An 11th success for Waikato Stud as New Zealand Breeder of the Year has been hailed by principal Mark Chittick as just as significant as the previous ten.
Waikato Stud’s success highlighted Saturday’s New Zealand National Breeding Awards at Karapiro, marking a season where it bred 135 individual winners for the season, including eight stakes winners — three at Group 1 level, Atishu, La Dorada and Savaglee.
“This award means a massive amount to us,” Chittick said. “The integrity this award has internationally we are very proud of and every one of them —and the first one was when we were at Thornton Park in Palmerston North — and this one means just as much as that first one.
“We are a wholly and solely a breeding operation. You take those three Group One winners that we are very proud of, accepting their recognition tonight, they are all families that we have been breeding out of for generations and they are all by stallions we have selected, purchased and made work and we haven’t done that by ourselves.
“We are very appreciative of the support we get throughout New Zealand.”
Chittick paid tribute to the workers and family members who made the success possible.
“On the farm there are now three generations of Chitticks involved, but I accept this award on behalf of Waikato Stud because we have got a unbelievable group of people who are just absolutely passionate about horses and Waikato Stud and about the success of the place,” he said.
“We get through the lows and enjoy the highs but we just could not do it without them.”
Hosted by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the awards recognised the elite performances of 24 individual Group One winners.
The world highest rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising was named the Seton Otway Horse of the Year, with breeders Fraser and Erin Auret of Grandmoral Lodge collecting a swathe of awards.
Waikato’s Savabeel claimed his 10th Grosvenor (Leading sire by total progeny earnings within New Zealand) and Dewar Awards (Leading sire by total progeny earnings within New Zealand & Australia), while Little Avondale's Per Incanto claimed the Centaine Award for global earnings,
“Obviously we all keep trying to find the next one, but he is a stallion of a lifetime,” Chittick said.
“He is rising 24 years old now and has been at the farm 20 years. We had a bit of a mishap last year which was none of his wrong-doing but certainly once we got back on track he actually ended up with a really good season.
“He is fit and healthy, he looks fantastic and is still bouncing around the place so we just carry on as it is.”
Award Winners
Dewar (Australasian earnings): Savabeel
Grosvenor (New Zealand earnings): Savabeel
Centaine (Worldwide earnings): Per Incanto
Breeder of the Year sponsored by Dunstan Horsefeeds Ltd: Waikato Stud
Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year sponsored by Arion Pedigrees: Missy Moo (Ka Ying Rising, owned by Fraser Auret)
Small Breeder of the Year sponsored by Luigi Muollo: Grandmoral Lodge
Mary-Lynne Ryan Young Achiever of the Year sponsored by LOVERACING.NZ: Jack Stewart – White Robe Lodge
Personality of the Year sponsored by Entain AU & NZ: Steve Davis
Property Brokers Seton Otway Horse of the Year: Ka Ying Rising
