‘Tapestry of life’ sees trainer set up base in Hastings
Sometimes in life things simply fall into place and that’s the case with trainer Lee Somervell’s decision to move to Hastings.
Lee has enjoyed great success training from the late Ada Parnwell’s Cambridge Thoroughbred Lodge over the past 12 years, but a fateful combination of factors has prompted his move.
“I’m in my 70s now and I thought it was time for a change,” Lee says.
“I’ve met up with a lovely lady, Shirin Wood, over the last 18 months. We have both experienced similar setbacks recently, a few years ago I lost my wife and she lost her husband to cancer and we’ve met up and we’ve been given a second chance and I’m enjoying life.
“I’m very lucky to have met her and she’s from Hawke’s Bay, her late husband was a life member of the Hawke’s Bay Racing Club, so there’s a very strong connection there.”
Lee tooks up the lease of Carlton Lodge, a 4ha property owned by former trainer Dianne Sergeant, this week.
“When I made the decision to move I actually looked at some places in the Waikato but nothing suited my needs. When I heard that Dianne was looking for someone to lease her property, I jumped at the chance.
“Dianne and her lovely daughter Tina have been involved in showjumping so they’ve had horses there, but Diane stopped training from there quite a few years ago and it hasn’t been a racing setup.
“Together with the Hawke’s Bay Racing Club they have made me feel very welcome and I’m very humbled by that because I thought there could be a few headaches.”
Hawke’s Bay has always appealed to Lee and is the home of some of his most successful owners.
“John and Colleen Duncan, who raced Fleur de Lune with Ada and who bred and co-own Stradivarius and Isabel, and Graham Roddick, who bred and raced Addictive Habit, are from Hawke’s Bay, so I have some lovely connections.”
Originally from Matamata, Lee also brought two key staff members with him. One first worked for him when he started training in Leamington in 1984.
“It’s the tapestry of life if you like — it’s just been fantastic how it has all fallen into place.”
At age 73, Somervell has no plans of slowing down and hasn’t considered retirement.
“The bottom line is I love horses. I love my horses and I love what I do. There’s nothing like the challenge of training winners, it keeps you young. You’ve got to get up in the morning. I’m nowhere ready to retire yet.”
‘I’ve met up with a lovely lady, Shirin Wood, over the last 18 months. We have both experienced similar setbacks recently, a few years ago I lost my wife and she lost her husband to cancer and we’ve met up and we’ve been given a second chance and I’m ’ enjoying life. LEE SOMERVELL