Williams’ vast experience encompasses all areas of the industries from breeding and ownership to administration as a two-term Director of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Councillor.
It is the latter group that recently acknowledged his contribution and dedication as this year’s winner of the Personality of the Year Award.
“I don’t know about the personality bit, maybe it’s more a reward for effort, but it’s very nice to be recognised,” Williams said.
“I’ve been at The Oaks for 23 years now and more than 35 years playing this game. Obviously, this industry is a roller coaster and the highs can be very high and the lows can be very low,” Williams said.
“That’s what you have to survive and fortunately there have been a lot more highs than lows and it’s been a great ride.”
“That’s what you have to survive and fortunately there have been a lot more highs than lows and it’s been a great ride.” – Rick Williams
Williams has inherited his love of horses from his family and enjoyed an early introduction to the stallion business.
“I was at varsity and we stood the stallion Hooplah at my father’s farm in Taihape. I was always into racing and riding and was a regular racegoer from a very young age,” he said.
“We bred a few horses on the farm, he was a sheep and cattle farmer so it’s been part of my life for a long time.
“Back in the early 1980s hill country farming was in a bad way and all sorts of things happening. You were getting about 50 cents for ewes down at the Feilding Sale and nothing was worth anything much.
Natalie (left), Nash, Rachael, Jo, Emaani and Rick Williams | Image courtesy of Picket Fence
“I decided I would take another line and racing was always my interest and I got started in Auckland with what was then known as Thoroughbred Holdings.
“They had bought a 50 per cent interest in Windsor Park and Trelawney Stud and I was there for about two years before it went broke.
“It evolved into the Troy Corporation, a big property company, and they had special partnerships and all sorts of things in those days when you could do all the tax wroughts and non-recourse loans.
“It was some fascinating stuff and I learned a hell of a lot, about how not to do things mainly. It was an exciting time though and I went from there to Waikato Stud, which was then in financial difficulty.
“It was some fascinating stuff and I learned a hell of a lot, about how not to do things mainly.” – Rick Williams
“The receiver of Troy, who had a 49 per cent share in the stud, decided I was the right person to put in there. It was an interesting introduction and taught you the harsh realities of the game very quickly.”
When the Chittick family purchased Waikato Stud, Williams moved on to a new venture.
“I did three years with Henrietta Tavistock setting up Bloomsbury Stud and at that time I had met Terry Jarvis, who was keen to do something and went to The Oaks,” he said.
“It was 200 acres then and then he got out after four years and Dick Karreman came in and we’ve been together since then.
“It has worked through good times and bad and we are perhaps total opposites in some ways, but it’s worked very well.
Watch: Rick Williams receiving his award
Darci doing his bit
Multiple Group 1 winner and producer Darci Brahma (NZ) has been a major contributor to the success.
“He’s been a constant since he went to stud and good horses have been a constant, we’ve managed to come up with a good horse or two every year,” Williams said.
“We’ve quinellaed the G1 New Zealand Oaks with homebred and owned horses and we quinellaed the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and thank God we kept the right one and sold the other. They are great memories.”
Artistic (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) led The Oaks one-two in the fillies’ Classic with Zurella (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) runner-up while Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) carried Karreman’s colours to victory in the Guineas at the expense of Harlech (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
