Vale Lorraine Anderton

Lorraine Anderton

It was with great sadness that White Robe Lodge announced the passing of its co-principal Lorraine Anderton on Saturday.

Her husband and soulmate Brian Anderton described Lorraine as the backbone of White Robe Lodge.

Since its establishment in 1956, White Robe Lodge has been a unique and special business built on family.

Brian and Lorraine raised their children Karen, Cathryn, Lynne, Shane, and Nicky while developing the stud into a remarkable business.  

Had it not been for Lorraine’s dedication and hard work White Robe Lodge would not be the successful stud and stable it is today.

“She was the main spoke in the wheel,” Brian Anderton said.

“We had a lot of staff and apprentices and she looked after everyone as well as our own five kids.”
“Lorraine really excelled on the administrative side of things, she would organise everything and she kept the whole ship running.”

The thoroughbred racing industry will remember Lorraine as an outstanding contributor, but to the Anderton family, she was a dearly loved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and more.

“She was as proud as a peacock of her children and her grandchildren,” Brian said. 
“We have four great-granddaughters and a grandson and they brought her a lot of joy.”
“She was a family woman, she loved her family more than anything and we shared some wonderful times together over the years.”

“It is a great comfort to me to have all of the family here with me now.”

Lorraine shared in the ownership of many outstanding horses over the years alongside Brian.

And she also enjoyed more success breeding and racing horses on her own, as well as with her good friends.

“I wouldn’t like to say it for sure, but I don’t think many women would have raced as many horses and had as many winners as Lorraine has had,” Brian said. 

“She had a lot of success in her own right.”
“We raced a lot of good horses together and made a lot of great friends along the way.” 

Though her forte was organising the stud’s business affairs, Lorraine would lend her hand to anything when she was needed at White Robe Lodge.

“Originally she wasn’t a horsewoman, her grandfather travelled with Clydesdale stallions.”
“But she wouldn’t hesitate to give a hand when we needed her.”
“She would do night shifts when we were foaling – I used to joke that we were ships passing in the night because she would be coming off and I would take over in the morning.”

“One story that has stuck with us is when we were both hard at it with a mare that was foaling.”
“Lorraine was heavily pregnant at the time and we got the foal out and I checked it was out of the bag and doing alright.”
“Meanwhile Lorraine was flat on her back and she said what about me?”
“I humoured her and said I need to check on the foal first.”
“But we worked very well together and she was a great support and very important to the business. 

It is without doubt that Lorraine Anderton made a huge contribution to New Zealand thoroughbred racing and breeding. 

A Requiem Mass celebrating Lorraine’s life will be held at 11am on Wednesday at St Mary's Church in Mosgiel.