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J A BUCKLAND'S HORSES ARRIVE

The well-known New South Wales trotting enthusiast, Mr J A Buckland, arrived from Sydney with a team of seven horses yesterday. Despite a somewhat rough passage the visitors are all in the best of health, though their enforce idleness has naturally left them somewhat backward in condition.

Fritz, the trotting champion of Australia, who is matched against the New Zealand-bred Ribbonwood, visited this colony some four years ago, when he practically carried all before him, and established a then Australasian record of 2:13. The Vancleve gelding, though getting on in years, looks really well, and his owner is confident that he will surpass any of his previous efforts in his engagements next month.

Viva, a daughter of Vancleve and Madge Wildfire, has also raced here before, and the occasion of her last appearance will be remembered by the sensational dividend she paid.

The other members of Mr Buckland's team are a four-year-old half-brother to What, by Burlington Jnr; Veronica, a six-year-old mare by Vancleve from Veto's dam; Velvet, a daughter of Burlington Jnr and Vashti, who has raced with success in Australia; Franz, a six-year-old brother to Fritz, who has a 2:30 record; an Quincey, by Vancleve from Gracie. The last named is engaged in the NZ Metropolitan TC Juvenile Stakes, and is a particularly well-shaped youngster.

The visitors are located at C Piper's stables, Riccarton, and will be prepared for their engagements under the supervision of their owner.

Credit: The Press 21Mar1903

Sporting men as a whole, and trotting men in particular, will regret to hear of the death of Mr Joseph Perkins, which took place at his residence, Mathieson's Road, Linwood, on Saturday. The deceased was a well-known figure at trotting race-meetings in this district, and for two years held the responsible position of president of the Canterbury Trotting Club. Subsequently he was elected treasurer and made a life member thereof. He also acted as honorary judge for the Lancaster Park Trotting Club for some years. He leaves a widow and one child to mourn their loss. The funeral takes place to-morrow morning.


Credit: Star 5 June 1899

JOHN BUCKLAND

A major figure in our harness history because he was the first person to establish a satellite stable and in his case an international one. One of the dominant figures of Australian harness, Buckland brought a team over in 1898 headed by the champion trotter Fritz and was so impressed he set up a professional stable here at Riccarton's historic Lonsdale Lodge (the well preserved house is still there) with his foreman Claude Piper in charge. Buckland owned the leading Australasian stallion Vancleve and his stock cleaned up most of the feature races here.

In five years Buckland was the leading owner in New Zealand four times and second in the other. His 2300ha Pine Ridge station was a fabulous estate producing stud horses of both codes; stud sheep and cattle; deer, parrots, turkeys and pigeons. The trotting facility was state of the art. He also maintained a racing stable in Sydney. Unhappily he gelded all the best sons of Vancleve and so killed off his own sire line. When he died in 1932 he left an estate of millions of dollars.

Trivia Fact: Claude Piper stayed on in Christchurch. He ran hotels at Springfield, Leeston and Southbridge and later the city's leading hostelry, the Clarendon. A noted sportsman in many areas Claude also acted as stipendiary steward and was a founder of the Owners, Trainers and Breeders Association.



Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed Jan 2017

Robert Wilkin

MR R WILKIN

Robert Wilkin was born in Scotland and after a time in Australia arrived at Lyttelton in 1858. Two years later he was elected to the Provincial Council of Canterbury as the representative for Timaru. Wilkin had by this time amassed extensive land holdings throughout Canterbury and Otago and was a man of many interests. He organised the first sheep sale in Ch-Ch, was judge at the first Merino sheep sale at Shepherds Bush, was a grain and seed merchant in Ch-Ch, was on the council of Canterbury University and with George Matson founded the Agricultural & Pastoral Society of Canterbury.
Wilkin raced thoroughbreds, was on the handicapping committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club and one of the founders of the Middle Park Stud.

One of his business partners, John Carter of Tinwald was responsible for the importation of the British mare Miss Kate who holds a hallowed place in the NZ racing scene as the ancestress of both Phar Lap and Kindergarten. In addition her son, Perkin Warbeck II became the sire of several foundation mares in the NZ Trotting Stud Book.

Wilkin's interest in trotting bred horses was kindled more by a wish to improve carriage horses than winning races. In the mid 1870's on a visit to Australia one of the mares he brought back was Sally, which had a strong trotting action that would suit his purpose. After being sold, Sally was mated with the thoroughbred Touchstone and produced a filly, which as Pride of Lincoln founded an outstanding family.

In 1881 Wilkin bought the American bred Berlin which was an immediate success at stud in Canterbury.
The following year Wilkin was offered Childe Harold, which he bought and on-leased to Andrew Town of Richmond, NSW. During his seven years at stud Childe Harold was so outstanding he was hailed as the Hambletonian 10 of Australia and was one of the main reasons for the Australian standardbred proving superior to their NZ counterparts in this era. Sydney's Harold Park is named after him. Luckily, his greatest siring son, Rothschild came to NZ and established a dynasty here.

'MAC' MILLER

'Mac' Miller was a Mid-Canterbury blade shearer before making an immense contribution to harness racing. Before retiring to Blenheim in his 60s, Miller made his mark with many good horses in a small team, and as President of the New Zealand Trotting Trainers and Drivers Association.

His daughter Barbara Straight recalled that her father was good at telling a yarn and had an encyclopaedic memory for breeding. "While he did not know all of the racing names of th horses we talked to him about, he certainly knew their stable names and any idiosyncracies they had," she said recently.

After being ill for six months, Miller died last month, aged 89.

His first major seccess was with Bonnieburn, by Gat Piper, in the 1964 Ashburton Cup when he defeated Marquess, Pancho Boy and Soanfra. His £48 win price was not the most he paid, havinf returned £55 at a Timaru meeting two seasons earlier. Soldato and Terrace Dale were smart horses, and he won three races with the Johnny Globe mare Jillinda as a trotter after he bought her when she had been racing as a pacer.

Perhaps his best pacer was Jacquinot Bar, although Trevor Hodgen was a favourite with a tremendous record as a grass track stayer. Jacquinot Bay won his first five starts, including a double at Nelson. He beat Bramble Hall, Radiant Globe and Friendly Forbes in an intermediate free-for-all at Addington, defeating Spare Parts at Alexandra Park and won the Wellington Cup from Rauka Lad and Via Veneto.

Trevor Hodgen was a bargain buy, for $400, and while he was versatile, he was at home over 3200m. He won three times over that distance at Methven, won the Marlborough Cup, and was at long odds when he defeated Glen Moira in the 3200m Ashburton Cup.

He won seven races from 32 starts with Hobart Star, among them the W E Lowe Stakes from Portfolio and Norton, and had much success in that period with Princess Armbro, Mendels Pride and Truant Direct, won feature 3-year-old races at Rangiora and Orari

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 17 Apr 2013