Client Spotlight – Marie Alcock

Sometimes your passion in life comes and finds you when you’re not even looking for it.

And that was certainly the case for Canterbury breeder, Marie Alcock.

Marie and Phoebe K

After the passing of her husband Geoff Alcock five years ago, Marie found herself in harness racing syndicates after taking over responsibility his shares.

It turned out to be the best passage through grief for her.

“As a woman finding herself on her own, harness racing has made me feel really safe and able to get out and involved in it. The people in it are incredibly friendly,” Marie said.

 “They are so kind and welcoming, I have made some amazing friends and it’s given me something to focus on and look forward to now.”

Marie’s late husband Geoff had always been involved with racing, with his family breeding horses and his father training in Waikouaiti in Otago.

“So it kind of crept up on me a bit,” Marie laughed.

 “I used to just accept the fact that Trackside would always be on in the house, he had a real passion for it.”

However Marie did have early connections to racing herself, with fond memories of her grandmother taking her to the track.

“She used to take all of us grandchildren along with her to Addington.”

 “I look back all these years later and laugh as she was a devout Catholic, and one of the priests used to always sit behind her at the track and talk to her,” Marie laughed.

“My grandmother on my other side was friends with Geoff’s mum, so that’s how we actually met.”

Marie got a taste early in her dating days with Geoff of what the future might include for them.

“We did a lot of our dating at the Addington races.”

“Back in the day the racing was on a Saturday night, and the crowds there were huge.” 

“We’d all go out and congregate there as we’d all come in from the country to attend, so that’s where it all began really.”

Marie and Geoff enjoyed ownership through syndicates and were involved with the wonderful trotting mare, Harriet Of Mot.

Harriet Of Mot took them on an adventure, winning 15 races in total including the Group Three Southern Lights and the Group Three Canterbury Park Trotting Cup, setting three race records during her racing career.

“Geoff had had some horses on his own before hand, but Harriet Of Mot was the first syndicate horse we got into,” Marie explained.

 “We had been living in Auckland, but once we moved back to Christchurch it was more feasible to be involved. And man, we had so much fun with her.”

Having such a consistent performer enabled them to travel to watch her race, leading to some memorable occasions, even if the horse wasn’t on her game all of the time.

“I remember one year we went up to the Harness Jewels at Cambridge, and Harriet did not behave. She broke.”

 “But the celebrations we had afterwards for just being there, I won’t go into all the details, but we had fun.” Marie laughed.

 “But let’s just say old people can party just as hard as young people.”

Through the syndicates Marie has made many new connections and friendships.

“There are some great people in harness racing. Peter Baken is a great friend of mine now, everyone has been incredibly welcoming to me.”

Another horse Marie had been involved in was a trotting mare named Phoebe K, who unbeknownst to Marie would become her first broodmare.

A daughter of Sebastian K, she was out of nine-win mare Phoebe Revival.

“When Geoff passed away he had a share in Phoebe K who was racing, so I had to then take that over.”

 “We had one amazing win with her, it was incredible and very emotional. I remember crying on Benny Hill’s shoulder when it happened. It was so touching and special.”

Following the win Phoebe K had a few things go amiss and was not able to race up to her full potential, so was retired from racing.

That’s when opportunity knocked once again.

“It was actually my sons Mitch and Fraser that suggested we breed from her, and I had never even considered breeding as an option.”

 “They were just going to give the horse away, so we decided to take her on.”

“Given we had no clue what we were doing, Aimee Edmonds was able to help us out with finding grazing with Angus Taylor. So she was there until we looked at breeding options.”

“That’s when we moved her to Wai Eyre, as we were really keen on E L Titan for her in her first season.”

Being a maiden mare, Phoebe K had initially had trouble getting in foal to E L Titan with frozen semen, so the family then utilised the fresh on farm semen from On A Streak.

“She got in foal straight away to On A Streak, we were thrilled. And she had a lovely filly by him foaled in November last year.”

 “It has probably turned out to be a good turn of luck really, given the wonderful job On A Streak is doing with his horses already. I think we were actually lucky there.”

Eagerly awaiting news of the foals arrival, the family could not wait to get out to the farm and meet their new addition.

“We got sent a photo and a text saying she had foaled a beautiful filly, and getting that photo, I mean, we were just blown away to get that.”

 “We were chomping at the bit to get out and see her, and we have been out a few times to see them both since.”

Being able to visit the farm has helped Marie on her breeding journey, and the early stages of a foals life, now their filly has been weaned.

“I love the fact the weanlings go out into the paddock with a nanny mare, that’s such a cool thing to have in there with them. An older horse sorting out the nonsense behaviour and keeping an eye on them. Once I saw that I was even more sold on keeping our horses there. It’s so cool to see.”

Phoebe K was successfully served by EL Titan last season, and is expected to foal in November.

“Everyone has been so helpful. We take on all of the advice we have been given by the farm, with vaccinations, hard feed and options for breeding.”

 “My number one priority as a breeder is to look after Phoebe and her foals, and I truly believe that’s what we get at Wai Eyre Farm.”

“We love to visit the horses often, and it’s never a bother. The friendliness when we arrive, it’s never a problem to go see them. We feel so welcome.”

On a recent visit they were treated to a special visit to different area of the stud.

“Last time we were there we were able to go see the stallions, and Mitch’s eyes lit up at that. It was so brilliant to see them in the flesh, the photos are always nice, but seeing the stallions themselves was very special.”

Wai Eyre Farm has become a key part of the equation for Marie and her sons, as they navigate the learning curve of breeding and processes.

“It’s a one stop shop for us really. From breeding, to foaling, and then weaning the foals. They make it so easy for us, I just cannot speak highly enough of everyone there.”

“Louise and the team at Yabby Dam Farms were brilliant to deal with too, we love working with them as well and will likely breed again to a Yabby Dam stallion.”

Marie has three sons, and two of them have now become swept up in the passion of harness racing.

 “My oldest son hasn’t really got the bug, but my other two, Mitch and Fraser, have definitely got it.”

“We have a group text chat and Mitch every day is always coming up with potential stallions for the mare. He’s right up on the play on what is happening, what’s working for crosses, he would probably know every horse that has anything to do with Sebastian K now. They both just love it.”

It’s that shared passion that keeps them together as a family, and moving forward with a shared interest in their horses.  

“We went to the breeders night and got in the car afterwards when I asked the boys if they had any thoughts on a stallion after that.”

 “And Mitch was like, Mum, I’m going to have to process all of this first,” Marie laughed.

 “There is just so much choice out there, and it’s really nice to be able to do this with the boys and have them involved.”

Meanwhile the search is on for the next suitor for Phoebe K, and the group text chat continues with more suggestions and breeding theories.

Marie plans to eventually race the foals with her sons and include friends in syndicates, racing them with like-minded people and sharing the experience.

 “It’s not just a horse out there on the track for me, it’s personal.”

 “I wake up every day and think of the horses.”

Like for many people, that love of the horse has helped Marie and her family traverse loss and healing, along with help from a community of harness racing lovers showing support along the way.

“I’m sure my husband is looking down watching and going, really?” laughed Marie.

 “But I think he’d be proud of us.”