Nelson Schick’s decades of contributions to the breeding and racing industries have been acknowledged with Life Membership of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.
A driving force behind the rise of Windsor Park Stud as a domestic and international brand, he was honoured at Monday’s annual meeting in Cambridge.
“The industry has been very good to us and I’m very proud to have been made a Life Member, it’s a huge privilege,” Schick said.
“I’ve been around for a while and the industry has been through the highs and lows and thank goodness we’re getting back to a better balance.”
In the 1960s, Schick and then wife Sue, who remain business partners, established the nursery in the Waikato with son Rodney now running the operation which covers four properties and encompasses more than 1400 acres of prime land.
“I was always mad on horses and been a pedigree nut since I was 16 or 17. When I was 23, I went into business with my first wife Sue and we’ve had a lot of fun and success along the way,” he said.
“It’s been great to be a part of and seeing some of the great New Zealand horses going overseas to compete so successfully.”
A long line of outstanding stallions have stood at Windsor Park through the years including Star Way, Volksraad, Kaapstad, Thorn Park and shuttle stallions High Chaparral, Montjeu, Mastercraftsman and Rip Van Winkle.
“Silver Dream was the one who paid for the other ones in the early days,” Schick said.
The English-bred son of Tudor Melody produced Group One winners Silver Lad, Silver Wraith, Silver Nymph and Sirstaci during his time at Windsor Park.
In 1990/91, Star Way won the prestigious Dewar Stallion Award for the Champion New Zealand-based sire for Australasian earnings, Volksraad was a multiple winner of the prestigious Grosvenor Award for New Zealand’s Champion Sire and Thorn Park also won the Grosvenor title.
“It’s certainly not easy being in the stallion game, but we’ve been very lucky and they’ve kept us ticking over,” Schick said.
Windsor Park has bred countless top-flight performers, including Champion Hong Kong sprinter Aerovelocity while the great So You Think was foaled and raised on the stud but pride of place on Schick’s list goes to Might And Power.
“He was a huge part of our lives, he wasn’t the most perfect horse, but he certainly had a lot of talent and the heart of a lion,” he said.
By Zabeel, Might And Power was a two-time Australian Horse of the Year whose multiple Group One victories featured the Melbourne and Caulfield Cup double and the Cox Plate.
Schick’s previous honours include the 2018 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Outstanding Contribution to Racing and Windsor Park has also been a multiple winner of the Breeder of the Year Award.
The Cambridge farm is currently home to high-class stallion newcomer Paddington, Profondo, Circus Maximus, Shamexpress, Vanbrugh and Turn Me Loose, while Armory stands in association at Mapperley Stud.
