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PEOPLE

 

YEAR: 2004

The death of Des Grice earlier this month ended three generations where the Grice name was synonymous with breeding, owning and training.

He was born in 1924, served during the Second World War in Fiji, and returned to work on the family farm at Winslow. Together with his father Ben, he moved to Prebbleton in 1951, where they stood Brahman at stud, followed by Lopez Hanover, Bandit, World Skipper, Cardshark and Melvin's Strike.

He trained such good pacers as Smokey Lopez, Ceremonial, Petro Star, Courtier, Deference; Royal Lopez, Glamour and Jonboy Star, who all won the Sapling Stakes, and the NZ Oaks Winners Have Care (driven by Bob Young) and Ruling Lobell (Denis Nyhan).

"Des drove a bit, but when Rona (whom he married) saw him for the first time and he nearly fell out of the cart, she suggested he shouldn't drive again," recalled his daughter, Anne Phillips. "They always had a top young horse, and Des was very proud when Have Care won the Oaks as an outsider," she said.

Later he employed Jeff Whittaker and Geoff Small, and when he stopped training, he gained great pleasure following their training careers.

Twenty years ago, he changed direction after he felt harness racing was not able to sustain the business they had. He sub-divided their property and Anne said he was "challeged by skills" needed to do this.

He is survived by Rona, his sons Roger and David, and daughters Anne Phillips and Judy Ingram.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 24Nov04



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