By Mike Dillon
Norm Hawthorne knows it is time to change the battle plan.
Hawthorne is one of the middle range thoroughbred breeders who is in danger of being swallowed up as New Zealand's breeding industry dramatically re-structures itself to aim for the top of the international market.
New Zealand has always bred internationally sought-after thoroughbreds.
But for a decade or more we relied on our reputation rather than re-stocking breeding barns with in-vogue Northern Hemisphere bloodlines.
Couple that with the effects of losing many of our top mares to Australia when the bottom fell out of the greed-driven, tax-dodge public company breeding circus of the 1980s and something had to be done urgently.
It was.
But the influx of high class fillies and broodmares and access to some of the world's best stallions through the shuttle system has been so sudden and dramatic it has left some of the smaller breeders flat-footed.
New Zealand Bloodstock chairman Peter Vela confirmed next year's premier sale catalogue will include the first colts and fillies from a newly installed 100 top class international broodmares and the 2001 catalogue will see a further significant influx.
The net result is that next year 100 yearlings of the type which sold last week will be pushed from the bottom of the premier catalogue into the Select Fillies and Select Colts sale.
The 100 that will drop from the bottom of those catalogues to goodness knows where are the types of horses who have traditionally been the backbone of the Norm Hawthorne-type breeders.
You only have to look at Hawthorne to know he is a survivor. He has been around too long not to realise he has to move with the flow or move out.
"The horses by $3000 stallions have for the last decade been bringing $10,000 to $15,000, now that horse is making $6000 or $7000," Hawthorne said at Karaka.
"There's no money for the broodmare owner selling at that price and the owner of the stallion won't survive because of that.
"There are additional factors compounding the problem, too. The rural economy is not great and our overall racing stakemoney is such that New Zealand trainers haven't always got big numbers of orders and some are frightened to pinhook a horse.
"The grass roots breeders are hurting and you always need your grass roots breeders because that's where so much of your racing comes from.
"But no one's grizzling, it's just the way it is. The breeding industry at the top end is absolutely marvellous and I'm not against shuttle stallions, I'm all for them.
"Broodmare owners have to keep pace with what's going on and cull the less commercial mares and utilise the best commercially-proven stallions they can afford.
"We have a lot in our favour in this country. We can still breed a vastly superior horse to the Australians."
You almost know the answer to the question before you ask it.
Will Hawthorne be looking for a stallion to bring in and stand at his Paramount Lodge for a $10,000-$12,000 fee?
"Yes."
Just about all the Norm Hawthornes will be re-examining their position in the industry as the breeding game firmly embraces the age-old principle that in life, if you are standing still, you are going backwards.
Pictured: Norm Hawthorne. PICTURE / GERALD SHACKLOCK.
Horse Racing: Grass roots breeders feel pinch
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