NOTED SPORTSMAN DEAD

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 950, 17 April 1930, Page 1

NOTED SPORTSMAN DEAD

Sir George Clifford, Aged 83

“FATHER OF RACING IN N.Z.”

Special to THE SUN

CIIKISTCHURCH, Today. BY the death ot’ Sir George Clifford, which occurred at Christchurch last night, there was removed the most outstanding ffgure in New Zealand racing. His age was 83. Not only was he one of the Dominion’s most distinguished owners and breeders, but since 1895 he has been the chief administrator of the sport. . . . Well can lie be called the “father of the New Zealand Turf.” Sir George died peacefully, being fully conscious toward the end. He had been ill for more than two years.

rpHE name of Clifford is an historic one in England. The head of the family i* Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, and the title goes back to 1672. The Xew Zealand baronets are descended from the third Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, and the present Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, before succeeding to the title, worked on a New Zealand sheep station until 1890, when he went to Tasmania. Sir George Clifford was the xecond baronet, and was born on October 10, 1847. His father, Sir Charles Clifford, was directly connected with the beginnings of responsible government in New Zealand, and was elected the first Speaker of the House of Representatives. Sir George was educated at the famous Lancashire Roman Catholic College, Stonyhurst, and was called to the English bar In 1870. Though well equipped for a political career, he took over the management of the Stonyhurst Estate on his return to New Zealand, and devoted his attention to sheep breeding. Later he established a racing stud. Sir George took the keenest interest in all questions concerning agricultural and pastoral pursuits, and since 1902 was chairman of the Council of the New Zealand Sheepbreeders’ Association (South Island). He was a member of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, of which he was president at one time. He was one of the founders of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, and was chairman since 1912. He was on the directorate of a large number of business concerns, including the Christchurch Press’* Company, the Christchurch Gas Company, the Blackball Coal Company, Booth, Macdonald and Company, and Hayward Bros. NOTABLE FIGURE For many years he was the most notable figure in the racing world in the Dominion, being president of the New Zealand Racing Conference since 1895. Although he held a prominent place as an owner and breeder it was for his unequalled service in the administration of the sport that he was so well known, and the racing clubs could pay no greater tribute to his fine work than they did year after year when they would not consent to appoint any other president of the Conference as long as Sir George was willing to accept the position. It was ot a meeting of racing clubs In 1888 that Sir George moved a resolution to form a New Zealand Jockey Club, and from that came the Racing Conference. The high standard of the sport in New Zealand to-day is due very largely to the inspiring influence of Sir George Clifford, who strove always to purify it from evils that w'ould have menaced its welfare, and as the head cf the Racing Conference he was instrumental in establishing the Accident Fund, which has been, adopted by many other racing authorities throughout the world, in securing the appointment of stipendiary stewards and racecourse inspectors, and, in recent years, in securing the appointment of a Licensing Committee of the Conference. He was a keen student of pedigrees, and his skill in naming horses was i*emarkable; in fact, he had no equal in this respect. That he was well versed in all questions pertaining to racing was recognised by the New Zealand Government in 1911, when it appointed him chairman of the Racing Commission which toured the Dominion in order to make recommendations regarding the distribution of totalisator licences. By virtue of his office as president of the Racing Conference he was an honorary member of the English Jockey Club. He was a life member of the Canterbury Jockey Club and of the Auckland Racing Club. HIS RACING CAREER A career In the racing world that was to become the most distinguished in the Dominion was started when Sir George was about 11 years of age, at Burnham Waters, in the Wairarapa district. Later on, as a young man in England, he had many opportunities ot obtaining an insight into the way lji which racing was carried on at Newmarket and elsewhere. In the early eighties, Sir George, then Mr. G. H. Clifford, started breeding horses at Stonyhurst. and Puriki, by Towton from Teitoi. was really the first thoroughbred mare he owned. He soon had a select stud, and his now very wellknown colours, blue and gold chequers with gold sleeves and red cap. were first displayed in iss4 Stonyiiurst won the Canterbury Jockey Club's Welcome Stakes in that year, and the Derby in the next. Since then, of course, his colours have ied the way home in very many classic events and handicaps. For many years past practically all the ( horses that have raced in his colours I were bred by him. In the season 1903-4 Sir George was Placed for the first time at the head Oi th® list of winning owners in New i Zealand, a position never occupied pre- j viously by an owner with horses bred j exclusively at his own stud. Suffice it to say that Sir George’s colours have been carried to victory 15 times in the ; Canterbury Champagne Stakes and 3<* - times in the Dominion Champagne | Stakes, which latter he first won in 1889. ONE FAMILY OF TRAINERS A striking feature of Sir George a l»ng association with racing in Nev.'

Zealand is the fact that his only trainers have been the members of the Cutts family. The late Edward Cutts trained his horses for something like 30 years and on the death of that veteran in 1915 they were taken over by his sons, Messrs. Harry and Albert Cutts. Sir George Clifford typified all that is best in sport, and for many years scarcely a day went by without his calling at the office of the Conference, where he spent a great many hours at his duties as president. In 1925 the Jockey Clubs, Racing Clubs and Hunt Clubs of New Zealand (95 in all) presented Sir George with an illuminated

address and a solid silver tea and coffee service and a clock to mark the conclusion of his thirtieth 3'ear as president of the Conference, and “as a token of their heartfelt gratitude for his inestimable services to the New Zealand Turf.” The heir to the baronetcy is Charles Lewis Clifford, only son of Sir George Clifford. He is now aged 44 years and lives in Christchurch. Sir George also leaves three daughters, Donna June Sapio, of Italy; Mrs. George Macdonald, of North Canterbury; and Mrs. Bruce Douglas, of North Canterbury.