Sad News: Tragic drowning of Harness Trainer - Revell Douglas

[Chief Stipe]

Sad news that well liked Harness Trainer Revell Douglas has drowned while trying to save one of his children in Lake Puketi.

Condolences to all his family and friends.

I believe Revell was once Racing Manager at the ATC and General Manager for the Pinjarra Harness Racing Club Inc.

Also New Zealand Territory Manager for Hygain Horse Feeds.

[Karrots]

That is so tragic. I remember reading a lovely article about him around this time last year and his horse Locksmith at the time, how it fell in a well or something similar in paddock after an evening back from the races at Alex and long story short after hours and help they got it out. And the road to recovery for it. 

Remember rooting for it to win for him at Stratford and Taranaki, due to the story being published prior those meetings and it won for him down there. 

So sad RIP.

Edited January 6, 2021 by Karrots

[KickintheKods]

RIP Revell

A terrific bloke. 

[Chief Stipe]

From final goodbyes to winner's circle: The Hollywood-esque tale of horse's journey back to racing after horror accident

FRI, MAR 6 • SOURCE:  1 NEWS

 

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A South Auckland racehorse has made a comeback for the ages after being nursed back to health by his trainer and friend from a serious injury sustained last year.

 

 

Horse called Locksmith nursed back to health by devoted mate after horror accident

 

The trotting horse ran into a water trough in May, 2019, one night after a race at Alexandra Park. Source: Seven Sharp

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Trainer Revell Douglas told Seven Sharp he was taking Locksmith back to the stables last May after racing at Alexandra Park when disaster struck.

“It was a windy night and I couldn't find the feed bowl - he was getting a bit upset with me,” Douglas said.

In the dark, Locksmith ran into a trough.

“I think he basically saw it at the last second. smashed his knees on it, tried to jump it but then flipped upside down.

“I didn't have my phone with me - I had to run a couple hundred metres to get my phone… it was like leaving your best mate at a car accident.”

Eventually, help arrived and Locksmith was sedated while rescue options were assessed.

Douglas said he was prepared for the worst.

“A thought went through my mind, ‘maybe it's better if he is put down because he's going to be pretty bad after that,” Douglas said.

“When everyone wasn't looking, I sort of said my goodbyes to him, gave him a big hug and said, ‘sorry mate we couldn't get you out’.”

But one final idea – involving strops, a utility vehicle and plenty of crossed fingers – proved to be the difference and against all odds, the 17-hands tall horse made it.

After that, the road to recovery began.

“Every day, I'd have to get warm water and salts and wash him down and wash his wounds.

“I used to take him for a walk - his little steps would be a couple of centimetres. It took him forever to walk.”

But sure enough, Locksmith found his stride again and once he did, walking was never going to be enough.

Last Saturday, he was back on the racetrack and almost like it was scripted in Hollywood, Locky won the race by inches.

“He just got there and I was quite emotional,” Douglas said.

“I gave him a big hug and a kiss when he came back into scale. It wasn't a big race but it meant a lot, that's for sure.

“It’s been a long journey for us.”

[Karrots]

 

Locksmith back from the brink

27 February 2020 , Punters Info

By Garrick Knight

It’s unlikely that Thursday's Stratford grass meeting means more to anyone than visiting trainer Revell Douglas.

The South Auckland horseman has taken his entire race team south for the two-day grass meeting that starts at Te Kapua Park  and finishes at New Plymouth on Saturday.

It’s just the two horses, one of which is Revving, who was a story in herself when she resumed to win fresh-up after 875 days and having a foal at Rotorua last month.

But her yarn will pale in comparison to that of stablemate Locksmith, should he win on either of the two days.

Douglas takes up the story.

“After his race on May 31 last year, where he ended up going four and five wide, I got him back to Adrienne Matthews’ stables, where I am based, at about 11 o’clock at night.

“It was a windy night and I couldn’t find the feed bowls, so he started tearing around his paddock.

“I heard a smash but thought it must have been the wind. I just figured I was hearing things.

“But I decided to walk out and have a look and there he was, this 17-hands high horse, lying on his back in half a metre of water in an old trough in his paddock.

“It was probably two or three metres deep, more like a well really, and he obviously just didn’t see it and galloped straight in to it.”

Douglas couldn’t believe what he was seeing and was sure the horse would have to have been seriously injured.

“I had to look again just in case I was dreaming. He was lucky he didn’t break everything.”

Panicked and without a phone, Douglas had to go and wake Matthews up and get her to call reinforcements – her partner Matt Stormont, step-father Johnnie Butcher and a local vet, Katie Kindleysides.

The horse was panicked but not excessively so, thanks in part to the fact he was tired from his race just hours earlier.

“A more aggressive horse would have died, for sure.

“I got down with him in the water and cradled his head and eventually, after four hours, the vet had to subdue him.

“She said if we couldn’t get him out in the next 15 minutes, she would have to put him down.

“So I started saying my goodbyes.”

Then Butcher came to the rescue with a piece of machinery he uses to lift large hay bales.

After an awkward but vigilant team effort, the horse was pulled out in what was very much a last-ditch attempt.

“We had to push him the last metre or so and at 650 kgs that wasn’t easy.”

Locksmith had some serious flesh wounds including “quite bad slicing around his legs” and was obviously traumatised but, miraculously, didn’t have any broken bones.

“He needed two months in a box and bathed his wounds the whole time.

“He was no chance of being a racehorse again.”

But, after three or months, his legs healed, Douglas started giving him some light exercise and there have been zero setbacks since.

“He’s been in work probably five months, though he did curb a hock at one point.

“I wouldn’t say he’s 100 percent fit – more trials-level fit, but I’m banking on him going good fresh.”

After Revving’s miraculous win, you wouldn’t bet against Douglas.