Vale David Benjamin
The New Zealand breeding industry lost one its best marketers as well as a genuine character with the passing of David Benjamin on Friday. Benjamin had been battling illness for some time.
Buzz Williams went to school with Benjamin and paid tribute to him: “I was a couple of years ahead of David at Wanganui Collegiate. Two years was a big gap at that age but we did talk horses from time to time and later David came to stay with us at Te Parae. He was very keen. He was very intelligent and studied a lot.”
“When Te Parae were negotiating to buy Imperialist, I went to the USA and met with David while there. That was before he went to Blandford Lodge,” said Williams.
Journalist and editor John Richardson knew David Benjamin in England: “I knew David well for half a century, as he had worked in Newmarket where we shared a number of close friends including Philip Mitchell, later Director of the National Stud. David had international experience at Claiborne Farm where he met his lovely wife Masey.”
“When I first came to New Zealand in 1974 David was back in New Zealand managing Blandford Lodge in Matamata for Sir Jack Butland, and among his stallions was the good sire Shifnal. He then moved on to Field House Stud,” said Richardson. “It was not long before David branched out on his own account at Fayette Park near to Tirau, which quickly became a major player in the industry.”
Benjamin was the first to recognise the impact and prepotency of Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor) when he syndicated Grosvenor, a winner of the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at two. At three, Grosvenor added the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m). At stud he sired 54 stakes winners including 16 at the elite level.
Stallion manager Ray Knight was at Fieldhouse Stud before Grosvenor had runners and can attest to the fact that Benjamin was a first class marketer. “David knew everybody, all the right people. He knew their families, even their kids‘ names. He had an amazing recollection,” said Knight.
“He was ahead of his time regarding marketing and was the first to set up a marquee at Trentham, originally to feed his staff but which expanded to feeding potential buyers. The hospitality sites at Karaka owe their existence to David who saw the benefits of winning and dining buyers,” said Knight.
During the late 1980s the Benjamins established Fayette Park Stud, Tirau. Buzz Williams takes up the story: “David was perhaps the best designer of studs ever. He had a great understanding of what looks good and Fayette Park was brilliantly designed. The house was perfectly placed. You could see the entire operation from there and the planting of the hundreds of trees was magnificent. The stud was truly a showpiece.”
Ill health saw Fayette Park sold in 2004 to Gary Harding but not before the stud enjoyed success with stallions Stark South (Dixieland Band), Prized (Kris S), Don Eduardo (Zabeel) and Postponed (Summer Squall).
Next to Grosvenor, Prized sired 37 stakes winners in the USA and New Zealand. Stark South sired Group 1 winners Hail and Bodie.
Postponed sired the dual Group 1 winner Dorabella, bred by Peter Izett. “I was immediately impressed with Postponed’s bloodlines. When I saw Storm Bird, Secretariat, Mr Prospector and Northern Dancer close up in his pedigree I was in like Flynn,” said Izett.
Don Eduardo, best known as the colt that made $3.6 million as a Karaka yearling, sired dual Group 1 winner Booming.
Buzz Williams echoed some of Ray Knight’s thoughts regarding Benjamin’s innovative marketing but added that appearance was another interesting trait.
“David was bold regarding his dress and drew quite a lot of attention with his American garb. At one sale, David was wearing a garish pair of pants. One leg was black tartan and the other leg was green tartan,” said Williams.
Gerald Fell, another lifetime friend of Benjamin’s added: “David Benjamin was a great personality in the industry. Flamboyant and hospitable, he was a great marketer and host. He pioneered marquee hospitality at the yearling sales all while wearing his multi coloured trousers which were his trademark.”
“David developed Fayette Park Stud between Matamata and Tirau from a farm with no facilities into a world class thoroughbred property. He had a flair for developing subsequent properties. He also purchased and syndicated Grosvenor for stud duties at Fieldhouse, beating off serious opposition from several major studs,” said Fell.
The Benjamins downsized and re-established a New Fayette Park Stud in Cambridge, focussed on stallions, but health issues meant that the new property was also put up for sale not long after and the last of their breeding stock was sold in 2005.
In Benjamin’s retirement years he could be found, using his wide industry knowledge, helping out and promoting Pencarrow Stud’s drafts at Karaka.
Pencarrow’s Leon Casey commented: “David had such a wide knowledge and we were glad to have him on board even if it was on a casual basis. He helped with the foal watch and attended a number of sales with us. He enjoyed being around the horses and people without the stress of running a stud. You could sense he was more relaxed once he was retired.”
Buzz Williams has the last say: “David was a dear friend and I will miss him greatly. He taught many people and his innovative ideas live on. A key to his success was his wife Masey who was a clever woman. She may have been behind the scenes but she was a huge help to him.”