‘We’ve built our lives here’

LANCE O’SULLIVAN, ONZM: Matamata horseman, farmer, plantsman; BRIDGETTE O’SULLIVAN: wedding venue director and entrepreneur

Lance O’Sullivan remembers driving past Rockspring Farm in the Hinuera Valley when he was a kid, maybe 10-years-old, admiring its noble stands of kahikatea, and the long tree-lined driveway, and thinking, “I’d love to have that place one day.” The childhood vision became reality eight years ago, when former champion jockey Lance, and wife Bridgette, bought the 202ha dairy farm, and built a home on the clifftop of the ancient Waikato River bed.

From their eyrie, shared with daughters Caitlin and Georgia, and dogs Jack and Austin, the multi-tasking O’Sullivans have majestic views to the Kaimai Range in the north-east, to Mt Maungatautari in the south, and spread before them like a magic green carpet is fertile Waikato farmland.

Lance is the “director of planting” at Rockspring Farm. He’s put in hundreds of trees on the property, and his hard work is drawing new birdlife, including kereru. He jokes that he can now add amateur arborist to his list of occupations. Lance is best-known as a horseman. He is arguably the most successful rider in New Zealand’s history, winning a record 2479 races. He was champion jockey for a record 12 times before he retired in 2003.

Nowadays, he is a director of Wexford Stables in Matamata, one of New Zealand’s premier thoroughbred establishments. The business is perfectly placed in a region at the centre of country’s thoroughbred industry. Lance looks after horses, farming and trees, while Bridgette runs The Red Barn wedding venue at Rockspring Farm.

The rustic Red Barn was built at the turn of last century as a livery stable, and with Bridgette’s eye for style and detail, it has been substantially refurbished. There are 65 weddings booked for the coming summer; for clients throughout the Waikato, and beyond, it is the perfect rural setting for their celebrations.

Bridgette describes herself as a “good overseer and organiser, a big picture person”, and she loves having The Red Barn on her doorstep. “It’s got so much character, and I believe we do a really good job of our weddings.”

Lance and Bridgette say living in Matamata makes it easy to operate their business interests, and they have developed great networks. “We’ve built our lives here,” says Bridgette, “we know who to call when something needs doing. Matamata is home.” Lance looks out over his farm, and says, “We’re only the caretakers here. You want to leave it a better place for the next generation.”

www.wexfordstables.co.nz or www.redbarn.co.nz