Racing: Role of horses in WW1 to be commemorated

Terror To Love is known as one of the warhorses in modern harness racing - especially in New Zealand.

So it is appropriate he will be among the cast of horses commemorating the role of horses in World War I at a race meeting at Forbury Park on April 30.

The special meeting has been in the planning since late last year and the club has concentrated on it since Christmas.

Terror To Love, a three-time New Zealand Cup winner, is nearing the end of his career. The Easter Cup at Addington on April 4 is his last start before he begins to let down for a stud career.

The course played a key role as a regional staging post when horses were being prepared to be taken away, meeting facilitator Nicola McConnell said.

''The Forbury Park board felt a special commemorative race evening would be a fitting way to remember and acknowledge the role that horses, their riders and attendants played in World War I,'' McConnell said.

More than 18,000 horses were recruited from all over New Zealand, only four returning from the battleground, while more than 8 million horses worldwide were casualties in battle from 1914 to 1918.

The club and track's association with the mounted rifle brigades, and the Otago Mounted Rifles in particular, began in 1864 and continued to the start of World War I.

Forbury Park was an integral assembly point and, following World War I, it was the venue for commemorative events.

The club is planning several different ways of marking the involvement of horses.

Races will be named after significant individuals, units and battles involved in the Great War, with the names of about 90% finalised.

''Representatives of bodies that played a significant part in the war effort will make special presentations to the winners,'' McConnell said.

A march past with the colours of local units by pony club representatives will start the evening.

The extent of Terror To Love's involvement is still to be finalised, but he will be paraded during the meeting. His owner, Terry McDonald, is formerly of Dunedin.

A commemorative dinner will be provided in the lounge for invited guests and interested parties.

People who have had involvement with the army, territorials, mounted rifle brigades and units in the past - and the families of those who had members involved in the war - will be invited to make up a party and use the location as the base for the night.

Music will be provided by the RSA choir and a small ensemble.

The meeting will conclude with the playing of The Last Post and the lowering of the standards and flag.

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