A True Gentleman of Racing

When David Ellis was ill on the Gold Coast in June, one of his first post- coma visitors was none other than Hall of Fame trainer Brian Anderton from Otago.  As David says "one of the best people you will meet in racing - a true blue, without one jealous bone in his body" - David McCarthy reviewed his life story recently published:

The story of Brian Anderton, arguably the most influential thoroughbred racing and breeding figure in the South Island in the past half century, was overdue to be told and “BJ The White Robe Legacy''only adds to the achievements of a man with an already imposing list of them.

In turn a successful  rider, trainer, owner/ breeder, studmaster, sponsor and administrator Brian is essentially a modest man with little to be modest about. He tells his story in a genuine, easily read first person style to writer (and publisher) Wally O'Hearn with pride but not vanity; with honesty but not hurt; warmth and witwithout pretence.

Brian Anderton has been a great horseman but if this book underlines anything it is that human relationships figure larger in his life than equine ones. The many anecdotes, shrewd personal observations and philosophies which are the heart of the book reflect a keen observer of his fellow man.

Typical is the cover photo chosen. No suits, ties and glamour shots of big occasions here - just  Andertonin his working clothes in a paddock at White Robe Lodge holding  a mare with foals all around. He notes all the training and breeding records, his trials and triumphs and his pride in those achievements but is just as proud of the deeds and activities of his family and friends and the triumphs he has been able to share with them. 

The book flies by, thanks to his wry humour,  easy recall of events and situationsand the sheer good nature that drives his life. Awards won, such as the Outstanding Contribution to Racing when it was the most sought after racing honour in the country, gain littlemore prominence than a story about an old jockey, trainer or employee.

Few professional jockeys have gone on to train 1300 winners. Almost no highly successful trainers have been studmasters to champion sires. None from either group have ploughed returns back into their local racing community on the relative scale ofWhite Robe Lodge.

Brian recalls how his father Hector (his brother of the same name was also a successful horseman)and his wife Alice struggled for years to make ends meet in racing while bringing up seven children and the pleasure he gets from being able to help others shines through the narrative.  It has also made Brian and Lorraine Anderton's hospitality the stuff of legend because it is a  genuine pleasure rather than a marketing ploy. Lorraine's contribution to the family success is well documented as a result.

Constant association and intermarriage made Wingatuii the tightly knit racing community it remains today, much of it a reflection of the commitment of the Anderton clan. In their world, fashions of life change but not the fundamentals.

Among the flood of achievements which fill the pages there is a gem praising Brian's son Shane which perhaps best exemplifies the Anderton family expertise. For two full breeding seasons the White Robe Lodge foaling team led by his son and partner did not have a veterinary surgeon on the property. Few studs in the world could match that,.

This is not a large volume and space precluded what might have been further interesting Anderton thoughts, especially on the northern hemisphere-owned  shuttle stallions which changed the face of the breeding industry and added particularly to the problems for South Island studs whose numbers are a shadow of past glories.

The Anderton family fortunes underwent dramatic change when Brian selected the stunning sire successes Mellay and Noble Bijou, horses which helped restore South Island breeding to a standing it had not enjoyed for more than 50 years. The magic was extended whenMellay mares were international magic crossed with Noble Bijou. Both horses, unraced,were a bigger gamble than most stallions but thousands of hours poring over the English bloodlineswhich had so fascinated a young Anderton paid off.  White Robehas stood a constant stream of stallions since, most with some claim to fame and and some withmore than that, but the Noble Bijou/Mellay cross became a byword on both sides of the Tasman.

Brian Anderton, guided by a strong Christian ethic, has ensured that that wealth was shared and enjoyed with family and community. His sharing now of his life and experiences with similar honesty and affection completes  a notable second leg of a great double.

Brian Anderton's entry to the NZ Racing Hall of Fame - above with wife Lorraine

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