Industry loses a colourful character in Rick Burchell

Harness racing would be nothing without its most passionate and colourful characters – and undoubtedly the sport has lost one of those with the death of prominent Victorian owner-breeder Rick Burchell.

Burchell was renowned for his outspoken enthusiasm for the sport and his horses, most notably his superstar entire Blitzthemcalder.

By Metropolitan from Like A Calder, Blitzthemcalder was trained in his early career by Ross Payne, and won more than 26 races between 2012 and 2014 including the 2012 Australasian Breeders Crown and the Victoria Trotters Derby a year later. Blitzthemcalder also had a brilliant victory in the New Zealand Trotting Derby and competed admirably in the NZ Jewels Series.

Burchell, who was born at Banyena, in the Wimmera and lived for much of his adult life at Donald, before establishing a showcase equine property at Torquay, on the Victorian coast, was an unconventional student of breeding.

Blitzthemcalder’s lineage spoke for Burchell’s unconventional approach to breeding and life.

He obtained Blitzthemcalder’s granddam Maori’s Dream from Ric and Bryan Healy, of Maori’s Idol fame.

When Maoris Dream was matched with one of the most notable trotting stallions in America – Balanced Image – Like A Calder was born, providing the foundation for Burchell’s breeding strategy.

“I’d be the only person in Australia or New Zealand with three Balanced Image mares,” Burchell said at the time,

“He was the leading sire in the United States for 12 years and I bred three mares to him 15 years ago (pre-2000) when his service fee was $22,000.

“I thought the cross between the Maori line and the Balanced Image line from America just makes a real foundation for the future of breeding.”

But then from left-field, Burchell chose a pacing-bred sire in Metropolitan specifically because “he had not one drop of trotting blood in his pedigree”.

“I wanted to inject some speed into the foals,” Burchell said.

“He’s got a big ticker,” Burchell said of Blitzthemcalder, “And you’ve got to dare to be different.  If someone tells me to turn right, I’ll turn left, that’s me in life.”

Blitzthemcalder’s trainer Ross Payne said he enjoyed a good relationship with Burchell.

“We always got along and over the years we’d kept in touch. He was known for making some big predictions to the media about the horse when he was racing, but that was just Rick!” he said.

“I ended up with the horse after another breaker who was educating him had an accident and broke an arm. I got recommended and it went from there.  We had some fun times and I can say that Rick was the best winning owner you could possibly have.”

Payne said Blitzthemcalder was not only a magnificent looking animal, but possessed so much ability.

“Blitzthemcalder was a good-looking horse, standing at least 16 hands. He looked more like a thoroughbred. I remember one day at Maryborough that Mark Purdon saw him and commented on how magnificent he looked,” Payne said.

“We won feature races including two derbies, smashing the record in one of these and he took out the two and three-year-old Horse of the Year awards,” he said.

“He couldn’t peel off a quick 27sec quarter all that often but could run 28 and a bit all day long.”

Burchell bred and raced many smart horses, the majority of which had ‘Calder’ in their name, including multiple winner Calder Sensation by S Js Photo (trained by the Maree and John Caldow), who was one of the first standardbreds to undergo stem cell surgery.

Shortly after his fourth in the 2006 Inter Dominion Trotting Series, the then five-year-old suffered a suspensory injury, so severe that one veterinarian recommended the horse be euthanised.

But again, Burchell turned “left not right” and came across what was then an experimental tissue transplantation treatment at the Geelong Veterinary Hospital with Dr. James Vanner and decided to give the $20,000 treatment a try.

In an incredible training performance, Calder Sensation returned to the race track in May 2007, and won at his first start back.

Friends described Burchell as a “bit of a rascal” and one who will be sadly missed. He passed away this month after a 10-year battle with cancer.

Harnesslink extends its sympathies to Burchell’s family and friends.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink