Photo: supplied
Another chapter in a lifetime of milestones has been written by White Robe Lodge founder Brian Anderton and his family.
This week marks the iconic Otago nursery's 70th anniversary, dating back to 1956 when the man affectionately known as BJ purchased the original White Robe property while still in his teens.
"I suppose you could say we've come a long way," Anderton said with typical humility as he reflected on the stud's beginnings.
"To begin with I leased little bits of land around the place before I got the chance to buy a small block in Wingatui.
"In the early 1980s we bought the bottom half of the North Taieri property when we were still at Wingatui, then we added the top place when it became available."
White Robe Lodge takes its name from the mare who provided Anderton with his first raceday success as a 14-year-old jockey.
"I had my first ride at Beaumont when I was 13, which was the way it was done back then. Then I won my first race at Wyndham on White Robe, who was by my father's stallion Sir Galloway," Anderton recalled.
White Robe's influence extended well beyond the racetrack, becoming the foundation mare on which White Robe Lodge was built.
"She was a talented galloper and ended up winning 10 races. I put her to the first stallion I stood, Harken, to get a filly I named Bernardine. She gave me my first win as a breeder and owner, although I was too young to officially race a horse and she was in my mother's name," Anderton said.
Harken, purchased by Anderton at 18 years of age, was followed by Rejoicing II, Ruddington and Resurgent through a relationship with prominent Waikato studmaster Jim Malcolm.
Resurgent inspired Anderton to source a stallion directly from England, leading him to Mellay, an unraced son of English Derby winner Never Say Die and Oaks winner Meld.
That pedigree was all Anderton could wish for, despite a split pastern that prevented Mellay from ever racing, and a deal was struck for 3,000 guineas.
Mellay became one of New Zealand's leading sires, producing stars including Princess Mellay, Swell Time and Rose Mellay before his untimely death at just 13 years of age. He won two general sires' premierships and later became a champion broodmare sire.
His passing ultimately paved the way for another legendary stallion.
White Robe secured the unraced American-bred Noble Bijou, a half-brother to champion French mare Allez France by Vaguely Noble. Noble Bijou surpassed even Mellay's remarkable achievements, winning four New Zealand sires' premierships and five broodmare sire titles, becoming the first stallion to claim both honours in the same season.
"Mellay was a great sire, especially the way he could improve a mare, but if he had lived longer we would never have got Noble Bijou," Anderton said.
"All I can say is thank God for sending him, it was designed by fate."
The bloodlines established over seven decades have continued through stallions including Trelay, Causeur, Yamanin Vital, Tawriffic, Gallant Guru, Raise The Flag and Ghibellines. Today, White Robe Lodge stands Ancient Spirit and first-season sire Alflaila.
The White Robe story continues to be written on the racetrack, where Brian and son Shane have enjoyed another outstanding season. Racing almost exclusively White Robe Lodge home-breds, the training partnership has prepared 37 winners, including four stakes winners, and amassed just shy of $1.3 million in prizemoney.
Now managed by Anderton's daughter Karen, her husband Wayne Stewart and their son Jack, White Robe Lodge continues its legacy as the South Island's leading thoroughbred nursery.
Family, friends and staff gathered at Anderton's home last Sunday evening to celebrate the landmark anniversary, complete with a birthday cake marking 70 years of history.
"Wayne and Karen, Jack and everybody else are doing a great job with the stud, Shane and his team have things going well at the stables, and it was very satisfying to get everyone together, especially the young ones," the 89-year-old said.
"I was born and bred into racing so I never had much option, but going back to the early days, Dad was lucky to have Mum, I was so lucky to have Lorraine for all those years, and now such as we are, we're all lucky to have each other.”
