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Posted

I'm Nominating 'Free Holmes' .

in the Huey category of 'Greatest NZ horseman  Ever'  . this bloke could head off Sir Mark Todd even🤔

*Won the NZ Cup as a jockey riding Manton.

* Won the Great Northern Hurdles and the Great Northern Steeple riding 'Liberator' .

* Won the biggest harness race going,  NZ Trotting Cup 1919 +  2 Auckland Trotting Cups training and driving

* Won driving in the Very First INTERDOMINION ever run , the Inaugural race between Nz and Oz in 1936.

  (well technically he placed 2nd in the race . His own NZ horse got scratched from the Grand Final. So FREE got the call up to drive EVICUS , a Tasmanian mare. She ran 2nd in all her heats.  and also 2nd in the Grand Final to another fine Tasmanian in Logan Derby . But she was declared the WINNER of the Series on Points 20 -17 ahead of Logan Derby ( as she had started off a handicap) so took home the Gold trophy and spoils. as did Free  )   Logan Derby declared the winner of the race itself many years later . going undefeated for his 4 races during the series.  

* Raced and bred many fine thoroughbreds and Standardbred across his years.

*  FREE Holmes himself a fine sire! 😁 Sired Maurice Holmes ( The Maestro ) who across 50 years became the greatest NZ harness driver ever. A lasting Legacy compliments from Free 😋. (descendant young Robbie Holmes still competes in the South Island these very days) 

* known as 'Old Free' by the gallops folk, and 'The Old Man of Trotting' by the Trots blokes . No One will EVER achieve What that bloke did in thoroughbreds and harness. 

Don't think he got an OBE for services to racing like his own son Maurice 'the Maestro' did .

So Maybe a 'HUEY award'  could be his ?  . Free Holmes (1871-1967)  NZ legend. 

 

 

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Huey said:

Disappointing to see you both mocking the hardworking people in the industry!

Not at all @Huey but you've inferred that some are more deserving than others just because of who employs them.

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