Karyn Honoured by Queen

David reports:

We are very proud to confirm that Karyn Fenton-Ellis has been honoured by Queen Elizabeth II and the New Zealand Government in the New Year's Honours List announced this morning.

Karyn has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her services to the community, the arts and racing - a three pronged recognition.

"I am absolutely overwhelmed by this honour," said Karyn today, "it was totally unexpected."

"To become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit is a true privilege.  Importantly, it is a reflection of the incredible opportunities and support given to me by the individuals and the organisations with which I have been involved throughout my life. This honour is certainly shared with them, especially my family.

"They were catalysts in developing and growing my passion for service and cementing my belief that one person can make a difference.  It is not about what lies ahead of us, or around us, rather what lies within us that matters - how we use our energy, our skill and our determination for the well-being of the communities in which we live and work.

"My upbringing instilled a strong sense of social responsibility in me - often the very best work in life is work that you don't get paid for - and with Jaycees (Junior Chamber International) where I became World President and in racing where I now serve as Chairman of the Waikato Racing Club, it is about being involved and contributing to positive change through action, not words.

"Service to others, to your community and country are paramount. Following your passion in a way that benefits others is a privilege but also a responsibility. I am a very proud New Zealander - we all have a role to play in making New Zealand a more vibrant and better place to live.  We can do whatever we can, whenever we can - no matter how much or how little - to make our community a better place for our children and grandchildren to grow up in."

Congratulations Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM.

Here is a story that appeared in Bluebloods magazine in December - written by Michelle Saba:

It's just over 21 years since Karyn Fenton- Ellis or Karyn Bisdee as she was then burst onto New Zealand television screens as the lead presenter on Action TV - the TAB's first television channel.

Back in November 1992 Action TV was only on air twice a week on Friday eveningsand on Saturdays. Action TV soon morphed into Trackside now a 24/7 operation and Karyn Fenton-Ellis has gone on to be not only a Trackside presenter but now a successful owner, breeder and racing administrator.

That's a long way in 21 years for a woman whose only involvement in the industry when she applied for the presenting job on the fledging racing channel was as a social race goer. And if you think that along the way she has focussed solely on developing that Trackside career and that her life was all smooth sailing, then you are mistaken as Karyn has conquered grief, held down an executive roll in the corporate world, raised two wonderful daughters, and achieved international recognition with Junior Chamber International (Jaycees) all while being the face of Trackside.

Spend some time with Karyn and she will leave you either feeling exhausted or enthused or both.  Exhausted by the rigorous schedule she puts herself under or enthused by her passion for the thoroughbred industry and for getting things done.

These days home is TeAkau Stud on 4000 acres in the Waikato where she is an active director of TeAkau Racing, New Zealand's largest and most successful public syndicator. She looks after all the Public Relations and Communications affairs for the company. She has also recently taken up the role of Chairman of the Waikato Racing Club and has been elected to the Members Council which selects the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) board candidates.

She is still a member of the Trackside team as the presenter of the First Call on Saturday mornings, but is no longer in the role of Communications and Public Affairs Manager with the TOWER Group. When she retired recently from that position after 17 years she thought she may have some time for herself but somehow that time has been taken up with the growth of Te Akau and the new role at the Waikato Racing Club.

Karyn joined the board of the Waikato Racing Club three years ago and was the first woman elected to the chair at their last Annual General Meeting.

“It's an unbelievably talented young board,” according to Karyn, “and we have some pretty exciting developments that we are going to work on over the next couple of years. We have plotted and planned and the sleeping giant that was the Waikato Racing Club is about to awaken.

“Waikato is universally recognised as having the best track in the country and we want to build on that. We have been designated as one of the four strategic clubs/tracks in the country and therefore we must present top quality racing and ensure that we are more vibrant and successful when we leave than when we took over.

“As for the Members Council, with my experience in Jaycees and with TOWER I have spent a lot of years involved in governance, and I see this position as a governance role, the members council is a pivotal group of people in terms of selecting the nominees to stand for the NZTR board.

“Victoria Carter leads a dedicated team of people, there are some experienced members along with a few new faces and those people bring many different strengths to the table. It's a huge responsibility that we have and in the end we get the leadership we deserve, so we need to get it right,” she stressed.

Karyn was born in Christchurch and educated at Craighead Diocesan School for Girls in Timaru.

“I had a very busy child hood, my mother made sure I tried everything - except horse riding - as she believed you never knew where your talent may lie. I learnt the piano through to Grade 8, the violin, singing and ballet through to elementary but probably the most useful training was the Speech and Drama training I received in Timaru,” she said.

After completing an American Field Scholarship to Austria to extend her studies in French and German she returned  and went to University for two years, but left to take a position with Television New Zealand.

It was during this time that she met and married Bruce Bisdee and moved to his South Canterbury farm, where their two daughters Lydia and Julia-Rose were born.

“I first joined the Jaycees when we moved toTimaru. Jaycees has been a significant part of my life and to me a contribution to your community is so worthwhile, the last part of the Jaycee creed is “Service to humanity is the best work of life” and that is what I believe. Social responsibility is a lynch pin in my life - volunteerism - that work you don't get paid for is the best work you can carry out.”

The Bisdee family moved to Wellington when Karyn joined Action TV and both she and Bruce continued their involvement with Jaycees.
“I went on to become local president, New Zealand President in 1993, World Vice-President in 1994, I chaired the world legal committee, and chaired conferences in the Caribbean and Asia and in 2000 in Cannes I was elected unopposed to be World President, only the second woman ever.

In 1997 tragedy struck when Bruce who had been an epileptic since birth, suffered a seizure and did not survive, leaving Karyn with two daughters aged six and seven.

“My world just stopped I felt like I would never function again,It wasn't easy but at the end of the day I had to get out there and earn a living and do the best by my daughters. You can't read a book on how to deal with an experience like that, you just have to learn from it, they say that out of adversity comes opportunity.

“ I had just started working for the large financial services group TOWER.  Society doesn't really know what to do with a 36 year-old widow but my mother and my extended family along with my friends at Trackside and TOWER and a whole lot of people helped me achieve that status of World President, and made it happen.

“For eight years I was a working mother, working at TOWER and presenting on Trackside and I never thought I would get married again but then Colin Jillings introduced me to David in the Presidents room at the Wellington Racing Club.

“We have been married for nearly 10 years, I am lucky to have found such happiness in the second phase of my life. We have a remarkable partnership we both love thoroughbreds and the industry, and believe in putting something back into the industry,” she said.

2013 hasn't been the best year for Karyn with  David being struck down with pneumonia in June, , resulting in him spending time in an induced coma, and while he was in care a problem was discovered with his heart necessitating open heart surgery in September.

“He has recently had a post-surgery check-up and the doctors have assured me that he is 100% and could live to be 90 or 100, so he will be out buying yearlings for decades to come.

“The way the TeAkau team has performed this spring has certainly been a tonic, David gave me a share in Distinctly Secret as an early wedding present, he was my first racehorse and just before we were married he came out and won the group two Awapuni Cup, it doesn't always happen that way.

“Although when Enhance won first up on Dave Smith's (immediate past chairman at Waikato) farewell day it felt like winning a group one, and she went on to win her second start as well. There is something special about breeding them, it makes it so much more exciting it's a great sense of personal satisfaction,” she added.

There have been a few more shares in racehorses over the years,and as is often the case, this has led to shares in broodmares and now Karyn has three.

“My biggest problem with breeding horses is that I want to keep everything. I breed from four three mares and they are all going to Burgundy this year.

“Pinstinct(Pins[AUS]-Oregon Express) the dam of Enhance, Molly Coco (Savabeel/Dower) who is a full sister to Dowager Queen, Scicolone, a Galileo Mare out of Kailey Princess and I have a half share in Sans Souci (ex Buckling) a half-sister to Ego by Pins, who has just delivered a strapping Darci Brahma colt last week.

“I have a share in Viana a recentwinner of the listed CJC Spring Classic, a small share in Spellbinder winner of the listed Soliloquy Stakes and Alpha Centauri in Singapore. All carry the famous tangerine and navy colours of TeAkau.

“It is exciting to be involved with such an exciting team, we have the very best horse people in the world involved with TeAkau, Mark, Jason, Pam and Tommy they are all accomplished and good at their craft.  David is passionate and ambitious for the New Zealand thoroughbred and for the industry and I share that with him and feel it is our responsibility to inspire others.

“We have 45 horses in work in New Zealand and 60 in Singapore. Some are larger syndicates and some are smaller. We try and make our syndicates affordable and accessible. We introduce dozens of new owners to the industry every year, and most come back year after year.

“Despite the sad times my life has been a remarkable journey and there is very little I would change. You never know where a path may lead you.  I love the First Call it has a fantastic production team and I actually look forward to getting up at 4.30 am on a Saturday morning to get into the studio,” however she added, “in due course I do want to be more involved with the thoroughbred industry and be a facilitator of change.”