ABOUT THE GLOBE DERBY SOCIETY
The Globe Derby Society was officially founded in February 2010 by a group of New Zealand and Australian standardbred owners, breeders and enthusiasts.
The idea behind the society was to preserve the Australasian native standardbred bloodline which extends from Hambletonian, through his only pacer son Strathmore down through the imported sire OWYHEE, and through the native Australian sire GLOBE DERBY and his various sons, which produced the likes of SPRINGFIELD GLOBE, JOHNNY GLOBE, LORDSHIP, LORD MODULE, STARSHIP and INKY LORD, among hundreds of others which are immortalised in the annals of Australian and New Zealand standardbred history.
After a debate prompted by the success of GLOBE DERBY horses in the New Zealand Cup on the internet racing chatroom Racecafe, it was realised that the revered line was presently down to just a few horses.
Successful sire KURAHAUPO LORD (the sire of champion TEALSBY KARITA) and General Grace are the last sons of LORDSHIP available, both race winners, and MAGIC RULE is a beautifully-bred sub 2min race-wining grandson, through former champion three-year-old STARSHIP. REBEL LORD is a race winning son of ALL THE KING'S MEN, a son of LORDSHIP, while KURAHAUPO LORD's unraced son DOWN IN THE DUMPS has recently served some mares privately. Several untried Lordship line stallions were also located in New Zealand.
PASS THE MUSTARD is from an Australian branch of Globe Derby, a son of VANDERPORT, who has already sired the winners of $250,000 and has been flying the flag for the breed across the Tasman, with the likes of Group winner LUCY'S PRIDE and sub-2 minute Vicbred Series Finalists AMADMANCOMESUNDONE and ALLWEVNEED.
MAORI TRUST, a CUTE VAN stallion out of a former Australian broodmare of the year has been serving a few mares privately and has agreed to some public services this season.
It became clear that urgent action was required if the breed was to be preserved.
PLAN OF ACTION
Even before the first meeting of the Globe Derby Society, plans sprang into place to bring MAGIC RULE back to New Zealand, where supporters believed he would have a better chance of attracting the better suited mares needed to give the project some chance of success. This was made reality in March, when he was shipped over to winter at Palmerston, Otago, and from where he will soon take up residence at Kaylea Stud, Makarewa Southland.
At the inaugural meeting of the Globe Derby Society, held in the New Zealand Standardbred Breeders Association, in February 2010 it was quickly recognised that there was a need to preserve not only Globe Derby line stallions but also Colonial bred stallions particularly those with rare pedigrees who either have a history of nicking with Globe Derby stallions (such as the Direct line or GARRISON HANOVER -line) or have the potential to offer significant outcrossing genetic advantages or both.
The Axworthy line is all but extinct, while the Direct line is teetering, again only found in a small number of stallions in Australia. There is no coincidence that the demise of the pair have been concurrent.
The first priority must be to freeze as much semen of these older horses as is possible. This is to buy time to bring a co-ordinated breeding plan into place. At the second meeting in May, it was decided that the first stallion to be earmarked for Globe Derby Society assistance in freezing down was KURAHAUPO LORD. Enquiries in how you can help in this programme can be forwarded to globederby@hotmail.co.nz.
OTHER GOALS
The GDS priority are still on the lookout for any other stallion prospects out there. There may be one in a paddock in America or Canada somewhere or indeed in retirement in Australia, as indeed were REBEL LORD and MAORI TRUST.
The GDS also have would like to establish if there are any studs who can assist in a breeding programme. At the recent meeting in May, research was tabled into cloning, which is a reality in France were several showjumping champion geldings have been cloned and their offspring are now passing that identical genetic blueprint on to a new generation of potential champions. While there needs to be new rules and regulations drawn up to permit this by Harness Racing New Zealand, there is currently no rule against it, and it would be considered on its merits.
While the costs of cloning are currently prohibitive (at about $400,000), these may reduce as the technology becomes more refined. Or a commercial stud may be interested in a joint project with the likes of Tealsby Karita, and other potential candidates such as Blacks A Fake or Monkey King.
Other future tasks for the GDS are the eastablishment of a database of breeders, and people willing to work for the preservation of the breed (donators of time, money etc).
A leasing programme is also planned, to facilitate the leasing of suitable mares from breeders, and to place them with those who wish to participate in the programme.
And when the progeny is on the ground, it is planned to have a Globe Derby racing syndicate set up so that the pick of the colts are given a chance to establish their credentials on the racetrack, so that they in turn can become the next generation of GLOBE DERBY stallions.
There are many other ideas which are in the formative stage, including an incentive scheme to preserve the line, through a great race, open only to horses are of GLOBE DERBY blood.
This has the potential to become an annual festival day, and a day that Globe Derby breeders can have as their own and Globe Derby Society members would have as the focal point of the year.
The Globe Derby Society is a reality, and the future is now an exciting one. Join up, get involved.
Just contact globederby@hotmail.co.nz
And find out more, or to keep up with the latest news and activities here at our website globederby.com
