Considered one of the greatest racehorses of all time, Phar Lap was born in Seadown, near Timaru and now he’s about to be honoured in magnificent style in his hometown.

It’s very fitting that the life-size bronze statue of Phar Lap at full gallop will be unveiled during the Timaru Festival of Roses. A unique celebration of this wonderful horse and the qualities he exhibited fits so well with the special South Canterbury flavour of the Festival.

Before Phar Lap’s untimely death in California in 1932, he’d won the richest races in Australia and North America and had been proclaimed one of the world’s greats. In a classic example of trans-Tasman rivalry, both New Zealand and Australia have long tussled over who can claim Phar Lap as their own.

The result so far has been a little tilted in the Aussies’ favour – they have Big Red’s heart and his hide, we have his skeleton… but maybe we are about to leap ahead by at least a nose.

PHAR LAP CELEBRATION EVENTS
BE PART OF HISTORY AND JOIN IN THE ACTION-PACKED TWO DAYS OF CELEBRATIONS
TO MARK SOUTH CANTERBURY’S PROUD LINK WITH PHAR LAP.