| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 1960
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There is a tall, jovial trotting trainer in the South Island by the name of Alf Bourne. And what a character is this red-head. I must admit I met him in the most pleasant conditions. It was a bright sunny Sunday morning and one of the local publicans, Bill Anderson by name, asked me to got and look at some horses. The idea appealed to me immensely when I saw in the back of his car three of four iced flagons of the nut brown ale.
And don't think you have to travel miles to reach Alf Bourne's stables. They are almost in the heart of Christchurch city itself. Alf had only one horse racing at the recent NZ Cup carnival and that was Aquaplane. He finished fifth in the Empire Handicap the first day but it was an effort that suggested he may not be long in taking out a winning stake. Ebony Scott and Larnie Scott are two others from the Bourne stable but he has two or three in the younger division which have the appearance of going places.
Just prior to the Cup meeting Alf was more than a little lucky in not being seriuosly hurt when he was working a horse. The pacer stumbled and shot the driver high into the air. Fortunately, Alf is made of strong material and a badly swollen hand was all the injury he received.
As a group of us sat round the stable and moaned of our previous day's losses, the always laughing trainer brightened up the refreshment hour with racing anecdotes and some tales of his experiences. Although the light-harness sport is Alf Bourne's main interest now, he was a provincial Rugby player in his day and also held the New Zealand heavy-weight boxing title on two occasions.
Alf Bourne may not figure at the top of the trainers' table at the end of the season but he meets with a fair measure of success and really enjoys the game. If you are down that way drop in on a Sunday morning. Even if you don't like horses, you'll like the social hour.
Credit: MPT writing in NZ Hoof Beats Vol10, No7
YEAR: 1991
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The death occurred at the weekend of the successful trainer and sportsman, Alf Bourne.
Widely known as 'Ginger', Bourne was a jockey, boxer and footballer. He was in his prime in the 1930s, playing breakaway for the Canterbury rugby team, and in 1933 he beat Bill Pascoe to take the NZ heavyweight boxing title. He was a loyal Merivale man, coaching the senior team and later became a life member.
He spent more than 50 years training horses, including many that reached top class. Waitaki Hanover, who won the Hunter Cup in Melbourne, the Auckland Cup, the Rotorua Cup, the Flying Handicap and the Summer Cup in Sydney, was one of the best. He had a soft spot for Mister Chips because he used to get homesick and cheer up as soon as he returned home, and with the ill-fated Vanderford he won 11.
After winning four races for Don Hayes, Vanderford joined Bourne's stable, and won six in succession at the start of his 4-year-old campaign, notably the Methven Cup off 48yds, the Laing Handicap from Rustic Lad and Flying Blue, the Flying Stakes at Ashburton from Robin Dundee and Cardigan Bay, and the Hannon Memorial. He was the beaten favourite in the NZ Cup won by Cardigan Bay. He was never so good at five, where his only win was at Forbury Park.
Vantage, Larnie Scott, Doctor Scott and the speedy trotter Al Mundy were among other good horses he trained.
Aged 81 at the time of his death, Bourne continued to follow sport, especially rugby which he loved so much, during his retirement.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 9Oct91