Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria has awarded Life Memberships to Tony Cavanagh, Rosemary Inglis and Tim Stewart.

They join 12 other TBV Life Members including Joan Walker, Lillian Cooney and Mike Becker who were also present to receive their newly-struck Life Membership pins at the TBV AGM in South Melbourne on Tuesday evening.

Tony Cavanagh’s influence and service in Victorian breeding and racing has been widely felt since the 1960s.  He started with the Racecourses Licences Board and then joined Wright Stephenson as a pedigree clerk before branching out to manage / operate Toolern Vale Park, Glenfern Park and Huntly Lodge.

In 1980, he established his own bloodstock agency and sold champion racemare Emancipation, Magic Flute (Doncaster Hcp) and the dam of Group 1 winners Magari and Centaurea as well as syndicating sires like Centaine and Sir Dapper among many others.

Tony bred and raced 1985 Blue Diamond winner Let’s Get Physical and he remains an active agent brokering the recent sale of Makybe bred colt Il Cavallo to stand in New Zealand.

Tim Stewart has served the local thoroughbred breeding industry with distinction over several decades.  He was Victorian Bloodhorse Breeders secretary in the 1980s and was the Chairman of the Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia (FBAA) from 2007 to 2013.

Tim’s broodmare matings have produced in excess of 86 stakes-performers for his clients and, in his own right, has bred 56 individual winners including multiple stakes performers.

Perhaps Tim’s most important service for Victorian thoroughbred breeding was helping to lobby for and establish VOBIS in the 1980s.  He also played a significant role in the computerisation of the Australian Stud Book and thoroughbred statistical systems.

Rosemary Inglis is TBVs longest serving committee member having been elected in January 1991.

She has been TBV’s representative on the Victorian Horse Council and Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and, along with her late husband Dr Bert Inglis, developed and ran Benalla Park Stud.

They stood several stallions including Star Pyramul and Hartbalm who was North Eastern Thoroughbred Breeders’ leading stallion in 1986-87.  They also bred and owned the North Eastern Broodmare of the Year Full on Hearts in 1994-95.

L-R:  Tony Cavanagh, Rosemary Inglis and Tim Stewart.