Champion Whanganui jockey Johnathan Parkes remembered as ‘nicest guy you’ll ever meet’

Champion Whanganui jockey Johnathan Parkes is being remembered as a genuine, humble person – on and off the track.

He died on October 18, aged 35.

Whanganui Jockey Club operations manager Bret Field said he had known Parkes “since he was a young fella”.

“He would be in my office as soon as fields were confirmed, ringing all the trainers trying to be one of the first jockeys to get a ride,” Field said.

“No one else did that. All he wanted to do was ride horses and he was great at it.”

Field said Parkes rode more than 1000 winners during his career – including 62 black-type races – and that put him in an elite group of jockeys.

“He was a local star and, as far as our racing fraternity goes, there are a lot of shattered people out there.

“Johnathan was just the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. Everyone bloody loved him. That makes it even harder.”

Whanganui jockey Lisa Allpress, part of the 1000-win club, said she met Parkes when he was doing an apprenticeship with trainer Paul Belsham.

She said the pair became travelling partners for quite a few years.

“It was really nice to watch him grow and become one of New Zealand’s most sought-after jockeys.

“Early on, [1000 winners] wasn’t a goal for him. He was happy to get 100 winners, that was a celebration, but things just kicked on.

“He went from strength to strength.”

Trainer Fraser Auret combined with Parkes for 676 starts, with 123 wins and 142 placings.

Auret said Parkes was humble and always had time for people from any walk of life.

He “gave his riding 110%”.

“Johnathan was very hungry to get success for trainers and owners of all different levels,” Auret said.

“He could foot it with the very best of jockeys and he regularly did.”

Jockey Johnathan Parkes (left) and trainer Fraser Auret combined for 676 starts, with 123 wins and 142 placings.

Parkes told him a couple of years ago that the only time he genuinely felt free was when he was on the back of a horse, Auret said.

“There is that therapeutic side to horses, they are amazing animals.

“I think that’s why Johnathan reached the heights he did with his riding – horses can pick up on all that sort of thing and they tried their very best for him.”

Parkes’ funeral will be at the Wanganui Racecourse’s Eulogy Lounge on Thursday, October 24.

Field said a New Plymouth race day had been moved to accommodate it.

“That just shows the gravity of this because thousands of people are involved in a race day.

“He was highly respected in the industry and I‘d say most people have backed a horse because they knew Johnathan was riding it.

“That’s how good he was.”

Parkes was the type of person who would give you the shirt off his back, Allpress said.

“You would never see him get upset with a horse and he really, really cared about them.

“His life deserves to be celebrated because he was one of the good guys.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.