| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 1967
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Mr O E Hooper, who had a most successful association with trotting as a breeder, owner, trainer and driver extending over some 50 years, died suddenly in Christchurch last week. Mr Hooper retired from training and driving in October 1957, but since then he has raced an occasional horse, the most recent being Queensway.
Born near Waipiata, in Central Otago, Mr Hooper began to train as a mining engineer at Waikaia, but he went overseas early in the First World War. He was invalided home in 1915 and later secured a property between Rakaia and Methven. He sold the property about 1950 and then trained at Harewood.
Mr Hooper's first connection with trotting was as an amateur rider. He had his first win at a Canterbury Park meeting in June, 1917, riding Miss Chancellor. Mr Hooper enjoyed considerable success early in his career, one of his best winners at that time being Linden, who won a £1000 race at Auckland in 1923 and a number of other races.
Soon after this began an association with Mr D Spence, of Christcurch, which continued right up to Mr Hooper's retirement. Later Mr Hooper trained a number of top class horses for the late Mr W McDonald of Edendale. Satin King and King Pointer, whom Mr Hooper rated as one of the best horses he ever handled, were two horses to reach cup class for Mr McDonald. King Pointer won the 1930 NZ Free-For-All and the National Cup in 1930. Mr Hooper won many races with Willow Wave, including the 1937 Auckland Cup and the Dunedin Cup in 1937 and 1938.
As well as training a big team with great success, Mr Hooper was much in demand as a reinsman. He had a long association with Mr B Grice, who trained a big team at Tinwald. At a time when stakes were at a low level, Mr Hooper drove the winners of more than £20,000 for Mr Grice. They included the dual NZ Cup winner, Haughty, who took a mile record of 1:59 3/5, becoming the first mare outside the United States to achieve that feat. Knave of Diamonds, who won close to £20,000, Czardus, Radical, Privateer, Magellan, Mayenga, Starwise, On Approval (NZ Sapling Stakes), Lee Todd, Peter McKinney, Elvo's Pride, Consul, Titania, Demetrius (Oamaru Juvenile Stakes) and Peter Silk were among the many winners he trained.
Among the many winners he drove were Hardy Oak (All Aged Stakes), Master Roy (Canterbury Handicap), Milo Minto, Starwise, Panto, Kilrea (Greymouth Cup), King Pointer (National Cup), Little Nelson (Timaru Cup), Cruiser, Arietta and Fragment (Manawatu Cup).
Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 31May67
YEAR: 1942
O E HOOPER
O E Hooper was having his 13th drive in the NZ Cup, and his first success in the race, when he drove Haughty on Saturday.
Hooper had his first NZ Cup drive on Dolly Dillon in 1925. She was unplaced, and so were Queens Own(1926) and Audacious(1927). He did not have a drive again until 1930, when he drove King Pointer into third place in a heat. In 1931 he drove the same horse, who was unplaced. In 1933 he drove Satin King, and in 1934 and 1935 he was behind Sunny Morn, who finished fourth in his second effort. Hooper's next drive was in 1937, when he handled Willow Wave, who was unplaced, as was King's Play, whom he drove the following year. In 1939 he drove Cantata into second place behind Lucky Jack. The following year he drove Parisienne, who was unplaced, and last year he had no drive.
Hooper's most important successes until Saturday were with Willow Wave in the Auckland Cup of 1937, the Dunedin Cup in 1937 and 1938 with the same horse, the Free-For-All in 1930 with King Pointer, and the National Handicap the same year with the same horse.
Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 11Nov42