The New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry lost one of their quiet achievers this week with the passing of Jeanette Broome ONZM.
Jeanette an original boutique breeder had the honour of breeding the winners of two of the most famous races in the world the 1991 Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree with Seagram(Balak-Llanah) and the 1997 Melbourne Cup with Jezabeel (Zabeel-Passefleur), from a small band of carefully nurtured broodmares. Her breed also had success throughout Asia and in Australia.
She was born Jeanette Buchanan in Ross on the West Coast in 1936, where her father Gilbert was the local Postmaster. She grew up there with an older brother Ian and a younger brother David, and on leaving school went to work for her father in Post Office, where she met her future husband Jack.
After they were married Jeanette and Jack were based in Christchurch where Jack had a lunch bar with his brother Rex, and in 1963 they moved North with their two children Paul and Carey, to the Hutt Valley where Jack’s family established the Olympic Hotel in Naenae.
The Olympic Hotel was a popular place to stay for people attending the National Yearling Sales at Trentham, and through this Jeanette developed some strong friendships and an interest in thoroughbreds. In no time she had purchased land in nearby Wainuiomata and her farming and breeding days had begun, and in 1969 she joined the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association(NZTBA)
In 1973 she had Jack sold out of the family hotel business and decided to follow the dream of breeding a champion and moved to Eureka in the Waikato and established Lloch-Haven Thoroughbreds.
A strongly motivated person and always one to be involved Jeanette became an active member of the Waikato Branch of the NZTBA and worked tirelessly on their committee for 20 years. Her hospitable personality that served her so well in the hotel business rolled into the thoroughbred business and she was a generous person, willing to give advice and always ready to help.
For her contribution to the Association and her services to the breeding industry she was made a Life Member of the NZTBA, and in 1991 received the inaugural BMW Breeder of The Year Award. As well as being recognised by her peers she was also awarded an ONZM for her services to breeding in 2000 and in 2005 received the FLAIR Quiet Achiever of the Year at the NZTBA Waikato Group One dinner, an annual event she helped initiate.
As an owner Jeanette’s most successful horse was the Gr.1 Easter Handicap winner Moire(Crested Wave[USA[-Little Tern) who won eight races, and she also co-bred and raced Full Noise (Kaapstad-War Cry) with Hawkes Bay breeder Don Gordon. Full Noise won seven races including the LR STC Stayers Cup in Sydney.
Jeanette was pre-deceased by her husband Jack, and is survived by her children Paul Broome and Carey Godden and their spouses, grandchildren Nicholas, Samuel, Emma, Bridie, Annalies, Jonathan and Abigail and eight great-grandchildren.
A service to celebrate Broome's life will be held at Hamilton Park Crematorium Chapel on Friday, March 9. - Michelle Saba
