"In that time I was lucky enough to cover two Melbourne spring carnivals following the fortunes of Veandercross, the horse bred and raced by Chris Turner," he said.
His association with the media and the industry saw him serve two terms as president of the New Zealand Racing Journalists' Association.
He also held roles as a senior reporter and chief sub-editor of the Chronicle.
In 2002 Mr Vettise left the Chronicle to begin his own company - Paul Vettise Racing Ltd - and bought a 50 per cent interest in the internationally-renowned computer bloodstock program TesioPower.
It was a career change that saw him involved in worldwide marketing as well as travel to Australia and to the United States.
He sold his interest in TesioPower to concentrate on freelance racing journalism.
"I'm currently contracted to a number of leading stud farms, including Waikato, Curraghmore, Rich Hill, Hallmark, Fairdale and Goodwood Studs, and service all their editorial and publicity requirements."
He also fills roles as the NZ correspondent to Australasia's biggest thoroughbred magazine Bluebloods, acts as the Australasian agent for the respected European publication Timeform, and contributes to a number of other magazines such as The Informant and the NZ Thoroughbred and various websites.
If that schedule didn't keep him busy enough, Mr Vettise has also recently been contracted to author New Zealand Bloodstock's preview publication of the National Yearling Sales at Karaka.
"I now own and operate Siremate, a website-based thoroughbred program that's used by a number of premier stud farms both here and in Australia.
"During the last 12 years I've set up, and continue to manage, a pedigree advice service for commercial and hobbyist breeders through Australasia, and at times the United States and England," he said.
But now he's added another racing notch to his belt, overseeing the racing media desk that provides a free daily racing news service to NZ newspapers and websites.
"It's a NZ Thoroughbred Marketing initiative in association with the NZ Thoroughbred Racing and the NZ Racing Board and established to promote the racing and breeding industries by providing news to a wider readership," he said.
Mr Vettise continues to work from his Springvale home, combining that with frequent visits to the Waikato to visit clients and attending all the major sales at Karaka.
"I'm working six days a week and providing at least four articles a day," he said.
He said there were definite upsides to working from home and being a virtual one-man band.
"Being self-employed means the Christmas parties are cheap," Mr Vettise said.
