Boy from “the Bush” is back in town

There’s no doubting Charlton harness racing identity Joey Thompson’s passion for the sport he was “born into” – but even after a lifetime in the game, he still loves to rack up a milestone.

Thompson got the money in consecutive races with Clarenden Envoy and Cee Cee In America at his home track last week and for a bloke who’s trained a winner at every metropolitan track on the mainland, unbelievably, it was his first-ever training double.

“I’ve had plenty of chances over the years. I just haven’t delivered-you could probably say I’ve been as slow as Australia Post!” he laughed.

“But I did think both of them looked well placed. Those two make up my whole racing team at the moment and young (reinsman) Ryan Sanderson did nicely on both of them. I was rapt.”

As well as being a farmer and horse breaker, Thompson is president of the dynamic Charlton Harness Racing Club and is one of the prime movers behind its successful training hub.

It doesn’t leave much time in the day for big teams, but Thompson’s recently found himself again with a couple of horses in his training stable.

“Clarenden Envoy (Blissfull Hall-Clarenden Esprit (Albert Albert) is bred and owned by South Australian trainer Claire Goble, and I’ve had a few for Claire. She sends them over to win the VicBred bonus,” he said.

“I was training no horses at all for a bit, and now I’ve gone to two with Cee Cee in America (American Ideal-Ultimate CC (Christian Cullen).”

Thompson said his dad Jack, known as “Bushy”, had him breaking-in horses at an early age.

“I always seem to have young breakers around my stables and I’m doing 10 at the moment. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoy that part of it,” Thompson said.

“Dad started me out when I was just 15 years old, and he pretty much taught me the art of it. Another old guy who also had a big influence on me was Billy Wilson at St Arnaud. I’d ring him every day.”

Jack “Bushy” Thompson was a well-known and highly regarded horseman in the north central Victorian town from the 1930s to 60s. He was the local bread delivery man, but he also broke-in horses (more than 2000, Joey estimates), officiated as a clerk of the course and trained dogs, as well as being a shrewd wheeler and dealer.

“Dad broke in Graeme Lang’s first horse. He also did a heap of others for Matt Donaldson, Ian McCallum, Merv Dillon, J.P (Jack) Moore, Dick Benger, the Rothackers and the Redwoods,” Joey said.

“When he was doing the baker’s round he’d tie on a couple of young horses, one on each side. He’d get paid for delivering the bread and get paid for doing the horses at the same time-and he would have thought it was quite funny.”

Joey said a mishap with a horse set “Bushy” up for some tough times, though.

“Early one morning a horse bolted, and dad’s leg got shattered from the knee down. He was taken to hospital, but they didn’t do anything for four days because no-one could guarantee payment.

“He ended up with gangrene and there were fears they’d have to take his leg off. They saved it, but he had to have it in plaster for 23 months. The leg was always about three-quarters of an inch shorter.

“It meant Dad missed getting the call up to fight in the war. He did Land Army service instead. They were short of skilled horse people and dad broke in 21 horses and two ponies in 10 days out at Newstead.

“He would have been like wild Bill Hickcok breaking in all those horses in such a short time. He was only a small man, but he stood tall.”

Thompson said his father wasn’t paid for the breaking services.

“Instead, he was given what was called a ‘Queensland brake’. There was only a few made, and it was a kind of (carriage) frame for breaking in horses. You could put four horses up the front. It was unique in that a pole came out the back and you couldn’t tip it over, which was a good thing.”

“Bushy” never trained or drove pacers but was a clerk of the course around the region for 25 to 30 years.

“Regular trips to Bendigo were a big highlight for him,” Joey said.

“He was a horse trader and loved it – he wouldn’t miss a sale and he couldn’t wait to get home, toss me up on their back, get them going and then sell them.”

Joey Thompson now lives on land his father purchased years ago.

“He bought 10 acres where I am now, and I call my place ‘Bushy Lodge’ after him.”

And like his dad, Joey also had the role of clerk of the course, starting out as a 16-year-old and doing the job for 25 years.

“I worked at Charlton and also did Moonee Valley trots as well,” he said.

As a 24-year-old Joey trained his first pacer. It was Imprimartar (Entrepreneur-Noondara (Dale’s Gift), a horse that became Victoria’s most exciting pacer in the early 1990s.

Making his race debut at Birchip in November 1989, Imprimartar was backed for a stack into 4/6 favorite and bolted in to win a 3YO handicap event. The impressive looking colt then won his next five in a row at Nyah, Charlton (2), Ouyen and Boort with Neil McCallum as his regular driver.

Imprimartar won 24 races with 15 placings for $286,000 in stakes.

“He was the best I’ve ever had. His wins included the NSW Derby and the Fremantle Cup,” Thompson said.

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink