A LOVER OF HORSES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 166, 31 July 1937, Page 8

A LOVER OF HORSES

Late Mr C. E. Twist Won Many Turl Successes P0PULAR SP0RTSMAN By the paasingi of Mr Charles E. Twist, of Greenmeadows, the turf in Hawke's Bay has , lost oue of its best lcnown and most respecfed supporters. For the last 35 years Mr Twist has competed on the turf and has been an * outstanding sportsman. Among the raciug fratemity he was well and popularly known} and he waa held in tho highest esteem by owners and the raqiiig public alike. Mr Twist was not a speculator and raced pnrely for the love of the eport, whioh he carried on in the highest traditions of racing iu New Zealand. On any raeecourse the popularity of his wins was very noticeable. Mr Twist always received warm applause from the publip irrespeetive of whether his horse was the favottrite or the outsider of the field. His well-known blue colours will be greatly missed, ahd although they will never again salute ' the judge they will continue to remind followers of the tnrf of one who took a prominent part in promoting the welfare of the sport in tho province and who a© an owner set an example that gave lustre to the sport. For his big contribution towards elean, honesf racing Mr Twist earned for himself the reputation that he enjoyed as » sportsman. Mr Twist has run his last race§ hut his name will be honoured as one who strove to make racing a real sport.

Mr Twist entered racing in Hawke's Bay at the begjinning of the present century, gnd his successes constitute a record of which any owner might well be proud. The firet horse that Mr Twist °wned waa 'Waterport, which at a meeting at Rissington had ihe unusuai perfopmance to its' credit of winning lhe three principal evente of the day, inclnding the Rissington Cup and a, huxdle event. His nest horse was Nero, which he raced at the Petane meeting in 1905. In the same year he won, at the one-time popular picnic meetingj held at Woodthorpe, with Nero, ridden by Mr G. D. Beatson, ihe. well-known sportsman of Hastings. Thia was followed by a success at Waipukurau. Air Twist' s first win at Hastings was the Scurry Hack in 1909 with Perceler, which he followed with a win by the same horse at the Horowhenua meeting. At the winter .meeting at Hastings in the eame year Mr fwisu . the Whakatu Hurdles with Nero. Rechabite was another that was inclnded in Mr Twist's early stables1 and which rau a seeond in the Hunt Club steeplechase at Hastings. In later years Mr Twist owned the following horses, all of which he bred, himself, PursefiUer, Powder King, Eovno, Woden, Mosthenes, Maroa s, Grumpy, Cullua, Lucullus Lad, Prosy Boy and Dozie. Sevei-al of these raced with djstinction and won for Mc Twist numerous important avent*. Mr Twist has succeeded in winning many fine trophies which maka a oollection oi which any owner might well be proud. These indude the Hunt Club Steeplechase Cup at the Napier Park meeting in 1924. The Hawke's Bay Hunt Cup with Kovno in 1926, two point-to-point eups, the Manawatu Hunt Cup in 1935 with Prosy Boy, tho Pakaranga Hunt Gold Oup in the same year with the same horse and the Amalgamation Hack Cup witk Lucullus Lad. at Waipukurau last Bosing Day. Mr Twist's.tables have included several good steepleehasers, the performanc^ of which are well known to followers of the turf. He l;as also been very suecessful with leaping events at varions agricultural and pastoral shows in which some of his entries have been ably ridden by his daughter, .Miss • Grace Twist, who is a first-class horsewoman.

For many years Mr Twist had done his own trainihg, which he carried out with marked thoroughness, and he will be greatly missed from the training tracks at Greenmeadows, where he attended regularly three marningg » week for many* years. • Mr Twist himself was a first-class lxcgsemaa and in 1900 on the old recreation ground in Napier won a buckjumping competition in the Brbncho George show; he remained seated on a horse considered fo be quite unmanageable. Mr Twist waa a noted lover of horses, taking a great pride in theii care and attention. His attention to them and his handling of them .wert eharacterised by kindliness. His stables oceupied a big part in his life, and in his passing equines have lost a fond fi'iend who placed them before liimselt'.