The President and members of FBAA were saddened by the passing of Peter Heagney in December 2024.
Peter Heagney was so well respected and liked by so many in the Bloodstock Industry and the Equestrian world in general and was a legendary thoroughbred auctioneer in Australia. Peter Heagney was an experienced horseman starting off at a young age in equestrian pursuits, including representing Australia in a Pony Club Inter-Pacific Competition in 1967 which included 3 phases namely cross-country, showjumping and dressage with Peter achieving a clear rounds in the cross-country and the showjumping and a very good score in the dressage riding his horse “John Steed”.
In the 1960s Peter continued his equestrian career competing in equestrian events in South Australia as well as assisting his father, Australian Racing Hall of Fame member Grahame Heagney, for a number of years with the training of the stable horses including dual Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup winner Tobin Bronze, Melbourne Cup winner Gatum Gatum, Adelaide Cup winner Rain Lover, who went on to win 2 Melbourne Cups when trained by Mick Robbins foreman of the Heagney stable, and Proud Miss an outstanding 2-y-old. Peter could have followed his father Grahame in a career as a racehorse trainer however after being inspired by seeing the legendary Bloodstock Auctioneer David Coles, the head of Coles Bros. based in Adelaide, on a number of occasions in action selling thoroughbred yearlings at the Adelaide Yearling Sales, Peter was attracted to a career as an auctioneer.
Peter was given the opportunity by David Coles to join Coles Bros, who had merged with Dalgety Australia in 1968, which lead to the fulfilment of his ambitions to be an auctioneer. Peter Heagney started selling all types of livestock at the Dalgety Australia’s saleyards at Gepps Cross and their other branches in South Australia and progressed to joining the bloodstock department alongside David Coles, Reg Angel and staff, selling all classes of thoroughbred horses at the Adelaide Showgrounds, followed by bloodstock sales in Perth.
Delgaty Bloodstock International conducted a number of bloodstock auctions at the Melbourne Showgrounds in the 1970s with Peter Heagney as the auctioneer at these sales, and prior to their takeover in 1979 of Wright Stephenson & Co the New Zealand based company which conducted Victorian Bloodstock Sales and provided bloodstock agency services to Australian clients for many years, and the takeover included their Stables and Sales Complex at Flemington.
Following this takeover Peter Heagney along with Ian Baird, Jeff Gordon and Bernard Spain were joined by staff members of Wright Stephenson & Co including Gary Ewin, Tony Cavanagh, Frank Mitchell, and Tony Williams with Graham Campbell being retained as General Manager of Delgaty Bloodstock International ,and who was instrumental in the planning and building the new Bloodstock Selling Complex at Oaklands Junction in Victoria which was opened in 1982, with Peter Heagney having the honour of the auctioning the first horse sold on that day.
In 1984 Anthony (Tony) Fleiter became the General Manager of Delgaty Bloodstock International adding Simon Vivian and Mark Dodemaide to the permanent staff, and remaining in charge of the company up until the sale of Delgaty Bloodstock International which included the Sales Complex at Oakland Junction to William Inglis & Son in 1994, with Peter Heagney along with his colleagues commencing their association.
Peter Heagney was a leading bloodstock auctioneer, a highly credentialed and respected bloodstock authority, and acknowledged by peers as being an excellent judge of a horse over many years.
In the Equestrian world Peter Heagney was acknowledged as one of the best judges of show horses, in both ridden and lead classes, in Australia, and was asked to judge horses in these classes at Royal Shows in every state of Australia, together with his wife Helen a very successful Equestrienne and the four (4) times winner of The Garryowen Trophy, one of the most prestigious Equestrienne events in Australia, and held annually at the Melbourne Royal Show, as judges they were both well respected by the owners of the horses they were judging in each event.
In his time with William Inglis & Son Peter was a leading auctioneer, senior bloodstock manager, Director of the firm, and a mentor and friend to many in the thoroughbred industry and horse industry in general in Australia.
Peter was one of Australasia’s most respected auctioneers selling in every state in Australia, especially at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in Victoria and the Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling in New South Wales, Tattersalls in UK, in China and Malaysia.
One of my lasting memories of Peter was the bus trips to the Victorian Stud Farms to inspect yearlings entered in the upcoming Melbourne Premier yearling sale, organised by Peter Heagney and Simon Vivian, and attended by other Inglis staff members, trainers, bloodstock agents, syndicators, and bloodstock authority George Smith was a regular on the bus.
On some occasions depending on the numbers we went by car with Peter and Simon Vivian. These bus and car trips were enjoyable with great camaraderie, and many good purchases were made at the Premier Sales from horses viewed by potential buyers on these trips.
Peter respected the work the independent bloodstock agents did in bringing buyers to his sales, and he was also in attendance at some of our FBAA annual meetings as the representative of William Inglis & Son over the years.
Peter Heagney will always be remembered as the auctioneer who sold the great Black Caviar and the recording of Peter selling this champion is part of the introduction to our FBAA Podcasts, and it is appropriate that we will all remember Peter when listening to our Podcasts.
RIP Peter Heagney. John Ford on behalf of the Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia.
