| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 2007
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| John Burgess and Grant's Wish winning at Motukarara. |
Burgess became the oldest reinsman to drive a winner in NZ when he partnered Katie May, a half-sister to Grant's Wish, to win races at Methven and Waimate late in 2005 as a 78-year-old. Burgess is also the trainer, breeder and part-owner of Grant's Wish. The Brookside horseman races the 5-year-old mare with the estate of his wife, Shirley, who died three and a half years ago. "I met Shirley when I was 14, bike riding and running. It took me a while to get over her death," Burgess said. "The horses have helped me cope."
Grant's Wish is the fifth trotting winner Burgess has bred from La Finale. The others were Peter Dylan (5 wins), Star Blaze (3) and John's Buddy (2). La Finale (Beau Nonantais-Tutahi When) won a race at Oamaru in December 1989 for Burgess at odds of 53-to-one. The runner up was Night Allowance, who won the Inter-Dominion Trotting Final in Auckland four years later.
Burgess has been involved with trotters for 56 years. He trained and drove his first winner, Winter Star, at Methven in April 1970. He stood down from driving at the end of the 1992/93 season when a rule stipulated a retirement age of 65. He made a comeback seven years later when the rule was changed. He has since driven 13 winners. "Paul Nairn (the noted trainer of trotters) talked me into getting my licence back," Burgess said. Burgess lives close to the Nairn stable.
Burgess assists his son Graeme on a property raising pigs and a few cattle. He is no stranger to long hours of work. He held down employment at a meat processing plant and a cardboard factory for 20 years, working between 14 and 16 hours a day. He began teaching himself the rudiments of training standardbreds. He was helped by trainers Don Nyhan and Derek Jones. "I learned most working part-time for Bill Doyle for eight years," Burgess said.
Grant's Wish traces to Passive, an outstanding broodmare for Doyle. The U Scott mare left eight winners from nine foals. Her progeny included When, winner of 18 races including the 1962 NZ Trotting Free-For-All. Her brother (also by Light Brigade) Asia Minor won 15 races including the 1967 NZ Trotting Championship. Passive (U Scott-Violet Wrack) also left Wipe Out, winner of 10 races as a pacer in the late 1960s. Doyle passed the trotter Ready Money to Burgess in 1983 after the gelding had been through the hands of several trainers. Burgess won five races with the son of Nevele Gourmet and Big Spender. He has also won five races with Silver Crown.
Credit: Tayler Strong writing in HRWeekly 31Jan07
YEAR: 2012
JOHN BURGESS
The death occurred recently of Leeston trainer John Burgess. He was 85, and when he drove a winner in the 2009/10 season he was the oldest driver to win a race in NZ.
Since 1985, he trained 36 winners, including four with Ready Money, by Nevele Gourmet, who he leased off his breeder, Bill Doyle. He also won four with Silverdale Pride, by Holdonmyheart, two with Katie May and John's Buddy, and one with La Finale.
His small stable was invariably trotters, and for nine successive seasons this century he never missed driving a winner.
Credit: HR Weekly 19 Dec 2012