In the summer of 1963, the New Zealand equestrian world changed forever.
Dairy farmer Colin Clarke and his 12-year-old thoroughbred Town Boy became a unit.
Town Boy loved to jump
They were a force to be reckoned with as New Zealand prepared to send its first show jumping team to the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964.
The duo quietly started producing results, breaking the New Zealand showjumping height record twice in 1969.
“The first time was in Dunedin over hay bales at 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres) and the second time was 6 feet 8.5 inches (2.04 metres) over a brick wall,” Clarke, 86, of Puniu Rd, Te Awamutu, recalled.
He and his horse became veterans of more than 180 showjumping competitions and stars of the sport between 1963 and 1973 on both sides of the Tasman.
Colin Clarke and Town Boy were inducted into the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame.
Their performance so many decades ago led them to being inducted into the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame this month.
The pair won the horse of the year title in 1969, along with seconds and three other Horse of the Year classes and three Grand Prix wins at Horse of the Year shows.
Clarke put it all down to the horse, which he raised on the family dairy farm on Pokuru Rd, rather than his own skills.
“The horse did deserve it, and I couldn’t have done it without him,” Clarke said.
Town Boy retired in 1973.
“He was 23 years old. He could still jump all right, but if something happened to him and he dropped dead people would rubbish you.”
Colin Clarke and Town Boy were inducted into the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame.
Town Boy lived another decade on the family farm.
Clarke continued farming after hanging up his saddle and crop.
“I haven’t been riding for quite a while,” he said.
Clarke wasn’t surprised to get a call from Equestrian Sports New Zealand concerning the hall of fame after so many years.
“I knew there were a few people working on the nomination,” he said.
Clarke’s sister, Maureen Silvester, said her brother was modest about his achievements but his recognition was “the best tonic anyone could get”.
“He’s got three scrapbooks of cuttings,” she said.
Colin Clarke and Town Boy were inducted into the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame.
Clarke was one of four equestrians inducted into the hall of fame at a cocktail party and award ceremony at Rydges, Auckland, earlier this month.
“It was a brilliant evening,” he said.
His fellow recipients were Kallista Field, Maurice Beatson, and Taupo based Wally Niederer.
Equestrian Sports New Zealand board chair Lynda Clark said Clarke and his fellow half of fame inductees were outstanding representatives of New Zealand equestrian sports and an inspiration to all horse enthusiasts.
“The calibre of these equestrians demonstrates the ongoing commitment to a sport that continues to have a healthy presence in New Zealand. We know approximately 40,000 people in this country ride horses, from grassroots to high performance,” Clark said.
“It is a privilege to share the achievements of our competitors, while also celebrating the enjoyment of a sport many share with their equines.”
Maureen Silvester and Colin Clarke
