Mel Williams, Visitor Services
There is a sign in the Heritage Park that I’ve often walked past and wondered about. It alludes to a story of tragedy upon the park, of an enduring loss and of a life dearly missed.
It reads, “Bonny: Loyal Mascot of the DB Draught Clydesdale Team died tragically here on Sunday 3rd December 1995. She is sadly missed by her teammates, especially Nick Van Der Sande. Rest in Peace dear Bonny, we shall never forget you.”
I expected the story behind this sign would be sad but I wanted to find out more about Bonny and I am so pleased I did.
Bonny was a six-year-old Dalmatian, a much loved member of the Van Der Sande family and a proud member of the DB Draught Clydesdale Team. Her family describes her as a sweet, social and easy-going dog who loved travelling with the team. She was the perfect mascot for the iconic travelling group which is evident in the photos of her standing proudly atop the barrels on the wagon.
Nick and Jill Van Der Sande had been involved with the Clydesdale horses for three years when Bonny joined them as a puppy. Nick was promoted to team manager shortly after the team was assembled in 1986 then both he and Jill managed the team for its 14-year tenure, including the day to day care and training of the horses. A big part of their role was taking the team of Clydesdales on the road, often for several months at a time, visiting towns and cities around New Zealand.
The Clydesdale team toured the length and breadth of our country promoting DB Draught beer. They were an impressive sight to see and always drew a crowd, appearing at major events including the NZ National Fieldays at Mystery Creek, the NZ Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway and Ellerslie's New Year's Day Races. They also frequented many smaller events like A&P Shows, street parades and VIP events. In addition to this the team were featured in many television and cinema commercials, including one directed by Lee Tamahori. These popular tours continued until 1999.
The Clydesdale Team regularly visited Northland during which time the horses were always welcome to spend the night at the Heritage Park. One of the DB Team horses, Armagh, even retired to the park where he entertained visitors by taking them on tours in an omnibus during his retirement years. When he passed away, Armagh was laid to rest across the road by Pompallier College.
Bonny also spent a lot of time at the Heritage Park, enjoying the fresh air and open spaces. Stopovers were a good opportunity for the team to have some downtime within their busy schedule and I’m told Bonny was happy here.
Tragedy struck however on December 3rd, 1995 when Bonny’s life was cut short as a result of an accident, leaving her beloved team to carry on without their best mate and travelling companion. Bonny was buried in the Heritage Park beneath the towering Puriri Tree. Her memorial still sits on the red tin wall of the shed beside it.
When I showed my kids the memorial and told them about Bonny I was surprised by their reaction. Having recently lost our own much-loved dog I thought they might be sad, but instead they were impressed by her life, by the things she did, and the places she visited. When I showed them where she was buried I was told she’s not there, that although she entered that day through the gate to the Heritage Park, she left over the rainbow bridge, which is a sentiment I love.
Bonny will always be a part of the Heritage Park and of New Zealand history. Her story is one of travel and adventure, loyalty, family and mateship and like it says on her memorial, “Dear Bonny, we shall never forget you”.
In my mind “DB” now stands for “Dear Bonny”.
