Client Spotlight – Adele and Lindsay Dawkins

Adele and Lindsay Dawkins didn’t have your typical introduction to harness racing, in fact, you can literally say it simply landed on their doorstep one day.

Lindsay and Adele Dawkins

The North Canterbury couple had a fortuitous meeting at their home one day on their farm in Blenheim that would awaken a passion they didn’t even know.

“I had always been infatuated with horses as a child,” Adele explained.

“But my mother was a widow and could never afford to get me a horse of my own, so I’d ride everyone else’s horses. I just loved horses so much.”

Whilst the love of horses remained, Adele moved on with life and along with her husband Lindsay ended up living on six acres in Blenheim.

“It was quite out of the blue that I ended up breeding horses.”

“We had a very large worm farm back then, that was all the go at the time. We would harvest them every week and then send them north.”

“One day I had twisted my ankle quite badly in the paddock working, and I was at home on a crutch with my ankle all strapped up.”

“There was a knock at the door and I opened it to a little old man who was on two crutches. And the minute I opened the door he exclaimed, good god girl, what happened to you?! And I responded with, well I could say the same thing,” laughed Adele.

That man at the door was Robin Allan, who was very well known in the Marlborough harness racing scene, along with his wife Nancy.

“He had knocked on our door to ask if he could graze his three mares on our land, they were moving into town and selling up their property and needed somewhere to keep them.”

“We of course didn’t mind, and it started a wonderful friendship between us.”

Adele recalls those mares arriving at their farm, Impetuous Donna, Our Nikki and Maida’s Pride.

Soon after five win mare, Donna’s Gold, arrived. She was a daughter of Impetuous Donna.

“Robin asked me if I would like to breed from Donna’s Gold, I actually collected the Hororata Cup for him at the presentation when she won it. So, she joined the other mares in the paddock. At that stage I believe we had pretty much taken over the breeding out of all of the mares.”

The plan for Adele and Lindsay has always been to breed for the sales, to make it viable to do so.

They continued to breed from them until they narrowed down their lines, and soon found themselves needing to expand.

“Lindsay and I decided we needed a bigger property, so we ended up in Wairau Valley for 15 years before we moved down to Canterbury.”

“It’s quite funny really, because even though it was my passion initially, Lindsay did come on board with the breeding aspect.”

“Once we started getting to the sales I think the dollar signs flashed in his eyes a bit,” laughed Adele. “But did I have news for him, it wasn’t always that fruitful.”

The first horse they presented to the sales was Mister McGherkinshaw. A chestnut colt out of Our Nikki, by Motu Mister Smooth.

“I think I brought the tent down that day, the service fee was $1200 and we sold him for $12,500.”

“We ended up coming back down south when he was racing and we watched him run fifth in the Sires Stakes at Addington, that was very exciting for us.”

As well as Mister McGherkinshaw, Our Nikki left Maximum Holmes (8 wins) and Daniel Allan (1 win).

Donna’s Gold was by Motu Mister Smooth and produced All Courage(11 wins), Artison (10 wins) and Ella Sue (14 wins).

“Ella Sue was very special to us, when she was born we couldn’t believe it. She was jet black and all legs!” Adele explained.

“After she was sold to Australia she became the first winner for Elsu, that was a really special thing for us. And after her racing career was over her owners offered her back to us to breed from, because we sadly lost Donna’s Gold.”

“We were very happy to be able to bring her home and breed from her.”

Ella Sue has in turn left Adieu Flirt (9 wins, now at stud), Delta Three (23 wins in Australia now in USA) and Candy Crunch, who Adele and Lindsay race with Robbie Holmes. She has a promising type in Jackson at the trials.

Her two-year-old Lazarus gelding, Aragorn, recently qualified impressively and has been sold to Australia.

Adele and Lindsay have recently been thrilled to acquire Adieu Flirt back for breeding purposes as well.

After moving south to Canterbury, they struck up a friendship with John Crosbie.

“We were very good friends, and before he passed away he offered for me to take my pick of his broodmares to carry on with,” Adele said.

“I told him that I would love to have Whitershadeofpale, who he had brought back from Australia, he was thrilled for us to breed from her.”

Whitershadeofpale is a Changeover mare who won nine races in her career, she is out of Badlands Hanover mare, Stella Franco.

John had bred one foal from her, Is He Watching Me, who had one win.

Adele and Lindsay then bred Rockabilly Rascal who qualified but didn’t race, before producing Hezasweetie (4 wins), and Huxton (6 wins from 16 starts to date).

Whitershadeofpale has since left an Always B Miki colt and a Lazarus filly.

They also in recent years obtained Sweet Perrier, a half sister to Lancome by Elsu, and have bred Sweet Dakota, a yearling purchased by Dave Fahey.

“I like to choose my stallions on type, I have a good friend that does the family genealogy for me and gives me some options. But I always like to look at a stallion and their type.”

“We’ve had some lovely foals, including Lazmai, a filly by Lazarus (out of Whitershadeofpale) that went through the sales earlier this year and was bought by Angela Washington.”

“I have always loved Lazarus and love the type of horses he leaves, and their nature.”

“We are very excited to see what Lazmai can do.”

And as a breeder, what’s the ultimate goal for them?

“I’d love to have another one that produced like Freemantle Sunset did. She has left us some wonderful horses, including a champion.”

An unraced mare by Armbro Operative out of Marquess Of Ross Freemantle Sunset has left Maquess De Posh (14 wins including Group 1 New South Wales Oaks, 3YO Australian Filly of the Year), Tavewa Sunset (9 wins) and Posh Fella (10 wins).

Sadly Adele and Lindsay lost Freemantle Sunset after foaling, it was a devastating time for the couple.

“We did everything we could to save her. She didn’t get up on her feet for ten days and were literally sleeping in with her, and trying get her better. Sadly we couldn’t help her, it really broke our hearts. We love them so much.”

The horses are just like family to them. And even though they sell most of the horses they breed, there is still a strong connection after the fact.

“I usually shed a tear after the hammer falls and we are driving home,” Adele admits.

“We follow them all closely, we feel like we are still part of their story. And even though most of ours end up in Australia we do keep an eye on them. We enjoy that.”

Adele and Lindsay enjoy their days surrounded by horses, included Veecmee, who is now 22-years-old and living our her days on farm.

It’s the horses and the people that have made the journey so enjoyable for them.

“I’ve made some wonderful friends in the racing game. And our association with Robbie and Carla has been brilliant.”

“I always know my horses are in the best of care, and I can talk to Robbie about anything that comes up with them. They are truly great and genuine people, it’s been a great relationship over the years.”

And as the new breeding season fast approaches, Adele continues to be excited about the choices ahead.

“I just love the whole process, I love the horses, and love seeing new foals.”

“And the people we share it with, it just makes it even better to be a part of.”

It just goes to show, you never know when opening the door is going to lead to the biggest passion of your life.