Photo: Supplied
Brian Anderton, a doyen of South Island racing and breeding, has been recognised for his service to the thoroughbred industry when bestowed life membership to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association at their AGM on Monday.
Arguably no person has made a greater impact on the southern breeding and racing community than the White Robe Lodge founder and principal, who has left a lasting legacy on the region’s thoroughbred industry.
Horses have always played a pivotal role in Anderton’s life, which was fostered by his family’s hack, and led to a lifelong dedication to the animal.
“When I was younger, my mother used to drive us to school in a pony and cart,” Anderton said. “My sister Maureen, who married Bob Skelton, was the oldest, Jaylah Kennedy’s (leading Australian apprentice jockey) grandfather Terrence was in-between us and when we graduated, the pony went out of the harness and we rode him bareback, one behind the other. He was an old devil and he got rid of us most days. We had a great childhood.”
Anderton quickly made his passion for horses into a career, firstly as jockey and then as a studmaster and trainer.
“I had my first ride in a race when I was 13 and I rode my first winner when I was 14,” he said. “It was on a mare called White Robe, and that’s why I called the place White Robe Lodge, and it all grew from there.”
While Anderton enjoyed riding, it was the breeding side of the industry that held his true passion, and he went down that route at a young age, standing his first stallion when he was 18-years-old.
“I always dreamed of having a stud farm,” he said. “I got married and had a wife who was behind me the whole way. The children came along and they have all been involved.
“I was 18 when I bought Harken (first stallion). I paid 100 guineas for him. He left some reasonable horses. He was standing for five pounds, and we used to serve a few hack mares with him as well. He was the start of it all.”
Anderton stood a string of stallions at White Robe Lodge before they were put on the map by Mellay, who has left a lasting impression on the southern breeding and racing landscape.
“I got friendly with Jim Malcolm, and he leased me Rejoicing II, Ruddington, and then Resurgent. He was a tough horse, but he was a great sire,” Anderton said.
“I would have only been 24 or 25 when I got Mellay. He left our favourite, Princess Mellay, who won two New Zealand Cups (Gr.1 ,3200m) and the Oaks (Gr.2, 2400m). He also left Swell Time, who won a Caulfield Cup (Gr.1, 2400m), and numerous other good horses, he was a great sire.”
Mellay was a firm farm favourite, and Anderton enjoyed riding the boisterous entire around the farm in-between stud duties.
“He was a tough horse,” Anderton said. “Anyone who worked for me didn’t dodge getting savaged by him. He would never kick you, but he was good with his old mouth. You had to be wary of him.
“I used to ride Mellay. He was unraced. He was a cantankerous devil and some days he wouldn’t let you catch him. I used to lead another horse up the gate to get the lead on him. When he was in a bad mood I used to hop on his back and ride him around the paddock. When you got on, he was a different horse altogether, he forgot about all of his antics. He enjoyed a ride and he was happy when he was doing something.”
In a short stud career, Mellay left four Group One winners and 24 individual stakes winners before his untimely death at 13 as a result of colic.
While Mellay’s death was a big loss to the farm, Anderton was able to find a worthy replacement in Noble Bijou.
The son of Vaguely Noble proved to be a notable producer of quality horses, leaving 10 individual Group One winners, including Alibhai, The Phantom Chance, The Phantom and Prince Majestic.
The farm has gone on to stand a number of quality stallions, and currently has a stallion roster of four, including Ancient Spirit, Ghibellines, Raise The Flag, and Gallant Guru.
Anderton places a lot of weight on the pedigree of a horse and said that plays a massive role in his mating selections.
“They have got to inherit it from somewhere,” he said. “I put a lot of emphasis on the dam side especially. You try and breed for a type too, but some of the worst looking horses can be the best.”
In recent years, White Robe Lodge has been synonymous with breeding quality stayers and jumpers, many of which have performed to the highest level in Australia, including the likes of Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) hero Ablaze.
Anderton, who trains in partnership with his son Shane, sells a number of the farm’s graduates as tried horses through his barn, and highlights giving his horses time as one of the biggest factors in their success.
“I think the big secret in breeding and racing is time,” he said. “Dad always said that the man who made time made plenty of it, and he was quite right.
“I like growing a horse out – put them out and bring them back in. You can gradually see them develop. Quite often, they have got to develop the mentality too. You have got to try and breed that into them as well.
“They go on and do the job for them over there (Australia). From what we are hearing, they are buying them (yearlings), pay big money, and then they are having to wait that long it is a huge cost in developing them. We are prepared to do the waiting and if something comes along, we will get a phone call. All geldings are for sale because we have got to keep the place chugging.”
Anderton has achieved plenty of success, not only in breeding, but training as well. While he is proud of the accolades he has received, he said he couldn’t have done it without his family, and his late wife Lorraine in particular.
“At one time I was riding, training and I was running the stud farm, and that was hard work,” he said. “Lorraine used to do the night shift. We often used to pass in the hallway – she would be coming home from the shift, and I would be going on. But we still had five children. I couldn’t have done it without her. It was a busy life, but a rewarding life.”
White Robe Lodge has become a true family-run business, and Anderton is proud to see the next generations in his family carry on his legacy.
“Karen (Stewart, daughter) and Wayne (Stewart, son-in-law) run the stud now with my grandson, Jack,” Anderton said. “Shane, my son, is the trainer, and we all get on well.”
Looking back on his life at White Robe Lodge, Anderton said family support and hard work was a massive factor to their success, but luck with stallions also played a part.
“Racing has been kind to us. I have achieved a lot of things, but I have had the horses, owners and jockeys to do it,” he said.
“You don’t achieve anything in life unless you work bloody hard. I have been fortunate, and things have come along. Mellay was a godsend.”
