Lifetime devoted to equine friends

Michael Manson has been around racehorses for longer than he can remember.

Like a lot of equine enthusiasts Manson's love of horses began in childhood, on the farm riding his much loved ponies.

He went to the races regularly with his father who is also a keen racing person and by the age of 15 Manson had progressed to raceday riding.

For five years he worked for trainer Bryce Stanaway who trained from the Ruakaka racecourse.

Three or four of these years were spent as a professional jockey until a few falls shortened his career.

Schooling and working jumpers and riding work for local trainers continued, as did his interest in farrier work.

These days Manson juggles training and being a full-time farrier. Des and Simon Cogan had a lot to do with teaching him the trade giving him the opportunity to learn with them.

In 2004 he obtained a Permit to Train licence and began pre-training for Paul Milich who used to train at the Ruakaka course but relocated to Auckland.

That Permit to Train licence a few years later was to grow into a Public Licence which Manson holds today.

His daily routineincludes working around six horses from the Ruakaka racecourse in the early morning, followed by routine shoeing work at the Logan stables before heading off to other clients for the remainder of the day.

Manson's partner, Paula McLean, is hands-on in the work and care of all the horses. She shares trackwork rider duties with Michael every day.

Reflecting on the horses he has trained over the years, Manson said that Mabuz was definitely the fastest and riding the horse was like driving a Lamborghini ,while Cascade Lady became a favourite after she gave him his first win at the Whangarei Racing Club's January meeting in 2005.

One of his claims to fame was riding Jezabeel when she was being trained by Brian Jenkins just months before she won the Melbourne Cup in 1998.

One of the biggest buzzes for any trainer was having a winner at Ellerslie or a horse that managed to finished in the top three.

These days Manson's focus is on a horse more in the style of a Porsche than a Lamborghini .

Porshabeel - she definitely sounds like she's half Porsche - won at Ruakaka on January 5. She will be lining up again at the Whangarei Racing Club's meeting tomorrow at the Ruakaka racecourse.

Owners Murray and Christine Greig are bound to be on course to see her run home at 2.20pm tomorrow.

The 4-year-old, by Savabeel, will move up in distance next year with plans to put her over the longer distance of 2000m.

Porshabeel, according to Manson, is a true professional.

"She works like one, eats like one, she's tough but well mannered - everything one needs in a horse to be successful.

"She's a pleasure to train.

"It would be good to have a few more like her".

The Whangarei Racing Club's midsummer's day at the races are at the Ruakaka Racecourse tomorrow from 12.35pm.