Manawatu harness community remember industry stalwart

Long-time Manawatu harness racing participant, Herbie Stent, passed away on Sunday (June 16) peacefully at home surrounded by his family at the age of 85.

Stent who had held a license to train dating back to 1969 had been suffering the effects of dementia and Alzheimers which had limited his ability to get down to local meetings of late.

The Manawatu stalwart endured a lasting legacy as both a horseman and administrator and is remembered fondly by his peers for his contributions to the sport in the region.

Stent was a longtime committee member of the Manawatu Harness Racing Club and at the time of his passing held the position of Patron for the club, a title he carried since 2010. He also held the title of club President from 1993-1996.

“I was only a young fella and just getting into the game when I met Herbie,” said former club President and HRNZ Board Member, Allan Brown.

“Herbie was one of the old stalwarts and had been around a long time when I came along. He was very knowledgeable and old-school. In his later years when I was President, he always sort of brought us back into line when he felt we were getting a bit loose in our judgement or governance or whatever.

“Herbie was always willing very good with advice if you took it,” he laughed.

“He was a take it or leave it kind of guy on that front and didn’t much mind either way. Herbie was highly respected by everybody and popular, even when he wasn’t in the best of health he would turn up and he and his wife Jo have been fixtures at the club as long as I can remember.

“He was a good committee man, good family man and just a nice chap all around,” he said.

Stent was born in Wanganui and was a plumber by trade who learnt much of his harness racing experience further afield near Pukekohe at the residence of Roy Purdon where he became great friends with industry icon, Les Purdon.

Purdon remembers his friend as “a genuine person who would give the shirt off his back if you needed it,” he said.

Stent moved back to the Manawatu region where he had a property in Kahuterawa, mixing his passion for harness racing with his day job which saw him managing the water treatment facility at the Linton Army Camp.

“I first met Herbie in the 70’s and while he never the most outgoing fella, bordering on shy even, he was an incredible humble and loyal person and very knowledgeable about his horses,” said another Manawatu participant, Martin Wrigley.

“Herb would get up early and head off to his job at the Linton Army Camp, come back and work his team of horses in the morning before heading back off to work,” he said.

By all accounts, Stent never had many horses in work and preferred to work with the squaregiaters where he had canny ability to work out some problematic types through a mixture of patience and perseverance.

“He did everything to his style, his old style, he had a great way of going with the trotters,” said local trainer, Stephen Doody.

“We used to joke with Herb that it would take him years to get them going but he did things his way and he had some good success both at Palmerston North and Hutt Park back when that was still functioning,” he said.

Stent who was also known to do a lot of his own shoeing in his younger days trained 38 winners throughout his career with 59 placings and $130,137 in stakes.

His best season as a license holder came in 1996 when he trained 6 winners and had 13 placings for $30,180 in purse money.

Stent’s first  training success came in in 1969 where in the space of a week he won two races first at his home track of Manawatu and then at Hawera with the King Creed mare, Bonnie Creed.

Stent’s last winner came back in 2002 with the five win trotter, Billy Sundon (Sundon) and before giving up his license in 2007 was best known for the deeds of pacing mare, Emmanuella Chips (Midshipman) who won five and placed on 18 occasions and talented trotter Josedale Boy.

BILLY SUNDON REPLAY

Stent had bred the son of Milford Boy himself and raced him in partnership with D E Pinfold. After 7 unplaced starts to open his career in 1980, Stent took his trotter further North where he was far from disgraced in two of the North Island’s 3YO features, the G2 Cambridge Stakes (7^th) and a week later in the G2 Rosso Antico Trotting Stakes.

“People thought he was mad taking this trotter from Manawatu up there to race against the best age group trotters,” said Wrigley.

“Herb had them stabled at Robbie Hughes’ place and I think that would have been one of the more proud moments of his career running 4^th in the Rosso Antico at Alexandra Park. Josedale Boy led up most of the way and was only run down late,” he said.

Stent drove 19 winners throughout his career and was often seen driving trotters for other trainers such was his ability with getting on with the squaregaiter.

Stent is survived by his wife of 32 years, Jo, four sons Brendan, Warren, Derek & Gareth and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

His funeral will be held on Thursday, 20 June 2024, at 10.00am at the Beauchamp Chapel, 167 John F Kennedy Dr, Palmerston North. In lieu of flowers, a donation to Arohanui Hospice would be appreciated, and may be left at the service.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink