RESPECTED: Bob Silson made things happen at Bay of Plenty Racing Club. PHOTO: Supplied
A John F Kennedy quote "things don't happen - they are made to happen" is a pertinent description of the life and times of former Bay of Plenty Racing Club president Bob Silson.
During his tenure as president from 1967 to 1976, the home of thoroughbred racing in the Western Bay of Plenty went from a sleepy provincial course to a leader in horse racing innovation in New Zealand.
Silson was the youngest son of Fredrick Silson who immigrated from England around 1860 to settle in Taranaki. Bob and brother Jack farmed a block of land for their father before they headed to the Bay of Plenty in the late 1930s in search of land.
Around early 1940, the two Silson brothers purchased 40ha near Katikati before signing up for military duty in World War II. After the end of hostilities in 1945, Bob sold his share of the farm to Jack and relocated to Morton Rd.
Over the next half century, Bob carved out a highly successful career in farming, the meat industry and commerce. However, it was brother Jack's purchase of a yearling in January 1957, that piqued Bob's interest in racing. Jack's first horse was named Charmian, which later found fame as the dam of Amie, who broke the New Zealand record for a mile and a quarter when winning the Te Awamutu Cup in 1967.
While Jack owned Amie, he gave a third racing share to Bob and trainer Bill Sanders, with the eight-race winner giving them a multitude of thrills
Jack joined the Bay of Plenty Racing Club committee before Bob was asked to stand as vice-president in the early 1960s. Bob's election as president in 1967 began a decade of unprecedented success and growth for the Gate Pa racing club.
The Stars Travel Invitation Stakes was initiated in 1969 and grew to offer the second highest WFA stake in Australasia behind the Cox Plate. A record $30,000 in 1974 equates to 10 or 12 times that amount today.
Horse racing legends of the 1960s and 1970s that came and won the race included Game, Sailing Home and champion mare Fairfleet. The best 3-year-old of the decade in Kirrama, with champion jockey Grenville Hughes aboard, took out the 1971 edition of the prestigious race.
In his memoirs A Race Against Time Bob said: "... an exciting development was the introduction of the jackpot to New Zealand by the club".
"The jackpot attracted so many spectators at one meeting, that I had to use police assistance to control the crowd as it moved towards the racecourse."
The forerunner to today's Pick Six attracted massive crowds until shut down by the bureaucrats. A huge jackpot at Te Awamutu in July 1972 had a massive $830,000 up for grabs.
"I first went to Japan in the late 1960s to look for outlets for meat trading and to find out more about the computerised totalisator system. Closer racing links with Japan seemed to me to be advantageous," Bob said.
He introduced a sister-club relationship with the Japan Racing Association. The first Japan/Bay of Plenty Trophy was run in 1971, with the Japan New Zealand International Trophy still the biggest feature race on the Racing Tauranga calendar.
Over the years, a who's who of New Zealand thoroughbred racing stars have won the Tauranga Group 2 race. Originally run over 10 and a half furlongs, the Gate Pa feature dropped down to 1600m in 1974, with champion mare Battle Eve winning the first running of the event at the metric mile.
Only two horses have won the race twice, with Kiwi Can emerging triumphant in 1975 and 1977 and the people's champion Sir Slick in 2006 and 2007.
The lasting tributes to Bob's legacy are the grandstands and facilities at the Gate Pa course that rank among the best in the country.
"I asked Hamilton structural engineer Paul Marks for advice after I had sketched out the Rosehill stand in Sydney. I had noticed that the lie of the land seemed similar to the Tauranga Racecourse," he said.
With money in relatively short supply, the two stands and tote building were built in four stages as funds became available.
Today the members, owners, trainers and public facilities stand as testament to the vision of Bob Silson.