Cardigan Bays day in Court 2023

[Chief Stipe]

 

 

Dispute over exhumation of superstar horse Cardigan Bay heading to court

Tony Wall05:00, Apr 23 2023

 

 

Hollywood seductress Jayne Mansfield sneaks Cardigan Bay some carrots in the late 1960s. There are moves to exhume the champion's remains.

A High Court fight is brewing over the remains of New Zealand’s most famous racehorse – Cardigan Bay – and his final resting place could be paved over for a car park.

The NZ Trotting Hall of Fame wants to exhume Cardigan Bay’s remains from Auckland’s Alexandra Park, where they were interred on his death in 1988 aged 31, and take them to its new home in Cambridge, saying it would be a fitting tribute to the champion affectionately known as “Cardy”.

Hall of Fame committee members say the Auckland Trotting Club (ATC) plans to pave over the grave site.

“People will be up in arms at the thought he is just going to be forgotten and covered over,” said committee member and racing journalist Barry Lichter.

He said a High Court determination would be sought on the ownership of Cardigan Bay’s remains.

ADVERTISEMENT

ATC president Jamie MacKinnon said the Hall of Fame had no ownership rights to the remains and “no right to exhume [them].”

He said the late Audrey Dean, Cardigan Bay’s owner before she sold him to American interests, wanted him buried at his “rightful home”, Alexandra Park, and that’s where he should stay.

 

RICKY WILSON/STUFF

Cardigan Bay's grave at Alexandra Park is under threat.

MacKinnon confirmed the club planned to develop Cardigan Bay’s gravesite, and it could become a road or car park, but a final decision hadn’t been made. “We don’t know at this point, there’s a lot of options.”

The club had no plans to move the grave to another site on its Epsom land.

The Hall of Fame, the only one of its kind in Australasia, is moving to Cambridge after the ATC evicted it to make way for car parking.

The club is in financial strife, having lost more than $100m in a disastrous apartment development at Alexandra Park, and has been forced to sell chunks of its land to pay off debt.

Cardigan Bay won several big races in New Zealand – including the 1963 Auckland Cup off a big handicap – before Dean sold him to a group headed by the famous American trainer/driver Stanley Dancer the following year.

The sale agreement stipulated that on his retirement from racing, Cardigan Bay would be returned to New Zealand. He lived out his days on Sir Henry Kelliher’s estate on Puketutu Island in the Manukau Harbour.

 

A copy of the sale and purchase agreement for racehorse Cardigan Bay

Lichter, former Sunday Star-Times racing editor, argues ownership didn’t change hands at that point.

“There was never any change of ownership and why would there be, he was retired, you don’t change ownership on a horse who’s retired.”

But MacKinnon said Lichter’s argument “doesn’t have any weight” and the club was satisfied it had a claim to the remains and not the Hall of Fame.

“In the sale and purchase agreement ... it’s clearly stated when the horse has finished its racing it is returned to the Deans. And the Dancers, who had purchased the horse, also had to pay for the freighting of the horse back [to New Zealand].”

But Lichter has an email from Harness Racing NZ saying no change of ownership for Cardigan Bay was received on the horse’s return, and wouldn’t have been required as he was retired.

 

Cardigan Bay in full flight in the US. He became the first horse to win $1m.

He has found documents from the US Trotting Association showing the American group who bought Cardigan Bay still owned him when he was exported home in 1969.

Lichter also tracked down Dancer’s widow, Jody Dancer, the last surviving member of the Cardigan Bay Syndicate, who by email gave her “wholehearted” support to the exhumation of the horse, so that he could be “eternally memorialised” at a site of the Hall of Fame’s choosing.

Any court action would be taken in Jody Dancer's name, Lichter said. He said a team of archaeologists from Auckland University would lead the exhumation, and an even better memorial would be built at the new site in Cambridge.

But Fred Tong, who was a trustee for Audrey Dean’s estate, said he felt Dean was the true owner of Cardigan Bay when he died, as the sale agreement clearly said he would be given back to her on his retirement.

“If I give you a present, doesn’t the present belong to you?”

He said Dean wouldn’t have wanted the horse to be dug up. “She was very traditional, she was a great believer that once something is buried, it stays buried.”

Lichter said Dean’s views might have changed if she knew “a car park was going to be built over the top of him”.

He said the Hall of Fame would be happy if the grave was moved elsewhere in Alexandra Park, but the ATC was blocking all attempts at moving it.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF

Cardigan Bay's grave is next to the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame.

“I would have thought this would be a great PR exercise for them, doing something to preserve the memory of New Zealand’s greatest racehorse.”

Cardigan Bay won 29 of 47 races in New Zealand and Australia, before going on to more success in the US.

By the time of his retirement in 1968, he had become the first harness racing horse in the world to win $1m. That year he appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, just before the Beach Boys sang Good Vibrations.

He was immortalised on biscuit tins and became the first horse on a New Zealand postage stamp.

R

[the galah]

7 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

 

 

Dispute over exhumation of superstar horse Cardigan Bay heading to court

Tony Wall05:00, Apr 23 2023

 

 

Hollywood seductress Jayne Mansfield sneaks Cardigan Bay some carrots in the late 1960s. There are moves to exhume the champion's remains.

A High Court fight is brewing over the remains of New Zealand’s most famous racehorse – Cardigan Bay – and his final resting place could be paved over for a car park.

The NZ Trotting Hall of Fame wants to exhume Cardigan Bay’s remains from Auckland’s Alexandra Park, where they were interred on his death in 1988 aged 31, and take them to its new home in Cambridge, saying it would be a fitting tribute to the champion affectionately known as “Cardy”.

Hall of Fame committee members say the Auckland Trotting Club (ATC) plans to pave over the grave site.

“People will be up in arms at the thought he is just going to be forgotten and covered over,” said committee member and racing journalist Barry Lichter.

He said a High Court determination would be sought on the ownership of Cardigan Bay’s remains.

ADVERTISEMENT

ATC president Jamie MacKinnon said the Hall of Fame had no ownership rights to the remains and “no right to exhume [them].”

He said the late Audrey Dean, Cardigan Bay’s owner before she sold him to American interests, wanted him buried at his “rightful home”, Alexandra Park, and that’s where he should stay.

 

RICKY WILSON/STUFF

Cardigan Bay's grave at Alexandra Park is under threat.

MacKinnon confirmed the club planned to develop Cardigan Bay’s gravesite, and it could become a road or car park, but a final decision hadn’t been made. “We don’t know at this point, there’s a lot of options.”

The club had no plans to move the grave to another site on its Epsom land.

The Hall of Fame, the only one of its kind in Australasia, is moving to Cambridge after the ATC evicted it to make way for car parking.

The club is in financial strife, having lost more than $100m in a disastrous apartment development at Alexandra Park, and has been forced to sell chunks of its land to pay off debt.

Cardigan Bay won several big races in New Zealand – including the 1963 Auckland Cup off a big handicap – before Dean sold him to a group headed by the famous American trainer/driver Stanley Dancer the following year.

The sale agreement stipulated that on his retirement from racing, Cardigan Bay would be returned to New Zealand. He lived out his days on Sir Henry Kelliher’s estate on Puketutu Island in the Manukau Harbour.

 

A copy of the sale and purchase agreement for racehorse Cardigan Bay

Lichter, former Sunday Star-Times racing editor, argues ownership didn’t change hands at that point.

“There was never any change of ownership and why would there be, he was retired, you don’t change ownership on a horse who’s retired.”

But MacKinnon said Lichter’s argument “doesn’t have any weight” and the club was satisfied it had a claim to the remains and not the Hall of Fame.

“In the sale and purchase agreement ... it’s clearly stated when the horse has finished its racing it is returned to the Deans. And the Dancers, who had purchased the horse, also had to pay for the freighting of the horse back [to New Zealand].”

But Lichter has an email from Harness Racing NZ saying no change of ownership for Cardigan Bay was received on the horse’s return, and wouldn’t have been required as he was retired.

 

Cardigan Bay in full flight in the US. He became the first horse to win $1m.

He has found documents from the US Trotting Association showing the American group who bought Cardigan Bay still owned him when he was exported home in 1969.

Lichter also tracked down Dancer’s widow, Jody Dancer, the last surviving member of the Cardigan Bay Syndicate, who by email gave her “wholehearted” support to the exhumation of the horse, so that he could be “eternally memorialised” at a site of the Hall of Fame’s choosing.

Any court action would be taken in Jody Dancer's name, Lichter said. He said a team of archaeologists from Auckland University would lead the exhumation, and an even better memorial would be built at the new site in Cambridge.

But Fred Tong, who was a trustee for Audrey Dean’s estate, said he felt Dean was the true owner of Cardigan Bay when he died, as the sale agreement clearly said he would be given back to her on his retirement.

“If I give you a present, doesn’t the present belong to you?”

He said Dean wouldn’t have wanted the horse to be dug up. “She was very traditional, she was a great believer that once something is buried, it stays buried.”

Lichter said Dean’s views might have changed if she knew “a car park was going to be built over the top of him”.

He said the Hall of Fame would be happy if the grave was moved elsewhere in Alexandra Park, but the ATC was blocking all attempts at moving it.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF

Cardigan Bay's grave is next to the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame.

“I would have thought this would be a great PR exercise for them, doing something to preserve the memory of New Zealand’s greatest racehorse.”

Cardigan Bay won 29 of 47 races in New Zealand and Australia, before going on to more success in the US.

By the time of his retirement in 1968, he had become the first harness racing horse in the world to win $1m. That year he appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, just before the Beach Boys sang Good Vibrations.

He was immortalised on biscuit tins and became the first horse on a New Zealand postage stamp.

R

I have one of those biscuit tins in my garage with cardigan bay on the lid. Mum passed it on to me.

The above article appears to indicate that the fella from the auckland trotting club seems to be trying to punish the hall of fame people for daring to previously disagree with his views.At least thats my take. The hall of fame people just seem to be trying to do what they believe is the right thing. They seem to have taken an understandable position.

maybe i'm missing something,but shouldn't HRNZ leadership be having a word in the ear of the ATC and saying get your act together and take steps to unite everyone up there,instead of dividing.Just another one of those things that seems rather silly. But i guess its the ATC.

[Gammalite]

9 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

A High Court fight is brewing over the remains of New Zealand’s most famous racehorse – Cardigan Bay – and his final resting place could be paved over for a car park.

Well that is sad beyond words .😢 Must be a solution possible ? without going to courts. What do you think Chief?

 

2 hours ago, the galah said:

I have one of those biscuit tins in my garage with cardigan bay on the lid. Mum passed it on to me.

What a great keepsake . and can always remind you of your mum. Also the great horse is something special always.

I have the book, a vintage jigsaw puzzle and 2 of the early postage stamps (around 1970 I think)  when he conquered the world and was the first horse to make it on to one . What an honour for Wolfie and harness racing. 

 

[Blackie]

You’d think RJ Dunn wouldn’t be having a bar of it, should know the relevance of respecting such an icon.

[Rangatira]

19 hours ago, the galah said:

The above article appears to indicate that the fella from the auckland trotting club seems to be trying to punish the hall of fame people for daring to previously disagree with his views.At least thats my take. The hall of fame people just seem to be trying to do what they believe is the right thing. They seem to have taken an understandable position.

It is hard to fathom the recent responses from Jamie MacKinnon.

He seems determined to be both an unstoppable force and an unmovable object.

Awkward Prat if I am donning my extremely kind cap.

[Special Agent]

I don't know this president but, judging his stints on the television news in the role he's a halfwit with no respect for harness history.  His comments on the Hall of Fame were appalling.

Excuse my ignorance but, is Robert Dunn on the ATC committee or administration?

[Blackie]

https://www.alexandrapark.co.nz/about/

Vice President ATC

Edited April 24, 2023 by Blackie

[Blackie]

Also on the Board of HRNZ. C'mon RJ, need to put your impartiality cap on here, big principal at stake. Forget that you've trained horses for the President. Would'nt like the thought of Master Musician being buried under a ton of asphalt in a car park.

[Special Agent]

I am also surprised at Karen Blanchard too.  For goodness sake let's find all their numbers and give them a ring.  This cannot happen.  Let's stop it.

Edited April 25, 2023 by Special Agent

[Honestjohn]

Atc lost millions in there building scheme,  they just want to sell or "invest"  in the area. They are idiots. 

 

Hj

[Special Agent]

Trentham take heed.

[Special Agent]

Any update on this situation?