Roy Purdon will go down as one of the greatest trainers New Zealand has ever produced.  He began in 1953 and has trained more winners and won more training premierships (21 between 1970 and 1995) than any other horseman of any code

 

 He trained four New Zealand Cup winners - Sole Command, Luxury Liner, Christopher Vance and Chokin.  His sons Barry and Mark are both champion horsemen.

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 In 1988 he was awarded an MBE and in 2011 he received Life Membership of the Auckland Trotting Club