Helen Pope is remembered as a pioneer who “loved everything about racing harness”.
A history maker, Pope was in the Ashburton Trotting Club Committee of 1981-2004 and was three years of president (1990-93) before he became the first female board member of New Zealand. That term of office ended in 2004.
Under her praise, she received the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014 for services for racing in Harness and was also included in the Addington Raceway Hall of Fame.
Pope was raised in a famous racing family, her father Bill Doyle Training More than 230 winners in 40 years.
She was one of the three girls together with Denise (Nyhan) and Lynn (Smith). All three have had a lot of success in the sport in the sport.
“Mama thought it was great to be a Doyle,” says son Mark Pope, “and the sisters were the three ‘it girls’ of the racing game, they loved fashion and dressed.”
“The three brothers and sisters spoke the same and they were all very stylish,” says member of the colleague Ashburton Committee (and neighbor) Robynne Nicoll.
“And when Helen was in the committee, everything was done well … She had a very progressive prospect and was read well.”
“She also enjoyed great friendships with people who are affiliated with both codes in Zeeland and Australia.”
That is Pope’s contribution that the Ashburton Trotting Club has run the Helen Pope Stakes on their job since 2022. It will now be known as the Helen Pope Memorial.
Well -known trainer Margo Nyhan remembers her aunt Helen as a “great lady”.
“When it came to racing harness, she was a pioneer who loved the game and had a real passion for it.”
Mark agrees: “She loved everything about racing armor. She had an Irish charm and spirit and was very social and she loved people.”
She entered the industry as a breeder and owner in the early 1970s after obtaining a breeding mood from her father.
She enjoyed her first success in 1974 with group 1-winning 3YO Trotter Rebel Statesman (6 wins).
In the next 45 years she has bred countless winners, including age group champions Barabbas (group 1 2YO Draaft Colt of Year 1985), now another look (4YO Draaft entirely of the year 1999), Day of Reckoning (4Yo Trotting Calling Mare Now.) And multiple group) and multiple group.
Now call me a total of 24 races, including the Dominion Trot and the Inter-Dominion. He was trained by Paul Nairn, who had worked for Bill Doyle in his youth.
“Helen was a real racing enthusiast,” Nairn recalls, “she loved sport and the breeding aspect.”
“She was the ideal owner.”
On the way Pope had her health struggle. She fluid against stomach cancer and about 20 years ago her neck broke after she had failed her bike. She went into healthcare about five years ago.
The funeral of Helen Pope will be next Monday (September 8) in the Holy Name Church in Ashburton. It would have been her 91st birthday.
Through Dave di SommaHarness News Desk
#Vale #Helen #Pope