Interviewer: Lynne Grove Abstracter: Jean Hawkes MICHAEL PATRICK SHERIDAN

TRACK 1

00:00 Interview identification

00:29 MICHAEL PATRICK SHERIDAN born in OTAUTAU 12 February 1934

00:40 Father's name PATRICK – may have been born in RIVERTON 1898 – Grader driver at OTAUTAU

00:51 Mother's name ELIZABETH born at MILTON 1908 – Domestic

01:20 [CHILDHOOD]: Mostly war years – Not much activity in New Zealand – Basic

01:34 [EDUCATION]: Attended OTAUTAU PRIMARY SCHOOL – RIVERTON CONVENT – NIGHTCAPS DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL Good teachers

02:09 No friends from school days – Possible reason given

02:27 [CHORES]: No activities for school recalled – Usual domestic chores

02:54 [EMPLOYMENT]: New Zealand Railways earning five pounds per fortnight – Board paid to parents – Compared with current costs Railway Cadet at WAIRIO – Coal trains from OHAI

03:52 [RACING]: Always involved – Parents went to race meetings. RIVERTON – INVERCARGILL – WINTON – WYNDHAM – GORE – DUNEDIN – TAPANUI – BEAUMONT

04:19 [FIRST MEMORIES]: At races as very small child – Parents interest in race horses – father owned race horse – Mother's brother owned EXCELLENCY 04:58 [EXCELLENCY]: Raced from 1946 to 1949 – Described including winning NEW ZEALAND CUP

05:18 Own family did not train horses – Had shares in them Self helped MAURICE CORKERY at RIVERTON MEETINGS – Described

05:44 Self familiar with Race Days and Race Personnel

05:54 [RACE COURSES]: RIVERTON favourite – Explained 06:24 [CONTRIBUTION]: Running of 100th GREAT WESTERN STEEPLECHASE in 2006 Club notified 2002 Successful event – NO HERO winner's achievements – Explained

07:23 [BOOK]: Writing of 'JUMPING TO GLORY' – Explained DON WRIGHT – NEW ZEALAND TURF REGISTER – Mentioned

08:20 Own ability to remember racing facts – Described Probably a better know of horses from sixty years ago than in recent recent years.

09:00 [TOP HORSES]: Strong breeding industry in SOUTHLAND Mr CHISHOLM of OTAUTAU stood sire SALMAGUNDI Mr W E HAZLETT and father CHELANDRY STUD at TARAMOA Mr BERT LAWTON at INVERCARGILL stood BELLBOROUGH SALMAGUNDI – KURDISTAN – BELLBOROUGH [HAMPTON STUD] – Progeny would be racing for same stakes as North Island horses – Reason given

10:00 [STUD FARMS]: Today no big studs in SOUTHLAND – Nearest BRIAN ANDERTON'S at WINGATUI Farmers used to have a brood mare but not today – Probably loss of interest in racing 10:35 To improve attendance at race meetings need to have people involved – Explained Education of patrons needed

11:10 [FUTURE of RACING]: Taxation relief benefited North Island Racing – Small improvement for South Island Racing – More stake money needed for South Island, especially SOUTHLAND

11:33 [RACE COURSES]: Five for population of ninety thousand – too many Due to costs suggests three courses for region – Eventually two or three will remain in SOUTHLAND. Possibly RIVERTON – GORE – INVERCARGILL – Population based

12:09 Dairy probably too busy to worry about racing – Racing authorities could approach Prognosis not good

12:36 Government assistance setting up local studs – Mentioned Cost probably prohibitive

13:00 [HORSES]: SIGNAL OFFICER – ROYAL LANCER – EXCELLENCY OTAGO closely associated with SOUTHLAND racing – GREAT SENSATION –

13:42 … SHOW GATE – KUMAI – BAGHDAD NOTE WELLINGTON CUP – MELBOURNE CUP – STUART FALCONER – Mentioned

14:01 [JOCKEYS]: L J ELLIS – LARRY WIGGINS – BILL BROUGHTON – GRENVILLE HUGHES – BOB SKELTON

14:24 [AUSTRALIAN RACING]: Own association for forty years. [BEST JOCKEYS]: GEORGE MOORE and ROY HIGGINS 14:30 [TRAVEL]: Mostly to MELBOURNE CUP Programme with KEN DIXON of FOVEAUX RADIO – Explained

15:02 Self has large collection of racing books and programmes – Not yet catalogued

15:19 [BOOK]: No commitment on possibility of another book GREAT WESTERN STEEPLECHASE – Mentioned

15:33 [ATTRIBUTES of GREAT JOCKEY]: Patience – Stamina – Understand horses during races. Top jockeys abilities – Explained

16:07 [TODAY'S JOCKEYS]: South Island – CHRIS JOHNSTON (?) – JAMIE BULLARD – Good ones in North Island as well Young people not being apprenticed as jockeys in SOUTHLAND as in the past WILSON ELLIS – JOHN DOWLING – Mentioned Lack of good horses for apprentices to ride – Possible reason for low numbers

17:16 [SOCIAL ASPECT]: Off-track most admired IAN McEWEN from MELBOURNE – New Zealander – Employed by MOONEE VALLEY RACING CLUB – Upgraded W S COX PLATE without sponsorship

18:13 [LOCAL SUPPORT]: Told W E HAZLETT financially and by attendance

18:44 Need keen people with racing knowledge – Few around now

19:07 [BEST NZ CLUB]: WELLINGTON RACING CLUB – Today not in Top Six. ERIC RUTHERFORD – Mentioned To go ahead need organisers with racing knowledge Discussion necessary – Explained

19:53 Strong committees in SOUTHLAND – Competitions suggested – RIVERTON has prize for person travelled furthest distance – Clubs need to do more to attract people.

20:42 OTAGO RACING CLUB MEETING at CROMWELL doing well – Big crowds Highest turnover in SOUTHLAND and OTAGO each year CROMWELL – QUEENSTOWN – ARROWTOWN – Mentioned

21:27 [WEATHER]: Effects of heavy rain at RIVERTON RACE COURSE – Described Heavy rain all day not uncommon – Howling winds in winter – Hail storm recalled WHY DEE (?) [horse] – Mentioned

22:25 [HAPPIEST TIME]: Best thing self has done – Suggested holding 100th GREAT WESTERN STEEPLECHASE – Successful Celebrations – Described Efforts of committee commended

23:38 [TRAGEDIES]: JIMMY HAYES of TE AWAMUTU lost his life – Explained

24:32 Racing positive influence on own life

24:45 1948 RIVERTON printed ten and half thousand race books [10,500] – Crowd estimated at 12,000 – Population of New Zealand 1,750,000 people. Today 4 million plus – 2000 to 2500 at races would be a good day at RIVERTON at Easter.

25:27 High point of racing in SOUTHLAND 1948-1970s – Explained

25:47 Recent decline in racing – Lack of interest rather than social changes

26:16 Racing time consuming – Worse as now have computer for general information Always interested in AUSTRALIAN racing – Not yet familiar enough to log-in to AUSTRALIAN racing, soon to be rectified.

26:55 [TV]: Enjoys watching – Four weeks in AUSTRALIA before MELBOURNE CUP Horses and Jockeys from ENGLAND – Big crowds – Dress of young people Self not travelled to other countries for racing ASCOT – IRELAND – FRANCE – Mentioned

28:03 Racing provided social life – Horse historian rather than committee based Regarded as historian for RIVERTON RACING CLUB

28:43 Self would like to help an interested person to carry on – Doubts it will happen

29:03 PAT FINNEGAN of FEILDING – Historian – Maybe 2 or 3 historians in New Zealand – Look back on good days of racing

29:14 [BOOKS]: Possible subject – Good horses from SOUTHLAND – Cataloguing Support from DON WRIGHT

30:17 Family not really involved

30:48 TYPICAL RACE DAY – Described GAY STUART – Mentioned

31:40 COMMUNICATION – Race day – Stipendiary stewards – Owners' interaction Today's information not publicised – Owners' lack of knowledge

33:18 RIVERTON CUP – GREAT WESTERN – Winners' breeding in newspaper in past years – Editors now claim 'lack of space'

33:52 COMMENTATORS – Available information – Self never commentated DAVE CLARKSON – PETER KELLY – REON MURTHA– Mentioned Qualities of a commentator – Explained

34:57 [HIGHLIGHT]: Spring Racing Carnival in MELBOURNE – TV not as good as being there – Meet friends

35:36 No major cost in work done – Not a gambler

36:20 [FUTURE]: Cataloguing – Maybe another book – Maybe world tour Keep involved with racing

37:00 Changing landscape – Dairy farms in Southland – Effects on community and the land APARIMA DAIRY FACTORY – Mentioned

37:40 [WAR YEARS]: Many race meetings not held – Boomed after war – Big crowds RIVERTON – Mentioned More breeding today – Number of horses in a field compared

39:01 [FEMALE BREEDERS]: More in past twenty years – Without lady riders racing would struggle for jockeys – Some resistance – Health possible reason for less male jockeys GAY STUART – Mentioned 40:12 [APPRENTICES]: Under control of trainer – Typical day in 1948 – Described Allocation of riding fee – Explained Apprenticeship 4 to 5 years

41:47 Education of apprentices – Described

42:07 Top trainers from SOUTHLAND – BILL HILLIS of RIVERTON – REX COCHRANE and TED WINSLOE from GORE – Dominant 1960s

42:32 Use of beach for training – Local conditions possible reason for success

43:15 Changed attitudes of young people – Explained

44:26 End of Track 1