| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 2015
CARL MIDDLETON
Carl Middleton, from a rapidly fading Mid Canterbury tradition of combining farming with a semi-professional racing team - once the heart of the game - had an impeccable "trotting pedigree."
He leaned more toward his wife Heather's Lowe family, and the Nordqvist family of his mother when it came to training. His colourful father, Gordon, became noted for speedy early two year old pacers, usually with "Fancy" in their name, as a result of constantly mating Marawiti to Truant Hanover, a locally syndicated horse Carl stood at stud. Carl didn't race many two year olds.
His best horse, Fraggle Rock, traced directly to the dam of Lucky Jack the Lowe's dual NZ Cup winner and his career showed that doing your own thing is just as important in life as aiming for the stars. He also did well with Pompano and Fabian from his parent's Merry Polly tribe.
I doubt Carl Middleton had an enemy in the world but he did have an indomitable spirit which meant he could pass the hard days and enjoy the good ones. Mid Canterbury harness is much the poorer for the demise of these rural enthusiasts even if time waits for no one.
Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed Oct15
YEAR: 2005
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| Meredith Wilson presents the Cup to Margaret Gibson |
But there in one getting the same view. Jasmyn's Gift ran the race of her life to finish third, behind Major Decision, after a break that cost her 50 or 60 metres but probably more. She would have given Pompallier an awful scare had she stepped and been part of the bunch. She caught them at the 1800m, and went forward almost immediately.
Colin De Filippi, who had replaced Brosnan in the sulky at the suggestion of the owners, was well placed four-back on the outer, but left that cover and took the lead off Major Decision at he 1200m. From there, Pompallier was on a winning rein. Jasmyn's Gift produced not the run of the race but the run of the meeting. But ability is little comfort without manners, and they stood to Pompallier and Major Decision.
Brosnan was not dismayed when the decision was made by part-owners Margaret Gibson and his wife Julija after Pompallier's Show Day sixth to see if De Filippi would handle the horse. He needed to be released from Paris Metro, which John Parsons happily agreed to. Brosnan and De Filippi have combined before, De Filippi winning with Trojan while Brosnan was still in South Canterbury and with Gee Sixty Eight since he's been in the north. The Brosnans, Margaret and her husband Noel have been neighbours for many years, the Gibsons having bought the adjacent property when they originally settled at Ardmore.
Pompallier was bred by the Brosnans after buying Armbro Gold, who was one of a number of horses advertised by John Curtin in a dispersal sale. She was a winning Armbro Del mare from the family of Local Light, and she'd been breeding by the time the Brosnans got her. "I'd had a good run with Castle Derg, Kilat and Jenlight who were all by Local Light, so that was a factor. And as she was related to Best Bets, who was a very good trotter for Eddie Cowie," he said.
Sent to Tricky Dick, Armbro Gold left Baltic Flight, the dam of Inter-Dominion Grand Final winner, Baltic Eagle, which the Brosnans sold after two starts for a fourth and a first. Since leaving Pompallier to Sundon, Armbro Gold has left him a sister, seven years younger, and is grazing at Carl Middleton's. She is 27 and perhaps past breeding successfully again, but Brosnan said "we might give her one more go".
Brosnan says Pompallier is an easy horse to work with, but he's "useless" if he gets fired up. "I always work him on his own. It's a privilege to have a horse like this. Along with No Response, he's the best horse I've had," he said.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly