Q&A Mark Chitty, of thoroughbred horse stud Haunui Farm

Mark Chitty is the managing director of thoroughbred stud Haunui Farm in Karaka. The enterprise is considered one of many throughout the nation that took half in Nationwide Thoroughbred Week in late November. Breeding thoroughbred racehorses these days requires a completely skilled strategy, he tells HELENA O’NEILL of the Franklin Occasions.

How lengthy have you ever been operating the farm?

We moved to Karaka on the finish of 2009, after beforehand being at Whitford for near 60 years. We have been absolutely operational right here in 2011. There was a number of thoroughbred breeding over on the japanese facet of Auckland for a few years. We ended up being a little bit little bit of an outlier after which we moved throughout this fashion. It’s been a very good match.

What’s the Karaka property like, and what do you do?

The property was an present horse stud and form of pre-training institution. It took us a little bit little bit of time to place our spin on the property. Now we’re principally a resort for horses. We’re a thoroughbred breeding and administration operation. We now have various purchasers, each within the Auckland space and within the South Island. We’ve obtained abroad purchasers as properly – principally in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong – which have the horses with us.

What number of horses are on web site?

It’s a seasonal enterprise, so the actually busy a part of the yr is from August 1 until the top of January, early February. Spring is the breeding season – foaling and breeding mares. Thoroughbreds are a little bit bit completely different in the truth that we solely breed naturally, so there’s no AI [artificial insemination], no embryo switch.

How does that every one work?

We’re guided by the worldwide stud laws, that are ruled exterior New Zealand, so if we need to play a part of the worldwide scene, then that’s what we now have to do. The breeding is all pure. That is the primary yr we haven’t stood stallions. We’ll foal down 220 mares this yr, of which half is hospital-like. There are individuals who use our providers for his or her mares, a bit like a girls’s hospital – they arrive in for the mare’s start and inside 48 to 72 hours they’re going again to their house owners’ properties. Most mares appear to foal between 9pm and 4am. I believe that’s simply the best way, though they’ve been domesticated to a sure extent. They nonetheless have that struggle and flight reflex and defending a foal like they’d within the wild.

How lengthy are you within the foaling season?

We began on July 25, so it’s been a good whereas and we nonetheless have just a few mares left to foal.

It makes for a busy time, as a result of now you’re within the racing season.

Saturdays are massive days for us, as a result of every part we do revolves round making an attempt to breed quick racehorses. It’s good you’re busy, however you’re additionally hopefully having fun with the fruits of your labour throughout the spring.

How did you become involved with the trade?

It’s a household enterprise. I’m principally a 3rd technology. I’m a veterinarian by commerce, labored full time as an equine veterinarian for 12 to 14 years earlier than I got here again into the household enterprise, and nonetheless do vet work right here. My space of actual curiosity is equine replica and younger foal well being. Once I was in full time apply, I did fairly a little bit of racehorse work, however now I solely do my very own work. Basically, it’s round stud administration.

Is race day at Pukekohe Park an enormous day for you?

It’s the largest race day for Pukekohe Park, Counties Cup Day. It’s usually a extremely good crowd. We sponsor the dash race and it’s fairly thrilling, as a result of it’s the beginning of the sprinting season. From November during to March, so it’s fairly good to be on the entrance finish, main the cost.

What’s your favourite a part of the trade?

It’s the rewards that aren’t at all times the apparent rewards. From my perspective, you generally have a mare that hasn’t had a foal for 3 years, and also you get a stay, viable foal, when others have stated that you simply’re losing your time. That’s actually satisfying.

What did individuals see when attending the open day at Haunui Farm throughout Nationwide Thoroughbred Week?

We confirmed a wide range of horses. If a customer had an curiosity in racing, there was some bloodstock they’d have identified. We confirmed the dam of Melody Belle, who had probably the most Group 1 [race] wins in New Zealand, with 14. There was additionally a mare known as Foxona, who my grandparents purchased off my great-grandparents again within the Nineteen Fifties. We confirmed a few her relations, the seventh or eighth generations, which reveals there’s been a number of longevity. We confirmed some mares and foals, together with some yearlings going to the Karaka gross sales. And we gave individuals a possibility to see what scanning a mare in early being pregnant appears like. I believe lots of people affiliate racing with playing. That’s truthful, nevertheless it’s much more than that. We now have each sort of brood, from membership to Group 1.

Did you ever have a selected horse that stunned you?

I suppose one of many largest surprises might be considered one of my father’s great tales. That they had a filly and after taking her to a few completely different gross sales (the identical auctioneer was making an attempt to promote her) they couldn’t promote her. After which the auctioneer afterwards requested Dad, what was he going to do with the filly? He wasn’t certain and the auctioneer ended up having a bunch of people that may prefer to lease her, which they did. The filly ended up being a Group 1 winner, known as Enjoyable on the Run. She gained 9 of her first 14 begins and completed second on three different events. By the point she retired, her wins included the Group 1 Thorndon Mile and the Group 1 Worldwide Stakes at Te Rapa.

Haunui Farm was based in 1955 by Mark’s grandparents Geoff and Peg Chitty, with the muse of broodmares acquired from the property of Peg’s late dad and mom. It was considered one of these mares, Foxona, whose descendants left an indelible imprint on each Haunui Farm and the Chitty household.

The primary yearling bred at Haunui Farm was offered on the Trentham gross sales by Trelawney Stud in 1957. Marco-Polo out of Foxona, subsequently named Matauwhi, was a winner of six races together with two stakes’ placings.