Still goals for trotting maestro

• Published date: 24 June 2022
• Publication title: Oamaru Mail

The Oamaru harness racing trainer says he has been ‘‘very, very lucky’’ in that respect, recently bringing up 700 career wins as a trainer (both pacers and trotters)

While his record already makes him New Zealand’s most successful trotting trainer, it is still 20 wins short of the next goal in his mind — 700 trotting wins.

Williamson said he hoped to achieve that feat in the coming year, but it was about more than just the numbers. Training horses had become his life’s passion.

‘‘It’s a good number, but all it reminds me of is how much support I’ve had from family, [and] owners, and how good the game has been to me, you know, how lucky we’ve been,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s just been a way of life. It’s your job, and you do the best you can at it, and we’ve been able to be successful.’’

Williamson entered the racing world as a teenager. As he was about to head into his third year of secondary school, he was offered the opportunity to become an apprentice jockey for Bob Beck, in Riverton.

‘‘Going back to school didn’t seem too exciting to me, so I said, ‘If Mum will let me go, I’m all for it’.’’

He had always had an interest in horses, enjoying listening to racing on the radio, and, with his mother’s permission, he left Kaka Point to take up the offer with Beck.

Ultimately, a career as a jockey was not to be. He rode in about 16 galloping races —and had one win at Ascot Park — but he was constantly battling to rein in his weight.

‘‘And I didn’t have anyone there to tell me how to lose the weight, I just went on a starvation diet,’’ he said.

‘‘I was just starving too much. It was just killing me.’’

After a stint at Matheson’s Wool Scourers in Kennington, Williamson got his first ‘‘proper job’’ in harness racing with Alister and Betty Kerslake, in Lauriston, where he worked as a stablehand and started driving horses at the workouts.

But his first ‘‘big break’’ in the industry came when he moved to Oamaru, to work for Dick and Leona Prendergast.

‘‘I was mad keen on the horses at that stage, so I got my licence to drive at the trials.

‘‘And yeah, I started on the road to success. Dick and Leona were very good to me and gave me my start.’’

Williamson then mixed the...