A FAMOUS SPORTSMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 33, 29 June 1914, Page 4

A FAMOUS SPORTSMAN.

CARBINE'S FIRST OWNER. ' .'"vj (Templar in the Christchurch Sua.) • ] The death of Carbine will be by sportsmen throughout AustrJMt^ 1 'I'* 1 '* but no one will feel it so keenly J Dan O'Brien, who was instrument!®® ■ m bringing the popular idol tp earWnh" 'tM Jic notice. ' As a matter of fact there was ft'carX,'-' tain amount of luck attached to Sjfc-.'/'J'i O'Brien's acquirement of MusketVttir " for it was only after a disputed bid'that - lie secured the colt, ;• / Like most old timers, Mr O'Brira-WM-a heavy better, and it was this yeak- '• ncss that induced him to take thecham- ' '' pion to Australia, where there Was % much more solid ring to be eJßect«d v ' ' than in New Zealand, Carbino's owner was a native of Australia, and'% his youth had considerable csperi#»ce of' rough riding on a big cattle station near Melbourne. It was while employed at this excitinsr calling that he first took a \ fancy to race rid.ng, and eventuallr went into the service of Mr C. B. Usher. As a horseman, O'Brien showed plenty .■ of aptitude, and in his very first essay > won a saddle and a bridle on a horsa ' called Snooker. Subsequently, he be- I came one of Mr Fisher's loading jockeys, y and was associated with the eirly vie- : tories of such great horses aB Fishhook. '■> Bugclite, and Angler, After a success* '-k ful career with this doughty"'. O'Brien was asked to plav second string- >. ■/ in the matter of the Fisher" .stables,, riding to .Toe Morrison, and refused ;&> > do so. Being out of employment he <Je- \ termined to exploit the .racing poasibil- j *■ ities of New Zealand, and on bunding {jj, • .J Otago, was at once engaged by' Mr f* Jas. M'Kenzie to train Stormblrd and »'$ Virginia. - > #1 THE CALL OF AUSTBALTA. A short stay in the Dominion cd to demonstrate that money was not;? 1 *! so plentiful here as in Australia, and he v'ijj was soon back again in the land of bis ■?:'< l birth. Shortly after arriving in Melr, bourne, lie came into a gvoi deal 0f,.1,3 property left father, EKjthe,pro- ; 3 ceeds did not last such sportsman long: When it ;J O'Brien determined to give another trial, and landed in CjmWelfltfeh'vj about tli« time w>hen the late Henry Bed*-/ | mond's stable was sweeping the boatdfSjW For a time he roved from oijie to another in all parts of the South Island, always with a small team 'of« horses. The Otago goldflcld's meotinffli ''ijt were amongst his favorite resorts, forjH! at that time money was plentiful, on the racehorses and in the pool rooms. After a couple of successful trips to"^ 1 . Central Otagc, he determined to settle v& in Christchurch, and one of the first* race hordes he Hcqirirod, Tambouriniil turned out to be a veritable goldmine. AN EARLY CHAMPION. ' .yj •With this great old battler! O'Brien;vi won innumerable races, and the doughty v f pair were well known on almost every - || race track in the South' Island. "014 f> Tam," like Carbine, was quite at homo '! over any journey, and Included faul&v'j successes, suclr'valuable eveWs as 'fteifj Timarii Cup, Ashburton Cup, CJ.CIM Handicap, (predecessor to the New land Cup), Canterbury Cup and lington Cup. Always a free O'Brien must have amassed a small for-/' tune out of Tambourini's successes, and "ij| after parting with him to the late.AbS.?'s Sneider, ho got together a useful team ' that included Loch Neagh, Tbmmy Dodd, ' Auckland Kate and Fishhook, Suowks . still continued to come his way, and for a time he was indeed one of .fortune's favorites. About this time, the English cricketer, Mr F. W. Neilson, determined to take on racing on'a-tafgff f.icale in Canterbury. He bought out the '*■- stables of O'Brien, R. Reay, and F. W. , Delamain, and engaged the first junned ,' /*i to ride and train for him. The neW)S ventpre did not turn out too well, for,' 1 though Templeton proyed fa.'LS vincible all over the colony, the other members of the team were notiOver successful. • , , A CHAMiE OF On severing his connectiorl wiff '-th» M Neilson establishment, O'Brieli toftk over 'M the Empire *Hotel at Oamaru, and after' : &1 a successful career there, purchased th»Biccarton Hotel at Riccarton. It mis at this time that O'Brien had another ■x? , turn of fortune's wheel, the second only ■ to his subsequent association with Car- , bine. This was the acquirement ofTiwman ■ one of t!ho finest and miost successful ' ' thoroughbreds that ever raced in New Zealand. With "Tassey" he won the' first New Zealand Cup, andi incidentally, >. small fortune in bets, while victories in the Wellington Cup, Dunedin J.C. Handicap, and Timani Cup followed in quick succession. Altogether, Tasman ' y credited O'Brien with 31 races, and in most of them he carried a lot -of 'his owner's "pare cash. With tho passing of Tasman, O'Brien secured Trenton from ) ' Mr Steat», v and with that great son of • Muskett added further to liis successes, both in New Zealand and Australia, rtuliimi was another good one that passed through his hands, and. when retired to the stud she produced iitwo others 1 that earned distinction for tho rose and ' black stripes'in Vandal and Florrie, At short intervals came Launcegtos, Freedom, Loyalty, Philson, Matatua, I Dnnkeld. Hazel, Response, Town Moor, f riiitliiig, itnd Bob Reay, all of whom helpeil to keep up their ownor's prestige' ns .1 trainer of the first rank.

HACK ACROSS THE TASMAJT. Notwithstanding this great'run of success in Ketr Zealand, O'Brien always had a hankering for Australia, and ' years ago ho made flandwick his>^u<«R t . (itiartors. There In- raced a few of '£aj|r* uwn horses, lint gradually dropped 01® of tin- business Apart from his un- : iiiiiiliti'd ability as a rider and a trainer, O'l'.rlon was an all-round sportsman of 'it ho moan order. 111 "his youth he could cut out a hundred yards with thebent professionals of the day, and", not , infrequently brought off successful coups on the cinder track. He wag also a '■ decent pigeon shot, 'but latterly has taken no more than a spectator's lqter*ifc ■ < in the many worts that he at ono time excelled in. O'Brien still resides in Syd- < ney, where, despite his three score years, '• he is just as keen on racing matters as when he owned the mighty Cartine. /