Interview: Brian de Lore talks about The Horsemakers

Brian de Lore’s life has been shaped by a steady devotion to the world of horses. At twenty, he worked for Racetrack magazine, rising to Associate Editor over nine years before freelancing for racing and breeding publications and authoring three books on thoroughbreds for a Sydney publisher. He also explored bloodstock agency work and broodmare management for New Zealand clients in Australia, later returning home as GM of Ra Ora Stud Ltd and founding Brian de Lore Bloodstock Ltd. After a spell as a wine merchant, he resumed part-time racing work — writing press releases, attending trackwork, contributing weekly to The Informant, and launching The Optimist blog — culminating in this, his new book The Horsmakers, published by Catwalk.

Tell us a little about The Horsemakers.

The subtitle of the book accurately describes its contents: ‘A biographical history of the people who shaped the New Zealand thoroughbred. The book delves into the lives of the selected people and tells the story about where they came from, what drove them, and how they succeeded. The people are the focus, and the horses and races that made them successful are secondary to the personalities.

What inspired you to write this book?

For 170 years, New Zealand has been breeding world-class thoroughbreds with a remarkable record of international success. The people most responsible for producing New Zealand’s greatest horses have always been neglected and sometimes forgotten by journalists - overshadowed by the glamour of the race, the horses, the jockeys and the trainers who have traditionally attracted centre stage in the sport of thoroughbred racing. The Horsemakers sets out to redress the imbalance of credit by identifying 25 of the best individuals and families who mostly went unheralded, usually away from the racetracks where the horses they bred achieved their greatest successes. The inspiration came from an early interest in thoroughbred breeding, growing up around horses near Riccarton Racecourse, in Christchurch, and reading Hoof Beats Magazine in the 1960s about such iconic personalities as Seton Otway, Sir Woolf Fisher, T.H. Lowry and the international-class horses they bred.

What research was involved?

Five years of researching old newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and a multitude of other publications and books. I travelled to and visited all the major stud farms between Auckland and Southland, conducting and transcribing 91 interviews that revealed previously unpublished anecdotal reminisces from the subjects or their descendants. It has resulted in an oversized A4 coffee table book of over 300 pages, depicting 170 photographs, and 235,000 words.

What was your routine or process when writing this book?

Deciding who or what families would be included in the book was an initial process that proved very difficult. I grouped all possible narrative subject matter into three groups based on performance or contribution, and then sought advice from several knowledgeable elders in the breeding industry before settling on who would make the cut for the 25-chapter limit. The first 20 subjects proved relatively easy, but selecting the last five from a possible 15 proved problematic. Prioritising the interviews became critical because several people identified as important to the narrative were octogenarians, and I saw this as a last opportunity to record their stories. By the publication date, eight of the interviewees had passed away.  

If a soundtrack was made to accompany this book, name a song or two you would include.

The Horse Whisperer - Ultimate Soundtrack Suite.

If your book was made into a movie, who would you like to see playing the lead characters?

Russell Crowe as Sir Patrick Hogan.

What did you enjoy the most about writing The Horsemaker?

I was always keen on history, and the history of our thoroughbred breeding success is quite remarkable for the size of New Zealand and the number of horses we have bred. We have a great advantage in our climate with the rainfall of Ireland and the sunshine of California, as the saying goes, and for many years, New Zealand-bred horses dominated the racing scene in Australia, with only 10 per cent of their horse population. We have also achieved international success in past years in Europe and the USA. I also knew that many of the wives of the studmasters and owners had never received the credit for their contribution in a male-dominated business, when chauvinism had downplayed the important role that many women played. I have, where appropriate, attempted to correct that anomaly with a more balanced view.

What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?

Popped a bottle, and then another.

What is the favourite book you have read so far this year and why?

Phoenicians, Lebanon’s Epic Heritage by Sanford Holst, tells the story of one of the most fascinating societies of sea-faring people known to Eastern Europe, whose influence through their DNA is still evident around the world today. Also, re-reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

What’s next on the agenda for you?

I’m in the process of writing the biography of Mr John Messara AM, who resides in Sydney, and is Australia’s most successful horse breeder.

www.thehorsemakers.com