Vale Jamie Searle

Jamie Searle, a proud Southlander and respected racing journalist, has died in Dunedin after a battle with cancer.

Inducted into the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame for his contribution to the history of harness racing, Searle worked for the Southland Times between 1986 and 2022. Of those 34 years he was a racing reporter for 28 of them.

He was still writing stories as his health deteriorated in recent weeks and was philosophical about his fate.

"Everyone has got to fall off their perch at some time and I've really enjoyed my life," he said in a recent interview.

Over the years he also owned over 200 horses and owned winners in all three codes - harness, thoroughbreds and greyhounds.

And over the years his love for the deep south has not diminished.

"Southland has always been good to me and I'm a proud Southlander."

"Jamie always had an enthusiastic approach to his job and passion for racing in particular the harness and galloping codes," says Jason Broad, General Manager of Southern Harness Racing.

"He would often, along with Don Wright, attend local trials meetings when horse numbers were at a peak of up to 20 heats a day. He would publish up-to-date racing information with results and stories that these days we take for granted."

"On many a trip to The Southland Times I delivered fields for publication and even for Invercargill’s Cup Day on the Saturday which had a prelude on the Wednesday, I would arrive after midnight so they could be published the next day. Nothing was a problem with Jamie." 

"Jamie was also the commentator at the local Invercargill workouts which was tremendous and kept him in the game."

"I know when the racing role at The Southland Times was cut back, practically diminished, he hated the transition and probably never got over it.  Racing was his life."

"Jamie was a great fella, quiet fella.  He will be missed."

As a tribute to his contribution to racing a piece of lawn that greets racegoers at Ascot Park in Invercargill is now known as the “Jamie Searle Lawn”.  Searle was aware of this before he passed away and was very humbled and honoured to be remembered by the local racing community.

Jamie Searle was 61.