Dairy farming and racehorses

• Author: Paul McBride
• Published date: 06 May 2021
• Publication title: West Coast Farming Times, The

The name Wheeler is synonymous with New Zealand thoroughbred racing, with New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler and his winners Poetic Prince and Rough Habit part of Australasian racing history.

While Jessica is not related to her namesake, she says she worked at the northern stables for a period before travelling south to live on the West Coast with her partner Shane Neale and family.

"I worked as a stablehand for John (Wheeler) for a couple of years and other stables including Jeanette Miller and Trudy Keegan in the New Plymouth area," she said.

"I have been involved with horses most of my life but when Shane got the sharemilking position at Rotomanu we headed south and back home. We came down on Gypsy day, June 1 last year."

Jessica grew up on her family's farm in Murchison, and while involved working on the Lake Brunner dairy farm each day, it is the horses where her focus lies.

The couple sharemilk the 150ha Kirsten dairy unit, milking a herd of 250 cows.

"Shane has worked in the dairy industry for 30 years and his full time job is working on the Rotomanu farm," said Jessica.

"The herd is mainly a Friesian cross breed and we work as a team. I get the cows in and Shane normally milks. Out and up at 5am, just the one herd which we milk twice a day."

Shane is also an AI technician and as well as working as a share-milker he covers six farms in the Rotomanu-Inchbonnie area.

With Shane totally immersed in the farming Jessica adjusts and turns her attention to training horses.

She has four horses based at Omoto and has taken on stable hand Phillipa Beaumont to join her training operation.

Jessica has two of the horses in full time work with old hand Why Me, and three year old filly Country Cheddar, going through their paces.

Why Me is an eight year old gelding by Duelled and had been retired by Michael Pitman at Rccarton prior to Wheeler taking over the reins.

"Why Me has had one race for me and started at the Greymouth meeting in January but stumbled out of the gates and really took no part after that," said Jessica.

"He will be nine this year and the main reason I have him in the stable is to help educate the filly, be a bit of a mentor for her and company when she is galloping.

He is keeping her company as she learns her craft-then he will be retired."

Jessica says the three year old has any amount of ability but is mentally immature and needs time.

"The filly is by Swiss Ace and from Zumbee and we bought her in Christchurch at the Gavel House live...