Cooney Back at Karaka after Heart Attack

Thoroughbred breeders often make the annual pilgrimage to the yearling sales at Karaka hoping for the result to be life changing. For Willow Glen Stud’s Barbara Cooney, Karaka 2021 was exactly that, life changing, but not for the financial reasons so often associated with the cream of the thoroughbred crop going under the hammer. Cooney suffered a heart attack and had it not been for the quick action and medical assistance of those on the Karaka complex, the South Canterbury horsewoman would likely no longer be with us. “I was extremely lucky it happened at Karaka,” Cooney acknowledged. “I was so lucky it happened at Karaka where there were medical staff on hand, an ambulance there relatively quickly and the hospital staff were great too.” Cooney, who most commonly goes by the childhood nickname Jimmy, is savouring her good health as she prepares to offer six yearlings at the 2021 South Island Sale, with the 63-strong catalogue currently online on Gavelhouse Plus, with bidding now open and closing at 7PM (NZT) today, 14 April. “I firmly believe I survived Karaka because I still have a Group 1 winner to breed,” said Cooney. “Hopefully it is right here amongst our draft of six at this week’s sale. That might have been why I was saved.”

Barbara and Mike Cooney (pic: nzb.co.nz)