Te Akau Owners of the Month

Introducing two of Te Akau's very special owners - Shona and Barry Old of Palmerston North -

Where were you born and raised?

Barry: “We were both born and raised in the Waikato, in Hamilton.

What were your early sporting pursuits and favourite family holiday memories?

Barry: “I played football and my favourite holidays were at Mt Maunganui.
Shona: “I was never known for my sporting prowess, but I did swim competitively. My family holidayed on the opposite coast in the Raglan Harbour, so Barry and I didn't meet on the beach!

Do you feel a special affinity with any particular place in New Zealand?

Barry & Shona: Waiheke Island. We have been holidaying there for more than 20 years and bought a house about seven years ago.

What country have you enjoyed visiting the most?

Barry: “Italy. We've had some great holidays in Italy, and I've been going there for more than twenty five years on business and developed some good friendships. I like the people, the culture, the food and there are some beautiful spots along the coastal areas. It's old and there's a lot of interesting history which is so different from what we have in New Zealand.

Shona: “We have been lucky to have had some wonderful travel experiences in various countries but you asked for a favourite so I would agree with Barry.  I haven't had nearly as many trips to Italy as he has but we have had some special times there together. The people are spontaneous and unpretentious and there is a lovely way of life which is centred on family.   As Barry mentioned already, the culture, art and history are extraordinary.

When were you first introduced to horses and racing?

Barry: I used to work at the races when I was a student and spent about ten years working as a dividend calculator. It was all calculated long-hand, deducting 17.32% (taxation and club takeout) from the win and place pool and 20.18% from the doubles and quinellas pools.  Everything had to be written down in full (for the IRD) and balanced which often resulted in a delayed payout - no computers then and calculators were not allowed.

I actually worked at the races for five years before I had my first bet, which I still remember. I went in with a couple of others on a field quinella and I put in $5 and got back $50, and at that stage I was earning $12 for a day's work. So, I thought it was a pretty good investment.

Shona: When I first met Barry he was working at the races, so I got a job working on the win & place window on the Waikato circuit on Saturdays.   But I couldn't see him anyway as he was shut away in the Dividend Calculator's caravan with security preventing any contact.

How were you introduced to owning a horse with Te Akau?

Barry: Glenn Holmes is my brother-in-law, he is married to Cathie (Shona's sister). Glenn is a good friend of David Ellis and introduced us to Te Akau. We've owned shares in horses with Te Akau since 2006 when we bought a ten percent share in a horse called Primo Quest who won seven races. The syndicate still owns her, and she has had a couple of foals by Saperavi.

We've been in several of the colts' syndicates and a few individual horses and have been lucky enough to get two horses through to stud: Burgundy and Rock ‘N' Pop. That has got us into the breeding side and so far is working well. We've had some excitement winning several group and listed races and would have to highlight the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) with Rock ‘N' Pop.   He also finished second in the NZ Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m).

What horses do you own with Te Akau and what has been your favourite?

Barry:  In NZ we have shares in Kings Rock, Wolf Whistle, Aspen, Rapid Gain, Fast Fiction, Flying Solo, Irish Mystic, Brochaine plus a recently purchased and as yet un-named O'Reilly/Grand Echezeaux colt.    In Singapore we have Affirmation, Encosta Diablo, Fiscal Wings, Danes Anatomy, Hardcore Rock, Sebrose, and another two on their way there and as yet un-named.   Plus we have a small percentage of Burgundy and Rock n Pop standing at stud.  We went on the Te Akau Singapore trip in 2012 taken by Karyn (Fenton-Ellis). It was very efficiently run and we had a great time.

Shona: Affirmation (Fastnet Rock) has been a favourite because he was one of our early horses and he also raced and won down here at Awapuni, which was nice for us. We saw him at the stables and out at Te Akau Stud and we watched him run a very good race for 2nd in Singapore. Primo Quest is also pretty special because she was our very first and Rock ‘N' Pop and Burgundy because we've watched both win and race well.

Barry: We saw Burgundy run a few times and although I don't know much about horses really, he looks a pretty impressive horse to me. He had a couple of gutsy performances where he managed to win good races that we were there to watch. We have three sons in Auckland and they've managed to get to the races a few times to share in the excitement. We had all the Holmes family, our kids and their kids, down here last Easter and we had a good day at the races at Awapuni where we won a race and everyone got their photos in the newspaper.

What do you like most about owning horses with Te Akau?

Barry: They are a very professional organisation. David (Ellis) and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) are very complementary in the way they operate. I like the communication side; they are very good at it and Jason (Bridgman) and Mark (Walker) also provide very efficient communication. We get pre race information and reports afterwards, so we know where we are.

Shona: Obviously there are lots of owners but Karyn and David always make us feel a bit special and if they make everyone feel the way they make us feel then they're pretty good.

What do you love about horse racing in New Zealand, and what do you see as the most valuable improvement for the future?

Barry: “I know David's (Ellis) drive has been to improve the breeding side of the industry in New Zealand, so that all the best horses didn't go overseas, and that's why we have been involved in the colts' syndicates. We had a great day up at Waikato Stud, with the Chitticks, at the Rock ‘N' Pop day and their setup is extremely impressive. We seem to be morphing into the breeding side and it will be interesting to see how the Rock ‘N' Pop's and the Burgundy's sell and then we can watch their stud careers progress.

Te Akau also offers an opportunity to get into relatively cheap horses in the hope that they may do something in racing. Through syndication we've had the opportunity to spread our involvement and when the horses are racing they are “our” horse even if in reality we own only a few percent.

Where do you live and what do you do?

Barry: We live in Palmerston North, and I'm an executive director at New Zealand Pharmaceuticals.

Shona: I'm now retired after nursing for forty years.  Retirement is proving to be very full to which being a Nana has added a new exciting dimension.

What has been your favourite pet?

Shona: We had a beagle called Ralph and he died last year. He was fifteen and the doggy love of my life. He was a bit special. We have also had cats we adored, but Ralph had a particular way of getting into our hearts.

What is your favourite subject of reading?

Shona: I do read quite a lot and have just started to read The Luminaries (Eleanor Catton).  Its feeling a bit of a challenge from the early chapters but I can see its going to get very involving.

Barry: Much of my day is spent reading which is for information rather than fiction.

What is the restaurant you like the most?

Barry: The Ledbury in London, as a 2 Michelin star dining experience.

Shona: I really like Barista in George Street Palmerston North. It's a cafe/restaurant which is open every day of the year (except Christmas Day) from 7am to 11pm with a good vibe and a consistently good experience. That would be my favourite.