Obituary: The kind, caring lady and her love for a special steeplechase winner
Tai Ho “used to wait [looking] at the window waiting for [Alison Hazlett] to get up. If she wasn't up early enough he'd be calling out.”
Jamie Searle is a longtime Southland racing writer. For more of his work head to the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page.
Alison Hazlett had a special bond with ex-racehorse Tai Ho, a Great Western Steeplechase winner enjoying retirement on her farm at Waianiwa.
Family and friends of Alison have had her in their thoughts since her death at Southland Hospital in Invercargill on January 20. She was 80.
The same day her racehorse Humbucker won the Gore Cup.
Two of Alison's friends, Len Insall and Humbucker's trainer, Ellis Winsloe, remember the daily attention she gave her retired jumper Tai Ho.
"The first thing she did when she got out of bed was to look out the window to see if he was all right," Len said.
Ellis added that Tai Ho “used to wait [looking] at the window waiting for her to get up. If she wasn't up early enough he'd be calling out.”
Alison fed Tai Ho carrots everyday.
Len knew Alison for 65 years, going back to when they first met as 15-year-olds at a Southland A&P Show in Invercargill.
"We were both there with our ponies and enthusiasm," he said.
In subsequent years Len became the Birchwood Hunt's huntsman and Alison's husband, Bill Hazlett, was the hunt's president.
Len was clerk of the course at Southland thoroughbred and harness racing meetings from 1961 to 1998.
The Hazletts have a holiday home on Stewart Island.
Alison's knowledge on bird and marine life on the Island was impressive, Len said.
"All the things that came out of the sea she could cook them . . . what she could do with fish products was unreal.
"She had a special love of the sea."
On Sundays, if the weather was good, Len and wife Rosie would pick up Alison and drive to a seaside town or settlement such as Bluff, Riverton and Colac Bay for an outing.
"We'd sit and watch the sea . . . we'd have a cup of tea on the beach," Len said.
Thoroughbred racing clubs allowed them to park their car next to the birdcage at race meetings to get a good view of the horses and the winning post.
"Rosie and I are really going to miss her," Len said of Alison.
"She was very kind and caring," Rosie said.
"We could talk about anything."
Alison and husband Bill won five steeplechases with Tai Ho who was trained at Knapdale by Ellis Winsloe.
The couple's stayer, Relampago, won four cup races - Invercargill (twice), Wairio and Tapanui - from the stable of Sally McKay and Ben Gordon.
After Bill's death in May, 2017, Alison's interest in racing grew stronger, prompting Ellis to find her another horse to race.
He secured Humbucker from the North Island and arranged for.Alison, Rosie, Bronwyn Murray and Karen and Morgan Horrell to race him. They have won five races with Humbucker, including two Gore Cups.
"She [Alison] was the main reason I got Humbucker," Ellis said.
The horseman had a private moment with Humbucker at his stable, several hours after the gelding's Gore Cup win - the same day Alison died.
"There were some tears shed . . . it was hard talking to Humbucker about Alison," Ellis said.
"Alison was one hell of a tough lady. She was quite private and wouldn't want anyone to know she was ill.
"She always liked people to be well dressed . . . going to the races you had to be well dressed and her horses had to be turned out properly [at the races]."
A few times Alison asked Ellis to make adjustments to clothing on race day.
* Alison's funeral will be held at The Hideaway 201, 201 Lochiel-Branxholme Road, Lochiel on Monday at 1.30pm.