Lifestyle change prompts property sale

[Wandering Eyes]

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  

A eight hectare property in harness racing heartland is currently on the market.

Located in Canterbury, between Rolleston and West Melton, the property featuring an oval training track will go to auction in early May.

For “coming up four years” it’s been home for dual code trainer Jackie Burrows and her family.  

“It’s a niche property .. but it has so much potential,” she says.

The property, on Newtons Road, includes a four bedroom house, two cottages, bar room with guest facilities, including bedroom, bathroom and kitchen and a one bedroom portacom as well as a 760m oval sand training track, a 60m x 40m all-weather sand arena with four adjoining day yards, a stable block, two walk-in, walk-out yards and 19 additional paddocks.

“It is subdividable but if you do that you lose the track,” says Burrows.

“It was only listed last Friday and there’s been some interest already, even some from overseas.”

Burrows has been training standardbreds on and off since 2002, with Vrilo her best performer of late with three wins in 2024.

Very much a hobby trainer, Burrows is also the chief executive of He Waka Tapu, a Kaupapa Māori organisation that runs a range of community-based programmes and services. It has offices in Christchurch, Ashburton and the Chatham Islands.

Born in the King Country, Burrows was brought up on Chatham Islands before moving to the mainland as a teenager. 

The Burrows have now decided to sell the Canterbury property as part of a “lifestyle change”.

“My husband George and I have signed a 3-year lease with extension option of another 6 years on the Chatham Island Hotel. It’s a big commitment – there are 55 rooms, a pub and a rental car business as well as tours coming over from the Mainland (NZ), most weeks in the spring and summer seasons.”

She will continue at He Waka Tapu and estimates she’ll divide her time between Canterbury and the Chathams about “half and half”.

And that means her days as a hobby horse trainer are all but over.  

“I will keep my hand in, I have a few horses on the island already but I won’t be training anymore.”

All going well the Burrows plan to relocate in early August.

AUCTION: Thursday May 8, 2025 from 11:00am Harcourts Grenadier 98 Moorhouse Avenue (Unless Sold Prior)

To view the listing click here 

 

 

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