A great season for Jim?s horses | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

Jim Mair's passion for horses began in 1982, when his children began riding ponies. His interest increased when he started breeding ponies and his children entered pony carnivals.

One day, a friend suggested he get a pacer and from that day Jim never looked back.

Jim said one of his first pacers had a great win at Hutt Park and from there he said the disease took over. "My love for horses is like a disease because it takes control of your entire body and becomes a part of you that won't go away," he laughed.

Currently, Jim trains two very competitive horses - Southern Scruff and Rimatoetoe Flyer. Both four-year-olds have had impressive seasons.

Southern Scruff, owned by Jim and Gary Fredrickson, has had three wins, a second, third and fourth from 12 starts.

Southern Scruff will be one of the local horses competing in the prize race, the Stratford Cup, this Sunday at the Stratford Trots.

Rimatoetoe Flyer, owned by Geoff Young, Warren Espin and Peter Johnson, has had two wins from five starts. He will also be competing on Sunday in the C2 race.

Both horses will be driven by Philip Butcher.

Both horses share plenty of memories with Jim, especially since both horses are lucky to be alive.

Southern Scruff or 'Alphie' as Jim likes to call him, was only 10 days old when he arrived at his Eltham farmlet and he recalls the horse's wild nature.

Rimatoetoe Flyer was given to Jim to train because he went lame. After competing in a race, it was discovered that he had raced with a cracked leg.

"He was very lucky he was able to be healed."

Jim has trained four/five other horses, with all having good success on the track. Jim's first horse was called Debre Taw (or 'waterbed' backwards).

Jim said he will continue to train horses because horses are his passion, hobby and part of his life.