment on the part of the owners and drivers to their interest in the sport, and it is safe to say that all connected to the two horses have gone up considerably in the estimation of all sporting folk.

Mr Ben Grice was as pleased at winnnig this match race as he was at winning the NZ Cup, and so was the driver, O E Hooper. Free Holmes, who drove Gold Bar, was a real factor in the success of the contest because of the manner in which he got Gold Bar away on terms with Haughty at the first time of asking. There was no suggestion of 'sparring.' In fact, the co-ordination between starter A J Hastings, the drivers and the horses was clockwork in its precision. And it was certainly a great day for the Grices.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 7Apr1943

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1943 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

With the Second World War in full swing, the 1942 Cup Meeting was restricted to two Saturdays, but a record crowd turned out to see Haughty prevail, again in record time thanks entirely to Gold Bar.

Haughty was owned and trained by her breeder Ben Grice of Tinwald and was by his Auckland Cup winner Nelson Derby, a son of Norice, and for reinsman Ossie Hooper it was a case of 13th time lucky, having recorded only one previous placing.

Haughty was just as convincing in 1943 and remains the only pacing mare to be a dual winner, while she also had the distinction of being the first mare outside America to enter the 2:00 list when following Lawn Derby and Gold Bar in 1944.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 8Oct03