Vale Helen Pope

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 
 
Helen Pope is being remembered as a trailblazer who "loved everything about harness racing".

A history-maker, Pope was on the Ashburton Trotting Club committee from 1981-2004 and was President for three years (1990-93) before becoming Harness Racing New Zealand's first female Board member. That tenure finished in 2004.

Among her accolades, in 2014 she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to harness racing and was also inducted into the Addington Raceway Hall of Fame.

Pope was brought up in a famous racing family, her father Bill Doyle training more than 230 winners over 40 years.

She was one of three girls along with Denise (Nyhan) and Lynn (Smith). All three have enjoyed significant success in the sport over the decades.  

"Mum loved being a Doyle," says son Mark Pope, "and the sisters were the three 'It Girls' of the racing game, they loved fashion and getting dressed up."

"The three siblings talked the same and they were all very stylish," says fellow Ashburton committee member (and neighbour) Robynne Nicoll.

"And when Helen was on the committee everything was done right  .... she had a very progressive outlook and was well read."

"She also enjoyed great friendships with people affiliated to both codes across New Zealand and Australia." 

Such has been Pope's contribution that the Ashburton Trotting Club has run the Helen Pope Stakes annually at their course since 2022. It will now be known as the Helen Pope Memorial.

Well-known trainer Margo Nyhan remembers her aunty Helen as an "awesome lady".

"When it came to harness racing she was a trailblazer who loved the game and had a real passion for it."

Mark agrees : "She loved everything about harness racing. She had an Irish-like 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 acquiring a broodmare Chances Are from her father.

She enjoyed her first success in 1974 with Group 1-winning 3YO trotter Rebel Statesman (6 wins).

Over the next 45 years she bred numerous winners including age group champions Barabbas (Group 1 2YO Trotting Colt of Year 1985), Now Another Look (4YO Trotting Entire of the Year 1999), Day of Reckoning (4YO Trotting Mare of the Year 2007) and multiple Group 1 winner Call Me Now.

Call Me Now won 24 races in total 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," recalls Nairn, "she loved the sport and the breeding aspect."

"She was the ideal owner."

Along the way Pope had her health struggles. She battled stomach cancer and around 20 years ago broke her neck after failing off her bike. She went into care around five years ago.

Helen Pope's funeral will be at the Holy Name Church in Ashburton at 11am next Monday (September 8). It would have been her 91st birthday.