Terrance Millard (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
A thoughtful teacher, a thorough instructor, a gentle hand, a firm guide, a rational yet fearless showman, the greatest compliment that I think could ever be given to someone who works with horses, is to be thought of as a Horseman. – Becky Hanson for the Pacific Coast Journal
A local trainer recently told me that when his grooms find what they think is a good horse, they refer to it as a ‘super champion’. I like the term and have decided to adopt it. If there is such a thing as a super champion trainer then surely there can be no local trainer more deserving of the title than Terrance Millard. And not only is he a super champion trainer, he is, above all, a horseman.
On 19 March 2016 a plain bay horse named Mission Control won his maiden effort over 1000m at Kenilworth in style. Of course, this isn’t just any bay horse. This bay horse runs in the white, blue and cerise colours of Mrs Nola Rathbone and is owned in partnership by Nola and SA’s super champion trainer, Terrance Millard.
The sparkling Nola Rathbone
While Mr Millard needs little introduction to SA racing fans, Nola Rathbone may not be quite as well known. Terrance first met Nola Rathbone in 1948 when she came down from Joburg to jump in the Rosebank Show. Nola won everything in sight – although she’s quick to say that Terrance still won the championship. Nola’s father bred and owned racehorses and she was a top class show-jumper, marrying into the racing industry via jockey turned trainer Ted Rathbone. Terrance and Nola’s shared love of horses was the beginning of a lifelong friendship that spanned marriages, children and eventually the loss of both their partners. After losing Joyce, a particularly bad time with his back and nearly packing it all in to move into an old age home, Terrance took the advice of his physician that he needed ‘a good filly’ and rang Nola. She travelled down from East London on 11 November 2011 for a two month trial basis and has been there ever since. “We have lots of fun together,” she smiles fondly, and it is clear that they do.
Everything happens for a reason
I bumped into Terrance and Nola ahead of the 2014 CTS March Yearling Sale and asked whether they were buying. They replied jokingly that at their age investing in yearlings was a risky business as they might not live to see them run! As it turned out, their top pick was withdrawn from the sale last minute and without too much determined interest from any other bidders, they managed to secure lot 241, a colt by Captain Al out of Rei Rei consigned by Klawervlei Stud as agent for R210k.
“He was a pony!” says Millard and Nola nods in agreement. She pulls out a photo album which doubles as Mission Control’s dossier. There’s his catalogue page and photos of him shortly after the sale, looking a bit pot-bellied and not terribly glamorous if I’m honest, but there aren’t many who will question Millard’s eye for spotting a good horse. Among the collection is a photo of one of Nola’s grandsons holding him and it shows that the colt was, indeed, somewhat challenged in the size department. “He was small, but Terrance really liked him. And he’s grown!” says Nola proudly.
It turns out that Mission Control was bred by Mike Fullard and James Drew, who raced Mission Control’s dam, KZN Fillies Guineas winner Rei Rei with Stan Elley. Interestingly, Terrance Millard was at school with Mike’s father, while James, Tony Millard and John Koster all went to Bishops, so it’s a bit of a family affair.
Family connection
Lee-Ann and James Drew
Lee-Ann Drew relates that they purchased Rei Rei from one of Lionel Cohen’s sales. “There was a big grey Parade Leader that James liked on the sale and he’d bought his horse and went off to the bar. We owned Stone Island at the time, so Mike and I went to look at Rei Rei. She was this little filly with a long coat – a proper Lionel filly – but a fantastic walker and we bought her. In those days, you got wine when you bought a horse. When James got back to the table, he saw the box of wine and asked ‘what’s this?’ I said ‘We bought a horse!’ When James saw her, his first reaction was ‘what have you bought?’, but she ended up a Guineas winner!” she says with satisfaction.
Mission Control
“Of course, all Rei Rei’s children are special, but this one didn’t have the greatest of legs and we were advised to sell so he went on Book 2. John (Koster) is always good about telling us who’s been looking at horses, but had to report that no-one really liked this one, so we’d more or less resigned ourselves to keeping him. We had horses with Gavin Smith at the time and were going to send him to PE. Then he came into the ring and the bidding kept going and we turned around and saw it was Terrance! He said we mustn’t worry about the slack pasterns and Paddy (Kruyer) worked hard to sort out his feet and he’s come on nicely.”
“On Saturday James had a couple of missed calls from a number he didn’t recognise before Mike came and said ‘Paddy Kruyer’s been ringing you. Mission Control is running this afternoon and he’s going to win!’ So we all went down to the course to watch him run and it was wonderful. Rei Rei’s first foal was also a Captain Al, who unfortunately broke down in Kimberley. She’s got a Jet Master filly in Durban and then came Mission Control. After him she had a very nice Count Dubois filly who’s with Dennis (Drier). Her Twice Over foal died last year and she’s got a Duke Of Marmalade filly at foot and is currently in foal to Master Of My Fate.”
Mission Control was sent to Terry Andrews (an ex Millard assistant) at Sorrento Stud, before progressing to another of Millard’s ex assistants and long time friends, Patrick Kruyer. Paddy says, “He had a few little faults. He was quite slack pasterned as a young horse and his feet were all different, but over a period of time we rectified that. He had a slight high suspensory issue that kept him from running any earlier, but Terrance knows the game inside out and was prepared to be patient.”
Colours
The lucky colours
There was a bit of a muddle over the colours on race day and Paddy explains. “The original agreement was that the horse would run in Nola’s colours, but when they filled out the form, they put Terrance’s name first, so the Jockey Club registered him in Terrance’s colours. Fortunately we managed to get it changed before the race.” Nola had a family commitment in the morning and wasn’t aware the silks had changed, so went to the course dressed in the Millard black and silver and was delighted to meet Aldo Domeyer in the parade ring in her silks.
“Colours are important you know! I had colours with my husband which were cerise with a black sash, so I’ve got the cerise sleeves for him. Terrance’s colours are silver and black, so I chose a silver body for him. I love Mrs Plattner’s colours and really wanted a horse shoe for mine, but the NHA wouldn’t allow it,” she says, mock peeved, “so I’ve got a teal diamond instead.”
Mission Control, looking very smart and well grown indeed, duly dispatched his rivals by a comfortable 2.25. lengths. It provided much excitement for everyone on course, plus a well needed tonic for Mr Millard, who watched from home as he is still recovering after suffering a mild stroke in January.
Well-wishes
The congratulations and well wishes that flowed were many and varied and even included a message from Lester Piggott and Lady Barbara FitzGerald. Lester and Terrance have been friends for many years, with Lester having driven some of Terrance’s hackney ponies once upon a time. Among the many photographs carefully arranged on a display table, is a snap of Lester and Barbara with Terrance during their South African trip in January.
While it’s difficult to follow congratulations from Lester Piggott, Mr Millard has trouble hearing over the phone and as I had a book of his on loan that wanted returning and never need much of an excuse to visit, I decided to pop by and offer my congratulations in person.
Over cups of tea and plates of muffins and Terrance’s beloved koeksusters, we discuss all the details, examine the photos and watch the race replay, plus footage of Nola watching the win. “I think he’ll be alright, this fellow” says Millard. Then they tell me about their other horses in training, show me photos of Nola show-jumping as a young girl and share pictures of Terrance’s pride and joy, his award-winning Hackneys.
We while away the afternoon reminiscing about horses and people we have known and it is a measure of their generosity that despite their many achievements and highlights Terrance and Nola are also interested in my motley crew of horses and what I’m doing with them. On a previous visit with my laptop in tow, I shared some of my photographs and will always treasure the fact that Terrance was complimentary about my Warmblood mare. But that’s what horsemen do. No matter what age, profession or nationality, they remain insatiably curious about horses and a horseman’s true currency is stories. Horse stories are our stock in trade and the act of trading them creates shared experiences and defines eras. They are a way to remember, a shoulder to lean on or provide the means to cheer up a friend who is feeling a little blue. In short, they build friendships that last a lifetime.
It is an honour and privilege spending time in the company of horsemen.
