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R B BERRY

The death of R B Berry removes NZ's most successful trainer of pacers and trotters of modern times. His list of classic and leading handicap winners is unrivalled in Dominion light-harness history. He 'made' most of his own champions, juvenile trotter or pacer, sprinter or stayer. The eminence he attained in his profession was in large measure due to his all-round knowledge of the horse from the foal stage, to his great patience, his almost uncanny sense of balance and perfection in the gaiting and educating of young horses, his instinctive love of all animals, his innate 'horsesense.'

The Thomas Murphy of Dominion trotting will be missed. The sands of time may reveal him as the same legendary figure in trotting as the late R J Mason has become in racing.

Berry was originally associated with the gallopers, and, like many other valuable recruits from the sister sport, he was forced out of the saddle by increasing weight. As a youth, he was apprenticed to Free Holmes, and later rode for M Hobbs and T Quinlivan. His most important riding success was on Sinapis in the NZ Cup of 1913. He also won the Thompson Handicap on Lagoda, McLean Stakes on Marsa, Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes on Charmilla, and was on Stardancer when she dead-heated in the Stewards' Handicap of 1912.

It was on his return from the Great War that Berry turned his attention to trotting, and the first horse he trained and drove was Coldwater; but it was the 'Bingen mares' that played an important part in putting Berry on the road to success, just as truly as Berry proved that the 'Bingen mares,' properly handled, were equal as racehorses to those of any other breed. It must be explained here that, due to their fiery and uncertain temperament, mares by Nelson Bingen had let themselves in for wide prejudice, and many of the breed were not even raced because of this 'set' against them.

The first of the Nelson Bingen mares Berry sent to the top was Escapade, and she not only became the champion trotting mare of her time, but she also beat pacers bordering on Cup class. Sea Pearl and Jean McElwyn were two pacing daughters of Nelson Bingen who took high honours and were big money-winners for Berry's stable. Sea Pearl was the leading stake-winner one season and Jean McElwyn, who stood little over 14 hands, was the 'pocket battleship' of her time and a genuine public favourite. Machine Gun, an Australian pacer, was a big stake-winner for the stable and reached Cup class. So did Dundas Boy, a fine pacer who was placed in a NZ Cup. Bingen Starr, Koro Peter and White Satin were high-class trotters sheltered by the Berry stable upwards of 15 years ago. Koro Peter and White Satin were both juvenile champions.

Two of the greatest stayers and 'characters' Berry trained were the trotter Trampfast and the pacer Rollo. Trampfast was described by Berry as "intelligent, game and reliable." He was well into double figures when Berry took him in hand after this grand trotter had been absent from the racetracks for a period of 18 months, but he developed better form than ever, and won the Dominion Handicap and other races. He also competed successfully against high-class pacers. Rollo was the antithesis of Trampfast in temperament. He was completely devoid of brains. Berry himself declared the big Jingle pacer had a vacuum between his ears. But he became a high-class winner and was a natural stayer. A problem on the mark, he had no idea of how to fill his hopples once he mis-stepped at the start, but he never stopped trying when he did go away at all well.

Berry's first acquaintance with mares of the Rey de Oro breed was not an inspiring experience. It was his turn to become prejudiced. For years he would not have a mare of this speedy family on the place. One day Mr D R Revell plucked up sufficient courage to ask him to take a yearling filly by Rey de Oro from Yenot. Berry agreed to do so, but only under pressure. Thus arrived Parisienne, the greatest mare of her time, winner of the Sapling Stakes, NZ Derby, Great Northern Derby, and numerous other races, including the Grand Championship at the Inter-Dominion series held at Addington in 1938.

Berry achieved his life's ambition as a trainer and driver when he won the NZ Trotting Cup with Lucky Jack and so completed the NZ Cups double Sinapis(1913), Lucky Jack(1937). Lucky Jack still ranks as one of the finest stayers of all time, as he went on to finish second in the Cup of 1938 and won again in 1939. Lucky Jack was also an outstanding performer at Inter-Dominion Championships, and his other important successes included the National Handicap and Timaru Cup.

Great Jewel, who joined Berry's stable late in life, was the leading stake-winner of the Dominion one season when he was trained at Yaldhurst, and if he had been sound he would probably have been a champion. Pacing Power was a great horse for Berry from the time he won the Timaru Nursery Stakes. He went on to win the Sapling Stakes, Derby, Ashburton Cup, NZ Premier Sprint Championship, and finished third in two NZ Cups. Sprigfield Globe, who came from Australia to join the stables some three seasons back, became one of the most brilliant pacers of recent years, his successes including the Mason Handicap and the NZ Premier Sprint Champuionship

One of Berry's greatest triumphs, and his last, was to train Bronze Eagle to win the £5000 NZ Trotting Cup of 1944; a triumph because general opinion was that this grand pacer had passed his prime before going into Berry's stable. Bronze Eagle also won the National Handicap and All Aged Stakes for Berry.

As a trainer of Classic and leading handicap races. Berry had an unrivalled record. His successes included: NZ Trotting Cup(Lucky Jack, twice, & Bronze Eagle); NZ Derby(Parisienne & Pacing Power); NZ Sapling Stakes(Parisienne, Pacing Power & Acropolis); NZ Champion Stakes(Attorney & Horsepower); NZ Futurity Stakes(Horsepower & Pacing Power); Great Northern Stakes(Horsepower & Bohemian); Great Northern Derby(Valdor, Parisienne, Horsepower & Acropolis); Canterbury Handicap(Rollo & Southern Chief); Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes(Sandiways); Canterbury Three-Year-Old Stakes(Globe Direct); Dunedin Cup(Great Jewel); National Cup(Lucky Jack & Bronze Eagle), Dominion Handicap(Trampfast & Pilot Peter); Timaru Nursery Stakes(Walter Moore & Pacing Power); NZ Sires' Produce Stakes(White Satin); NZ Trotting Stakes, Timaru(Paying Guest); NZ Trotting Stakes, Addington(Fantom); NZ Premier Sprint Championship(Springfield Globe & Pacing Power); All Aged Stakes, Ashburton(Horsepower & Bronze Eagle).

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 3Jan46

KERR BROTHERS

There is no getting away from the fact that Canterbury has always stood as the birthplace of trotting in the Dominion. Though the sport is now firmly established in most parts of the country its followers turn instinctively to this province for leadership. Like any other newly-established sport, light-harness racing had plenty of difficulties to contend with. One of the strongest of these was the contempt with with it was treated by racing clubs.

That prejudice was gradually overcome and it is a tribute to its improved management and rapidly growing popularity that the two sports now go practically hand in hand. One no longer hears the taunt that trotting is for 'nondesript horses' attached to 'little carts' and 'tradesmen's prads.' Once the sport had overcome its initial mismanagement it commenced to attract the attention of an improved following of trainers and drivers. These included names that have become historical in the progress of the sport.

Hark back to the days when its stalwarts included such as the brothers Willie and Charles Kerr, Jos Farrar, Jim Munro, Chris Harold, Jack Milne, Bert and Manny Edwards, Ted Murfitt, Jim Wright and Charles Stace. Later the increased stakes attracted several American horsemen of whom Geo Starr, M Albaugh, and the redoubtable Bob McMillan did much for the sport especially in training methods.

Of all these the name of Willie Kerr stands out as the greatest all-rounder in the role of owner, trainer and breeder. Willie and brother Charlie frequently won half the races on the card and their appearance behind any horse was sufficient to ensure its favouritism. At that time many amateur horsemen crossed swords with the 'pros' and occasionally they had the better of the fight. In the nineties races confined to stallions were an attractive feature of the Show Ground programmes. On one occasion the field for the sires' race included such well-known stallions as Kentucky, Berlin, Abdallah, General Tracey, Lincoln Yet and Emerson, all of whom helped to improve the quality of light-harness stock. There was also a despised outsider in the Arab stallion Blue Gown, the only competitor handled by an amateur - one Mr Oliffe. Kentucky, though giving away 35secs (just fancy, 420 yards under the present system) was looked on as a certainty. But the good thing came undone. For once Blue Gown took it into his head to do the right thing with the result that his supporters received what up to that time was a record dividend.

Yet another incident of an amateur downing the professionals was witnessed at Lancaster Park in 1890. Of the eight starters in the Maiden Trot all carried support with the exception of Mr J Hill's Kangaroo. Even his owner, who rode him, had not a single investment on his representative, and all the money had to be returned to the backers.

But to return to Willie Kerr. Great as were his deeds on the track, it was as a breeder that he earned undying fame. And the foundation of his stud, situated on the New Brighton road, were the stallion Wildwood and the broodmare Thelma.

In the early eighties one of Canterbury's keenest authorities on light harness blood was Mr J Todd, of Lincoln. In his small stud was a mare called Pride Of Lincoln, who was about three parts thoroughbred. Being on the look-out for something good to carry his colours, Willie Kerr was greatly taken by a daughter of hers named Thelma, and purchased her. She won several races for her new owner, but her turf career was neither lengthy nor brilliant. Early in the century she joined Kerr's studfarm where Wildwood, who had just concluded a brilliant career on the tracks was the leading stallion. Thelma's first foal to the American sire was a very promising colt, but he broke a leg when running with his dam. In 1903 from the same union came Willowwood, a very speedy pacer, who won races and subsequently earned some fame as a sire. Next year came Wildwood Junior, winner of two Trotting Cups and one of the greatest racehorses of all time. Thelma's later contributions included Marie Corelli, Authoress (dam of Author Dillon), Adonis, Lady Sybil, Cameos, Waverley, Aristos, Neil Denis, The Pointer and Azelzion. Truly Thelma can be classed as 'the gem of the Trotting Stud Book.'

Nor was she the only matron to bring fame to Kerr's stud. Most notable of them was Gertie, an American-bred mare imported to Sydney by Messrs Trestrall and Burns in 1900. Two years afterward she joined the Wildwood Stud, which she enriched with 11 colts and fillies. Amongst these were such prominent winners as Storm, Calm, Breeze, Lexwood and Stormlet. All her foals were by Wildwood, or his son Wildwood Jnr. I have Willie Kerr's assurance that Calm was the speediest young horse he ever trained. As a matter of fact, his home trials eclipsed those of Wildwood Jnr and Admiral Wood.

The Kerrs were somewhat fortunate in acquiring Wildwood, the king pin of their establishment. The handsome son of Good Gift was one of four horses imported from America by Mr H Richardson, Taranaki. They were subsequently sent down to Canterbury for sale, and, on the advice of my old friend, Joe Chadwick, the Kerrs purchased Wildwood. Two years afterwards the American faced a racecourse crowd for the first time in a race at the Show Grounds, and though asked to concede from 4 to 10 seconds start, he was backed as a certainty. A little-fancied candidate in the Ashburton-trained Prince Imperial brought about his downfall. It was this race that led up to the famous match between Wildwood and Prince Imperial, over which big sums of money changed hands. Patiently driven by Willie Kerr, Wildwood never gave Prince Imperial a look-in, winning two straight heats.

It was over 60 years ago that Willie Kerr made his debut in the saddle. At that time on many Saturdays and public holidays impromptu meetings were held on the New Brighton Beach. At one of these Dick Sutherland had a mare racing called Maud S and it was on her that the youthful horseman won his first race. The prizes were of the utility order - a bridle, a saddle or even a whip. And showing his versatility, young Kerr also won a hurdle race on the beach on a mare named Patience.

Some years later the New Brighton course was formed. Along the back straight the track had been cut through a sandhill and for about 50 yards the horses could not be seen from the stand. So many non-triers were pulled up in this stretch that it became known as the 'standstill.' The New Brighton course was a lucky one for the Kerr brothers, who on several occasions between them won half the programme. Lower Heathcote was another happy hunting ground for Willie Kerr, as were Lancaster Park, Plumpton Park, and the Show Grounds. Occasionally he raced successfully at Tahuna Park and Forbury Park, but was not a great patron of meetings outside Canterbury

It is many years now since Willie Kerr last donned racing livery, most of his later activities being devoted to light-harness breeding, and in this department his name is just as strong as it had been on the tracks. For some months the octogenarian's health has not been the best, but as he is on the improve he looks forward to being present at Addington to see the next Trotting Cup.


Credit: F C Thomas writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 2Oct46

WESTERMAN: J B

The death occurred on Sunday, at the age of 85 years, of New Brighton's 'Grand Old Man' of trotting, Mr J B Westerman.

Mr Westerman was elected a member of the NZ Metropolitan and New Brighton Trotting Clubs in 1902. He was a committeeman and steward of the NZMTC from 1910 to 1936 and was elected a life-member in 1937. He was a committeeman and steward of the NBTC from 1904 to 1946, and served a term as president. He was elected a life-member of the New Brighton Club some years ago.

Mr Westerman bred light-harness horses for more than 50 years, and most of his winners traced to a famous early importation in Jeanie Tracey. Mr Westerman bought Dollar Princess about the year 1910, and she proved a very fast mare and a good winner. Dollar Princess, whose third dam was Jeanie Tracey, established a great winning line, her descendants including Doraldina, Houdini, Lady Bountiful, Donard, Dollar King, Recess, Daphne de Oro, Dusolina, Gold Chief, Special Edition, Great News and numerous others.

Fatality, who was bred by Mr Westerman, produced several winners and successful matrons. The best line from her in existence today is that of Lottie Location, the dam of Local Gold.

Becky Logan, a high-class racemare bred and owned by Mr Westerman, left Graham Direct, an Auckland Cup winner, and other winners in Golden Direct, Becky Direct and Taiki.

Mr Westerman was a sportsman in every sense of the word and was one of the most popular and highly-respected owners and breeders identified with trotting for more than half a century.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 25Sep46

MORGAN O'BRIEN

The death occurred in Christchurch on Sunday of Mr Morgan O'Brien, a well-known Christchurch businessman, a prominent owner of racehorses, and a member of the committee of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club.

Mr O'Brien was born in Limerick, Ireland, and at an early age came to NZ with his parents, who settled in North Otago and took up the business of horse dealing. As a boy Mr O'Brien followed the calling of his father, but later joined the Permanent Attillery at Lyttelton, where he was stationed for nine years. Later he became one of the best known men in the licensed trade.

Mr O'Brien was always interested in horses, especially trotters, and many years ago he trained and drove in many of their races All Gold, The Limit, Rostrevor, John Peel, Manreva, Rosie McKinney, Pete Peter, Succory and General Derby. Associated with a fine horseman in A Pringle he won many races. Other horses he owned were Monopole, trained by R W Franks, Worthy Bingen, White Satin, Young Blake, Western Voyage and Prince Pointer, all trained by W J Tomkinson. He also owned a number of gallopers, including the consistent but unlucky Dictate, Winsome Boy, Grecian Prince, Helen Gold and Rebellion.

Mr O'Brien also took a keen interest in trotting administration and for two years he was president of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club and for many years a steward of the club. He was also a member of the Metropolitan Trotting Club and the Canterbury Jockey Club. His wife died four years ago, and he is survived by his son Mr Morgan O'Brien, of Christchurch, and a daughter, Mrs W J Doyle, of Leeston.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 5Dec45

R GRANT

The death has occurred of Mr R Grant, who some years ago raced Harold Thorpe, Mate o' Mine, Sarsaparilla, and other horses with a good deal of success, winning, among other races, the NZ Trotting Gold Cup at Wellington with Mate o' Mine in the 1928-29 season. In partnership with Mr H Winter, he raced Black Admiral, winner of the Dunedin Cup in the 1925-26 season. The horses raced by Mr Grant won just on £7000 in stake money and the partnership more than £4000.

Mr Grant farmed a well known property at Yaldhurst for many years, the home of the late R J Mason. Probably the last horse owned by Mr Grant to be returned a winner was Queen High, holder of the Westport race record of 2:12 3/5 for a mile.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 15Aug45

GEORGE PAUL Jnr

The death has occurred in Auckland of Mr George Paul, jun, who was for many years handicapper to the NZ Trotting Conference.

Mr Paul received his first handicapping appointment from the Auckland Trotting Club in 1926, and later he became handicapper to the Thames, Hawera, Taranaki, Wanganui and Hawkes Bay Trotting Clubs. Mr Paul established his reputation in the North Island to such an extent that, on the death of Mr H Brinkman, he was appointed handicapper to the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, and eventually made his headquarters in Christchurch.

Mr Paul's ability as a reader of a race, as we say in newspaper parlance, was extraordinarily sound. He was one of the keenest judges of trotting form ever identified with the sport, and had what is known as 'horsesense' in a highly developed degree.

Mr Paul was one of the first handicappers to depart from the strict time basis in the framing of his handicaps, and for this he came in for strong criticism when he put some of his revolutionary ideas into operation, but the results of his work soon began to confound his critics. One of Mr Paul's principal contentions was that it was illogical to penalise a horse registering 2.10 in a 2.20 class, say 10sec, when the fourth and fifth horses, which might have finished within a fraction of a second of the placed horses, could not be brought into line. Mr Paul was rapidly evolving a system of his own, completely divorced from the time factor, and the more lenient view he insisted upon taking of horses putting up fast times on perfect tracks had a big bearing upon the scheme limiting handicapper's penalties, which was passed by Conference in 1929.

Confusion set in, however, as a number of handicappers showed little desire to co-operate with the scheme. In 1933, Mr H F Nicoll, in his presidential address to the NZ Trotting Conference, stated:"...We have had considerable experience at this stage of the vagaries of handicappers; some do not appear able to grasp the essence of the regulations and others do not keep proper records. It will be noted in the order paper that it is proposed to bring in new rules giving your executive power to appoint one or more handicappers and assistants..." At that time there were no fewer than 11 trotting handicappers in the Dominion, and after the 1933 Conference these were reduced to three, Mr G Paul secured the principal appointment.

Mr Paul was a returned soldier from the Great War, and four of his brothers and a son were on active service in World War II.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 5Sep45

R F MARTIN

Somebody remarked the other day that "Gold Bar makes the Trotting Cup."

Well Gold Bar does nothing of the kind. The Cup has been made for many years by Mr R F Martin, with his own skilled hands. Mr Martin's workshop is on the second storey of the Norwich building on the corner of Hereford and Manchester Streets, so the Gold Cup is made in Christchurch by a man born in Christchurch.

Mr Martin has now made 10 Gold Cups for the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, and he can expect to make many more, because the quality of his workmanship is of the highest, and the finished article you can see him putting the finishing touches on in the photograph is an ornament that would adorn the sideboard of a monarch, a sportsman, or an art connoisseur.

Mr Martin puts in many months of work on each Cup he makes. It is entirely hand-beaten. All the delicate embossed work is artistically reproduced. The club's monogram is in raised embossed letters, and on the opposite side to the monogram is the panel on which will be engraved the name of the winning owner and the horse.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 25Oct44

Fred Thomas (right) studying with A Smith, Addington Steward

F C THOMAS

Born in Christchurch, Mr Fredrick Charles Thomas, writer of the series of articles, "Importations from the Beginning," is today probably the oldest sporting journalist in the Dominion.

As a youth the glamour of the sea, stimulated by a fondness of Clark Russell's thrilling sea stories, influenced him in making a trip to England and back under sail, but the wretched conditions then prevailing on old-fashioned "windjammers" made one round voyage more than sufficient.

In the mid 'eighties, young Thomas joined the commercial staff of the Christchurch Press Company, whose business premises were then situated in a diapidated wooden building in Cashel Street. A fondness for all classes of sport, especially racing and trotting, resulted in his taking a position as assistant sporting writer on "The Press and Referee," under the coaching of that doyen of sporting journalists, the late Joseph Chadwick. At that time the sport of trotting received little attention in the columns of local papers, and Mr Thomas was the first to bring it into prominence by devoting a special column to its development.

Writing under the nom de plume of "Templar," his articles did much to increase interest in the sport. In 1913 Mr Thomas severed his connection with "The Press" with the idea of seeing what scope the American papers offered for journalists. During four months travel throughout the States he attended several grand curcuit meetings, and saw most of America's show places. On returning to New Zealand, Mr Thomas joined up with "The Sun" when it first started, and remained until the early 1920's. Since then he has contributed many 'specials' to different papers, not only in the Dominion, but also in America and Australia.

Early in his journalistic career, Mr Thomas, at a moments notice, had the position of handicapper to the Canterbury Park (then Plumpton Park) Trotting Club, almost forced upon him through an unfortunate disagreement between the Club and its former official during the progress of a meeting. For about 30 years he continued to officiate for the club, and he was still acting when the new system of handicapping came into force. Other Clubs that Mr Thomas officiated for were the Methven Trotting Club, New Brighton Trotting Club, Marlborough Trotting Club, Hawera Trotting Club, Wellington Trotting Club and the South Wairarapa Trotting Club. He has also handicapped for several galloping clubs, including 17 years service to the Geraldine Racing Club.

From his youth Mr Thomas was a keen participant in many outdoor sports, notably yachting, football, rowing, and tennis, while today he is a regular player of bowls at the United Club's green.

Mr Thomas's name will probably be remembered by future generations of light-harness breeders through his compiling of the earliest Trotting Stud Books. This work, which he carried on for over 20 years, was a tough proposition, as records of early importations were scanty and unreliable. His lengthy efforts in this direction laid a solid foundation on which the present compilers have been enabled to bring out a more complete work.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 20Sep44

Fred Johnston & Zingarrie

FRED JOHNSTON

Fred Johnston has been shoeing horses for 54 years. He is the official farrier at Addington meetings.

This maestro of the anvil chorus opened a blacksmith shop in Sydenham in 1890, and down through the years, under his "spreading chestnut tree" have stood such celebrities as Red Child, Kentucky, Thelma, Bellflower, Durbar, Marian, Aberfeldy, Dan Patch, Author Dillon, Admiral Wood, Wildwood Junior and hundreds more. And Fred is still on the job. When I looked him up on Saturday he was deftly rasping away at a nimble foot belonging to Zingarrie.

Fred paused in his rasping to answer my question: "Wildwood Junior was the best horse I ever shod," he replied. "He won two Cups, and his third would have been easy if he hadn't gone wrong. The black horse's shoes weighed only 13oz in all. We had made some progress even in those days, as you see," added Johnston, "but what a headache the early trotters used to give us! They were nearly all speedy-cutters, and the pacers were mostly cross-firers, and I used to lie awake night after night trying to puzzle out ways and means of improving their gait. You see, in the early days the breed wasn't there. The farrier was expected to make trotters out of cart horses. Today, they are so well bred they are gaited, so to speak, as soon as they are foaled."

Fred Johnston mopped his brow. He had just been all through the throes and anxieties of levelling up the footwork of a particularly bad knee-knocker he had to deal with 40 years ago. The mere recital of it made him feel like the village smithy of old, and honest sweat glistened in beads on his brow.

"Knee-knockers!" he exclaimed, while continuing the mopping. "They were at their worst 40 years ago. Today few knee-knockers are worth going on with. It was always a hard defect to attempt to cure. When Peter Riddle first came to this country with a team of horses, I had the pleasure of doing his shoeing. He said: 'If you can't get a horse that doesn't knock its knees, don't have one at all.' That's what he thought of knee-knockers. Gus Milsom was of the same opinion: so was the late Bob McMillan," added Johnston. "But in the early days we had no option," continued our worthy smith. "There were few good-gaited horses about."

Johnston went into some detail to explain what a scalper is, and instanced the case of a great trotter named Red Child, who raced about 50 years ago. Red Child scalped very badly. It was impossible to race him without scalping boots on the hind feet to protect him from striking himself with his front feet. Many a headache he gave me before I got him right," said Johnston.

"But I had a worse case than that. It was McKinley, a horse I owned myself, and the worst cross-firer I ever had. I could have slept in peace if I had had the knowledge in the year 1902 I gained in later years. McKinley pulled so many front shoes off he nearly had me in the asylum. But when I did get him to rights he was a good horse."

"What do you regard as your greatest shoeing triumph?" I asked the man of the forge.

Without a moment's hesitation Fred answered: "A trotter called Impatient." He went on to relate how Randall McDonnell had a horse of that name, and wanted to race him at Addington. "I asked Randall if the horse had any defects, and he answered: 'Yes; he paddles in front and dwells behind.' That wasn't so simple; but I took his shoes off and weighed them, and asked Randall what weight he wanted on the horse. His reply was; 'He's in your hands; do what you think best.' I decided to lower the heels of his front feet a quarter of an inch, but that made a longer toe on his front feet. I put three ounces more weight on him than he had before, and made his hind shoes three ounces lighter. Then I put good caulks on the heels, and rolled the toes of the hind shoes. Randall worked him next day, went to the races, and won a three-mile race with him. He did not put a foot wrong. I still consider that was my master-piece," said Johnston reflectively.

"Round about 1897 Bob Day came to Sydenham with a team of horses, among them Gazelle, a trotter, and the first to break five minutes for two miles at Lancaster Park. I mention this mare in particular because she was easy to shoe, wearing only a 4oz shoe on each foot. Bob Day, incidentally, is still hale and hearty, and was at the last matinee meeting at Brighton," added Johnston.

"No foot, no horse! That axiom is as true today as ever it was," said Johnston. The foot was the one essential thing about a horse; a defect in any other part may not make it useless, but a bad foot could make it unsuitable for anything except breeding. "If all horses were straight-legged and sound in bones and hooves, the task of the trainer would be greatly simplified," said our farrier, "and there would be no headaches for us."

Nature however plays her little pranks with horseflesh just as she does with humans, and the horse is prone to the same freakish twists and deformities that beset the human race. What science, veterinary skill and balancing have done to correct these deficiences with the aid of modern shoeing methods forms a fascinating study. Much of the improvement in pacing and trotting speed is due to the particular genius of men like Fred Johnston. His life-long struggle for balance in gait has led him to explore many avenues in equine chiropody; in fact, the trotting footwear specialist is one of the most important units in the game.

Although horse-shoes have been made for many centuries, and their general design has not changed, and presumably never will, there have been many refinements. Fifty years ago, Fred Johnston will tell you, it was no uncommon thing for harness horses to wear shoes each weighing a pound or more, but today shoes are made as light as possible, commensurate with proper protection.

Fred was always sending to America for shoeing data in the early days, and he attributes some of his success to the information he was able to get from a shoers journal published by the late Wm. Russell, an expert in the craft. The Americans have naturally always been in the forefront in the shoeing of the trotting horse, because there the standard-bred as we know it today originated. And what a story the history of American shoeing tells us! Weight has been gradually decreased from the terrific load of two pounds on each foot to less than a pound on the whole four!

Some of the early colt trotters carried excessive weight, and Belle Nara, 2.08¾, who in 1888 lowered the world's record for yearlings in a race, to 2.38, carried almost two pounds in shoe and toe-weight, on each foot. Even 10 years later the amount of weight carried by the cracks resembled, in many instances, the old-timers rather than the modern colt. A conspicuous instance was Peter The Great. It took a lot of iron to balance him, but few were aware just how much. The statement appears that he won the Kentucky Futurity of 1898, carrying a 12oz shoe and 5oz toe-weight on each foot. Five years later, when Lou Dillon made the two-minute trotter a reality, she wore shes that weighed 4½oz each in front, and 3½oz each behind. She wore no toe-weights.

Brittle-footed horses are always a problem. Indianapolis was one of the worst cases ever experienced in this country. His feet were very dry and brittle, and before he won his first NZ Cup one of the front hooves split from top to bottom, and the blood was oozing out. A clever riveting operation by the late E Archer, another celebrated man of the anvil, enabled the big pacer to carry on and win three Cups; but if the delicate operation to his foot had been out so much as a hair's breadth, he would never have raced again.

Even in the early days of man attention had been drawn to the brittle nature of the horses hoof, for in Judg. v22 we find it stated: "Then were the horse-hoofs broken by the means of their prancings." In ancient Greek and Roman journals also it is found that armies had to be disbanded in consequence of the horses' hoofs breaking and wearing. The exact time, however, when shoes were allpied to horses feet is not known, but the Persians get the credit of being the first to use them. In the year 1653 an iron shoe was found in the tomb of Childeric, King of France, who died AD 481, and William the Conqueror is credited with having introduced the art of horse-shoeing into England.

Horse-shoeing is "Science With Practice." For the shoer to have a knowledge of the different forms or kinds of feet, to shape the various kinds of shoes and attach them properly, and then give a reason for his work, is one of the finest samples of "science with practice." The doctor's patient can tell him where it hurts. A veterinary surgeon or a farrier has to find out for himself.



Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 11 Oct 44

W G GARRARD

By the death of Mr W G Garrard in his 80th year, trotting has lost one of the men who helped to build it, the press gallery has lost one of its most colourful and popular characters, and the editor of the Calendar has lost a great friend. We will miss you "Garry".

Mr Garrard died "with his boots on." He wanted it to happen that way. He had gone to Greymouth to cover the trotting meeting there for the Calendar, and also to see his many friends on the Coast. He took ill on the morning of his arrival, last Friday, and died the same night.

"Garry" was a brave old gentleman. Many a time when he and the writer were ploughing through the index or results together, he would have a twinge of pain. But if anyone showed any concern about him he would berate them soundly. There was nothing neurotic about "Garry". No one knew better than himself that his 'old ticker' was due to stop ticking at any moment, but when it used to give him a reminder, as it frequently did, he would give that inimitable grin of his and blame his feet or "those damn sandwiches I had for lunch."

Mr Garrard was one of the best known sporting writers in the Dominion. He retired from journalism in 1932 after 50 years as a sporting writer. For the last three years, Mr Garrard had been the statistian for the 'NZ Trotting Calendar,' and he was also a member of the committee which compiled Volume XI of the New Zealand Trotting Stud Book for which he gave valuable service.

After being first dux of the Normal School, Christchurch, Mr Garrard took a wide interest in sport. For a number of years he was a member of the NZ Amateur Athletic Association, and he played cricket for the Midland Club for 20 years. When district cricket was established he played for the St Albans Club. After being a Merivale delegate to the Canterbury Rugby Union for a period, he was elected to the committee of the union, and in 1895 was appointed honorary secretary, an office he held till 1913. He then became one of the union's auditors for more than 25 years. In the jubilee year of the Rugby Union, 1929, Mr Garrard was elected a life member.

On retiring from playing football, Mr Garrard was a well-known referee of representative matches, and was chosen to referee the Rugby match between England and Australia in Sydney in 1899. He was first treasurer of the New Zealand Hockey Association, and held other executive positions in the sport.

Mr Garrard had always taken a keen interest in trotting as a delegate to the South Island Trotting Association, and when the New Zealand Trotting Association was formed, he was elected to the Board and became first chairman of the licensing committee. He later became deputy stipendiary steward for a long period. Mr Garrard had seen every race for the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

For many years Mr Garrard was secretary of the Christchurch and St Albans Money Club.

His wife died many years ago, and he had no family.

Credit: Editor, NZ Trotting Calendar 25 Oct 1944