“We were married for 60 years and did everything together, but when Lesley died in April last year I lost all my will to carry on breeding standardbreds. That was, I think, the start of the end.”
Those were the words of retired South Australian dairy farmer, Peter Medhurst. The 83-year-old who has spent all of his life in Glencoe (27km northwest of Mount Gambier), has been breeding standardbreds since the mid-1980s.
From Friday August 15, until 5pm on Sunday August 17, seven of his broodmares plus one 2-year-old Ride High filly, will be up for grabs at the APG’s Online Winter Mixed Sale. His team comprises:
“It’s a bit sad really but time is also catching up with me, and all I want is for my horses to go to a happy home where they will be cared for. Lesley and I loved our horses, like we did our dairy herd. We put a lot of time into our breed and it would be a shame to see all our hard work go to nothing,” Mr Medhurst said.
“I’m grateful to John Coffey and APG for allowing us to pass on our horses via this Sale. I’m sure there will be some new happy owners and hopefully a lot more winners,” he added.
He said he was lured into harness racing by his son-in-law Barry Finnis (453 wins - $1.8m), who married the eldest of his four daughters, Katherine. They were all owned and bred by Mr Medhurst.
“I wanted to help them out, so I went to the Adelaide Yearling Sales in 1986 and bought a Lindy's Laodicea filly named Lindhurst, and it all started from there. She won a race and left three racehorses, including Glencoe Fella (1992 Armbro Aussie gelding), who won 19 races.
“I then started developing part of our 640-acre dairy farm into a harness racing facility and in 2007 after selling the dairy farm I then built a 750m training track on the remaining 60 acres to go with our five yard paddocks, and 13 stables. The property also has two houses on it. The harness racing bug now spans three generations. My 34-year-old grandson, Jayson is a race-day driver and he has reined 541 winners ($2.3m). I have provided him with about 90 per cent of his winners,” Mr Medhurst said.
Mr Medhurst said one of the most successful broodmares he had bred was the 1988 Kentucky - Scarlet Sunrise (Garry Rowan) mare, Roses In Paris who has several horses from her extended family in the Sale.
"She has produced 134 wins, and as a racehorse herself, she won nine races and left 13 foals, including the 1997 Troublemaker mare, Thorninmyside, who won 23 races ($160,666), including 3 Southern Cross Series and placed in the 2001 Group One Vicbred Super Series for 4-year-old mare,
“Thorninmyside would probably be the best horse I have bred. Her younger brothers Petes Elect (2004 Holmes Hanover gelding - 21 wins, also raced in USA) and King Grin (2007 Grinfromeartoear gelding - 26 wins) both won more than $100,000 each in stakes. I raced them both in the United States as well.
Rose In Paris and her daughter Surfing Queen were both South Australian Broodmare Horses of the Year. In fact, Rose In Paris won it two times.”
Mr Medhurst said four weeks ago he had just broken in and weaned foals from four broodmares in the Sale, namely Purple Royale (2010 Royal Mattjesty - Indigo Rose - Village Jasper 25-win ($131,091) mare; Crown Royale 2015 Art Major - Crown Of Thorns - Falcon Seelster six-win mare); Burston Holme (Holmes Hanover - Catch A Bouquet - Armbro Aussie seven-win mare); and Princess Fiona NZ (McArdle-Ice Princess-OK Bye 11-win mare).
They were a Stay Hungry filly, Stay Hungry colt, two Catch The Fire colts, and an Art Major filly respectively.
Born in Mount Gambier and raised in Glencoe, Mr Medhurst is the fifth of six children to the late Percy (Scobie) and Ivy. His cousin Mick Medhurst was a renowned jockey and racing had been a family interest.
“I used to avoid going school just to watch Mick ride locally. He rode several Mount Gambier Cup winners, and even though I was born into dairy farming racing was always close to my heart. I only ventured into standardbreds when my daughter married Barry (Finnis).
“Actually, when I left school I was determined to join the Police Force, but I thought I’d help out on the farm first and see how that life went. Twelve months later I opted for dairy farming and on my 21st birthday I bought the dairy farm next door to my parent’s property.
“That same year I married Lesley, but when she passed away on April 9 last year life hasn’t been the same. I’ve been very lonely and am now contemplating moving to a rest home – just for the company. Harness racing has also become very tiresome for an 83-year-old.
“It is 434km and nearly five hours to Adelaide, and more than five hours to Melbourne (443km). They are 10-hour plus-trips. In harness racing terms we are very isolated here. My grandson (Jayson) is also leaving town to start up in Lowood in Queensland,” he said.
Mr Medhurst said he learnt about harness racing a lot from a lot of people over the years.
“Mike Goode from Western Australia taught me a lot about pedigrees over the years, as did Les Joslin, Brett Coffey and the late Bob McArdle from New Zealand, who was not only a close friend, but a very educated harness racing man who taught me so much.
“Originally, I had horses with Adelaide trainer Les Harding, who trained Roses In Paris for me early on, and then later, I had standardbreds with Kevin Brough from West Victoria. The Elkins father and son – team of Greg and Matty, have also provided me winners over the years in Queensland.
“In fact, Matty will drive Jensville for me tomorrow (Tuesday August 5) in race nine at Albion Park.
“Harness racing has been so good to me. Now all I want is for my precious horses to be cared for and love as I move on to the final chapter of my life,” said Mr Medhurst whom was an above average club cricketer, who scored several centuries during his playing days.
Don’t miss your opportunity to pick up these nice prospects to help round out your stables for the upcoming season! Register as a Buyer or check out the full Online Catalogue today.
