In today's instalment of 2021/2022 Rapid Reflections, we feature a quickfire round with the CEO of Cambridge Stud, Henry Plumptre.
TDN AusNZ: Favourite racing moment of 2021?
Henry Plumptre: Probabeel winning the New Zealand Horse of the Year with four Group 1 wins all achieved in Australia.
TDN AusNZ: And favourite non-racing moment?
HP: Meeting our fifth grandchild Clementine at Warren in Western NSW and being able to spend Christmas with most of our children!
Probabeel (NZ), winner of the 2021 New Zealand Horse of the Year
TDN AusNZ: Which first-season sire are you most excited about, and why?
HP: We were big users of our own freshman Hello Youmzain but, of note, we used Farnan and Bivouac among others in Australia, predominantly because of the pre-potency and influence of those lines.
TDN AusNZ: What do you consider the greatest sporting moment this year? (not solely racing related)
HP: Has to be Ash Barty winning Wimbledon! So hard to achieve at that level as the stats show.
TDN AusNZ: What's the best book you read in 2021?
HP: The Happiest Man On Earth by Eddie Jaku – puts our life into perspective!
TDN AusNZ: What's the first overseas trip you will be taking for fun post-COVID?
HP: The way Jacinda has us locked up in New Zealand – Waiheke Island looks a reasonable bet!
TDN AusNZ: What kept you occupied during last year's lockdowns, aside from work?
HP: I had a go at online Barre classes and was hopeless at it then switched to Pilates but wasn’t much better at that! Cooking is my fallback position.
Jamie Richards, Brendan and Jo Lindsay and Henry Plumptre
TDN AusNZ: Name an emerging human talent in the industry, and say why.
HP: Sales – Sebastian Hutch; studs – not exactly emerging but Henry Field and we have plenty of talent in the training ranks - a dead-heat between Jamie Richards and Annabel Neasham would be my choice! Do any of them look at the future of the industry as a whole? Time will tell…
TDN AusNZ: What positive change would you like to see in the industry in 2022?
HP: Positive change would have to be a truce between NSW and Victoria on carnivals - but that needs realisation that there is more strength in cooperation than competition. I am not hopeful but that would be a significant step forward.
TDN AusNZ: What's your 2022 New Year's resolution?
HP: New Year's resolution is to get off Twitter – but I am not hopeful!!
