Mark Purdon

Mark Purdon is a driver and trainer of standardbred racehorses in New Zealand. He was associated with many champions and is one of the leading trainers and drivers of harness horses in New Zealand and Australasia.[1] He was inducted into the Inter Dominion Hall of Fame.[2]

Mark has trained on his own account and in partnership as follows:

• 1998–2007 as a sole trainer.
• 2008–2012 with Grant Payne.
• 2013 – sole trainer.
• 2014 - 31/12/2020 - with Natalie Rasmussen.
• 2021 - 2022 with Hayden Cullen.
• 2023 - with Nathan Purdon.

In mid November 2020, Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen announced they would cease their training partnership as from 31 December 2020. They would lease their Rolleston stables to Hayden and Amanda Cullen and although staying involved, when required, they would not be managing the day to day training operation. Mark (aged 56 years old) and Natalie (43) intended to take a break after working with horses for a combined 70 years. Their last night as a partnership was the December 2020 Auckland Pacing Cup meeting at Alexandra Park in which they managed to quinella the Cup with Amazing Dream and Spankem.

From 1 October 2021 Purdon officially returned to the formal training ranks again and joined Hayden Cullen in partnership. It was also announced Natalie Rasmussen will then re-join him in fulltime training from 1 January 2022, replacing Cullen who would revert to being stable foreman again.[3] However, from 2021 to 2022 the partnership was Purdon and Cullen.

From 1 January 2023 Hayden Cullen left to join in partnership with Steve and Amanda Telfer.[4] Mark then commenced training in partnership with his son, Nathan Purdon, who had previously operated from Victoria, Australia and had previously trained in partnership with Cran and Chrissey Dalgety in 2020 and 2021 respectively.[5][6]

Mark Purdon announced in 2023 that he was going to try thoroughbred racing. He bought three thoroughbred yearlings at the Karaka sales and planned to engage Canterbury trainer Danny Frye to break in his horses.[7][8]