Yulestar Place (Hāwera)

Yulestar Place is a short road in Hāwera, located not far from the racecourse. It is named after Hāwera-trained Yulestar, one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed harness racehorses.

The name celebrates Yulestar’s birth on Christmas Day 1994. The powerful gelding was later purchased by Hāwera’s Ron and Lorraine Nolan for $9,000. The couple had been training gallopers for 40 years but were newcomers to harness racing and, with Ron busy with the gallopers, it was Lorraine who took on the job of working with Yulestar.

The diminutive (1.55m/5ft 1in) Lorraine was dwarfed by the enormous gelding, who stood at 16 hands, yet the pair formed an unshakeable and ultimately hugely successful bond. When Yulestar, driven by Tony Shaw, won the New Zealand Cup at Addington in 2000 Lorraine became the first woman to train a winner of the prestigious race.

An even greater achievement followed when the horse won the Interdominion title in Brisbane in May 2001. South Taranaki Mayor Mary Bourke described the win as akin to taking the Ranfurly Shield, adding that while it requires “15 big blokes to win the Ranfurly Shield, Lorraine has just done it by herself”.

Yulestar went on to be named New Zealand Harness Horse of the Year for the 2000/01 season. In 2002 New Zealand Post issued a set of stamps celebrating the Chinese lunar calendar’s Year of the Horse and Yulestar (dubbed the Hāwera Hurricane) featured on the 90 cent stamp. 

After it was discovered that the horse had suffered a lung haemorrhage in 2003 it was decided to send Yulestar to North America. There he could continue to race while receiving treatment for his ailment, the anti-bleeding medication Lasix being illegal in Australia and New Zealand.

The champion harness racer returned to New Zealand in 2006 after winning 13 races in the United States and Canada, retiring with career earnings of close to $2m. Yulestar spent the rest of his life back home in Hawera and died in 2019, aged 25.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.

Related documents:

Taranaki heroes take Interdom final (Daily News 7 May 2001)

Hero's homecoming for Interdom champion (Daily News 8 May 2001)