Up and coming racehorse trainer, Robert Wellwood, isn’t too sure where his passion for horses comes from.

 

Growing up in Hawkes Bay, Robert’s non-horsey parents, Anna and Gary, had apple orchards, and although Anna rode horses briefly as a child, it was not a family sport and Robert doesn’t even recall anyone suggesting he try it.

 

However, the 24-year-old, who is now in partnership with top New Zealand trainer, Roger James, remembers asking his parents for a wheelbarrow when he was four-years-old. It was irrelevant that he didn’t have a pony at the time – he put that right soon enough.

 

He rode at a local riding school from age four and bought his first pony when he was eight. Robert went on to compete in games, eventing and his favoured discipline of show jumping.

 

 

His older sister Anita, an insurance broker, and younger brother Joseph, an architecture graduate, both dabbled with riding, but neither shared Robert’s passion.

 

“They both rode at some stage in early childhood, but neither found the passion I did and stuck with it,” he says.

 

At 14-years-old Robert focused solely on show jumping, and with his pony Airborne Magic, he competed successfully at Pony Grand Prix level for just over two seasons, though he’s modest about his achievements.

 

“I had a very good Grand Prix pony, I mean I never set the world on fire but I won a few pony Grand Prix classes and then Young Rider classes on horses,” says Robert.

 

Selling Airborne Magic when he got so tall that his legs started hitting the rails, Robert had success in the hack ring as well, particularly on a thoroughbred called Insightful, who he produced off the track.

 

Together they placed second in both the six-year-old of the year title class at the prestigious New Zealand Horse of the Year show, backing it up with another second in the seven-year-old title class the following year.

 

 

Producing young horses was what brought him the most satisfaction during his years show jumping.

 

“What I really enjoyed was seeing the young horses come through and progress through the grades, starting with a blank canvas and then making a bit of money at the end,” he explains.

 

Robert is quick to add that even though his parents weren’t the reason he got into horses, they couldn’t have been more supportive.

 

“Mum and dad, were massive supporters, mum came to shows every weekend and even though they weren’t into horses themselves, by default they were heavily involved through me.”

 

Robert didn’t just ride, he set out to learn all aspects of horsemanship from a young age, and would break horses in during his school and university holidays.

 

While getting serious with his show jumping, Robert’s interest in racing, which was first sparked watching the races as a kid with his grandfather, Hilton, also continued to grow.

 

 

The legendary Black Caviar is the horse Robert thanks for turning his childhood interest into an obsession.

 

“I clearly remember Black Caviar having her first start, I was 15 at the time and she ran down the straight at Flemington to win and I watched every single race of hers from then,” says Robert. “I couldn’t believe that an animal could be so much better than its opponents. She was a horse that made me get right into racing.”

 

Fittingly one of Robert’s most prized possessions is a set of Black Caviar’s silks, signed by her trainer Peter Moody, and jockey Luke Nolan. The silks, a 21st present from his parents, are in a display frame and hang proudly on his wall at home.

 

Robert says there was no real question a long way out that he was going to work with horses, and when he realised that he could make a career out of working in the racing industry, he left school at the end of sixth form to get stuck in.

 

Robert spent his summer after school in Cambridge working at Windsor Park Stud doing yearling preparation, before moving back to Hawkes Bay, where he spent two and half years at Lime Country Thoroughbreds.

 

“I got to do everything at Lime Country Thoroughbreds, they did breakers, breeding, foaling, sales prep, pre-training, so I got to do it all, and from there I knew it was the training side of things I wanted to be involved with,” he says.

 

 

Realising that he wanted an education behind him, Robert based himself in the Waikato, enrolling at Waikato University for a three-year Bachelor of Business Analysis degree, eventually majoring in finance.

 

“I wanted a bit of education behind me and I picked out Waikato uni because there were lots of horses around, I chose the degree to fit around the horses, not the other way around!” he says.

 

Robert immersed himself in the racing world while he was studying and rode track work before morning classes for Tony Pike and loved it.

 

It was after graduation that Robert got a big break - an opportunity to take up his first full time job in racing, joining Roger James’ team as Racing Manager.

 

“I was finishing up uni and still riding work for Pikey,” he explains. “I was talking to Roger at the races about what I wanted to do and he asked why I didn’t go to Australia, and I said I rated the horsemen here more and thought there was more opportunity here. A couple of weeks later I got an email offering me the job, I was quite lucky.”

 

Robert says there was plenty to learn when he took up his new role and there certainly still is, but Roger is a great mentor.

 

“He’s been very good to learn form, you can ask him any question without him thinking, ‘oh you idiot’,” Robert laughs. “He’s certainly one of the best to learn from.”

 

Roger clearly rates Robert too, promoting him from Racing Manager to his training partner in August this year and Robert, understandably, is thrilled to be in such a great position at his age.

 

“It’s surreal to think that at 23-years-old I got into partnership with one of the country’s leading trainers,” he says.

 

Robert’s work day usually starts at 4am when he heads to Roger’s Cambridge-based stables. They’re finished exercising the 40 odd horses they have in training by 8.30am, with morning jobs finished by 10am, before getting back to run through the afternoon routine and bring the horses in at 2pm.

 

That’s a standard day, though Robert stresses that every day is different and while he likes to be hands on around the stables, some days he’s off at the races or sales, or busy in the office keeping in touch with owners, one of the most important parts of his job.

 

 

Whatever he is doing, Robert says his role is more of a lifestyle, rather than just a job to go to each day, and he lives and breathes racing.

 

Luckily for Robert, his partner of three years, Jasmine Robertson, who he met when they were both working at Lime Country Thoroughbreds, shares his love of the industry.

 

“She is the Marketing Manager at Waikato Stud and it’s good because both our jobs are very demanding of our time and both of us understand the time commitment we need to make to our jobs,” he says.

 

Being a keen advocate for the industry, Robert’s advice to anyone other young people considering a job in racing is to jump in and go for it.

 

“If it’s your passion, get into it and don’t look back, there’s a lot of opportunity at every level, if it’s not training then it could be bloodstock or breeding,” he says. “It’s a great industry which can take you places if you work for it.”

 

Not afraid to put in the hard yards himself, Robert wants to go all the way training racehorses, and at this stage plans to be in New Zealand for the foreseeable future.

 

“I’d love to have a group one winner and one day win a trainer’s premiership,” he says. “I’d like to think that the New Zealand racing industry becomes more vibrant and training in New Zealand has a sustainable future and I can stay here.”

 

For now though, Robert’s priority is getting plenty of wins working alongside Roger and it’s seeing the joy that people get out of racing that keeps him motivated to keep chasing more.

 

“I love the people side of racing and that you’re just doing your job and can really make someone’s day by having a winner,” he says. “Everyone puts the effort in and works very hard to keep horses at their peak and when you have winners, it is the greatest feeling to see a smile on the owner’s face.”