Owners gather to farewell breeder
Friends and owners of Broadbent-bred dogs take chance to say their goodbyes
More than 200 people and at least 30 dogs turned out to farewell a Kerikeri identity with an international reputation as a dog breeder. Jim Broadbent, a real estate agent, has been breeding German shorthaired pointers since he was a lad of 15.
More than 50 years later his keennosed canines are sought after around the world as hunting dogs — for deer and gamebirds especially — but also for conservation, border control and drug detection.
Some are trained to locate kiwi while others work in places as remote as the subantarctic islands sniffing out feral cats.
He said the breed was known for its strong hunting instinct, intelligence and extraordinarily good nose.
Broadbent, who is 67, is terminally ill so Saturday’s get-together in Kerikeri was a chance for friends and owners of Broadbent-bred dogs from as far away as the South Island to say goodbye.
He also has customers in Japan, Korea, mainland US and Hawaii, where he has set up a breeding kennel.
Broadbent said he was moved by the number of people, and dogs, who attended the event.
“I feel very honoured. It’s a fantastic turnout, it’s overwhelmed me.”
Saturday’s get-together was also a chance for Broadbent to publicly hand over the reins of his longrunning breeding business to Kaitaia woman Ashley Waitai-Dye.
Waitai-Dye, as well as being a German short-haired pointer enthusiast, is a top ta¯ moko artist who has carved out a reputation for herself in the male world of waka building. In 2019 the Nga¯ti Kuri descendant was recognised with a national Te Waka Toi arts award.
Broadbent was born in Te Kuiti but the family moved to Kerikeri when he was 9.l His father set up Broadbent Real Estate with his sons following.
Later Jim Broadbent spent several years in Auckland where he worked for Barfoot & Thompson, continuing with the company when he returned to the Bay of Islands.
Despite his rapidly declining health Broadbent still insists on working. He is running a house auction in Kerikeri today which may be his last.