Thoroughbred Bonus Scheme Benefits NZ Racing Industry

The Thoroughbred Bonus Scheme (TBS) is Ada Parnwell’s way of giving back to the New Zealand racing industry.

Parnwell was brought up in hard times during the depression years where poverty was common place.

She learned the significance of saving and every half-a-crown she received was her pathway to a better life-style.

As a teenager she had a life-saving operation in Taranaki Base Hospital to remove her spleen and since that day she had made a promise to herself to help others.

She wanted to be a school teacher but ended up doing an accountancy course. Later she worked in an accountancy role and then eventually her and her husband had a lucrative bakery business. She learned the lesson of helping people who were financially worse off than herself.

The NZISS and TBS schemes under Parnwell’s guidance have benefitted the New Zealand thoroughbred horses industry and all those involved in it, to date these schemes have offered millions of dollars in the form of bonuses for owners, trainers and breeders to compete for.

She is also proud that funds raised by enrolments into the TBS are poured back directly into the thoroughbred industry.

Since it began in 2004, TBS has proven itself to be a very successful and much needed scheme. This is because racehorse owners don’t ask to be guaranteed to win, but they do require is to be able to compete for good stakes on a regular basis in relation to cost – regardless of what class horse they might race. The TBS incentive scheme affords them this opportunity.

In 2007, NZTR transferred ownership of TBS to NZ Livestock Ltd and the scheme administrator became Cambridge Thoroughbred Sales. Since then the scheme has been extensively remodelled and it now has three bonus levels, significantly increased bonus amounts and substantial prizes for horses earning the most points in bonus races.

These improvements have been made possible through the generosity of TBS Chairperson Ada Parnwell JP QSM, a Past President of the New Zealand Racehorse Owners Federation and a former board member of the NZ Racing Conference.
Ada Parnwell, JP QSM, successfully introduced the NZISS bonus scheme in 1997 and earlier commencing in 1992 ran other promotional bonus programmes.

With this experience she is confident of the future of the TBS.

Parnwell is passionate about the racing industry and believes owners are the most important component of ensuring a healthy thoroughbred business. Only NOMINATED HORSES to these incentive schemes can win these bonuses.

Mrs Parnwell and her team will be progressive in their efforts to ensure that the TBS 2011 Scheme continues to support owners and the Thoroughbred industry in the best possible way.

She says everyone in the industry, including sales companies benefits from the TBS.