Peter Flynn

Peter Flynn realised early on that being a banker was no substitute to a life on the land, and so, the country boy who had a natural affinity for horses, quit the city to devote his life to all things equine, particularly in the thoroughbred industry, eventually managing Segenhoe and then Woodlands studs. These days Peter works as a consultant to Darley, is campaigning to save the environment in the Hunter Valley, and breeds champion quarter horses. This is his story . . . by Graeme Kelly

THERE has long been a sense in the thoroughbred industry that Peter Flynn’s quietly spoken skill in explaining matters, was tantamount to his ability to overcome them. That has come directly from his having an incredibly wide range of interests and involvements, mainly with horses but also in the commercial world, over a period of more than half a century.

During those years Peter has put together a long list of career achievements and milestones. Foremost among them has been his 18 years as manager of Lionel Israel’s famed Segenhoe Stud and his extended period of 23 years as general manager of the Ingham family’s resoundingly successful Woodlands Stud operation. That affiliation has continued into his present role as a consultant in Darley Australia’s development of a magnificent training and spelling complex at Richmond some 60km west of Sydney.

Peter Flynn

However, that is only a part of the story. Peter’s curriculum vitae also includes a time spent redeveloping the facilities and infrastructure of Blandford Park, which has since become known as Emirates Park, for Spendthrift Farm of Kentucky. Furthermore, in 1989, he became a foundation member of the Hunter Valley Equine Research Foundation and has served on the councils and committees of the Rural Industry Research and Development Council, the Australian Horse Council quarantine and health committee and the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association. He was honoured by the HTBA with a “service to the industry” award in 2006.
His vast experience has resulted in his being involved in an advisory capacity with Mitavite feeds and on OH&S awareness in the horse breeding industry as well as lecturing to students at agricultural colleges, universities and TAFEs. Peter has also been in demand on the international arena as a consultant to the Royal Turf Club of Bangkok, to the Korean Racing Association and to Chinese principals. His work in those countries, in the years from 1997 to 2003, included advising on the design of stud and training facilities as well as providing demonstrations on the correct methods of horse handling. He has also - in partnership with Kath Peterson - bred and trained many champion quarter horses.
Displaying his exceptional versatility Peter has grown chardonnay, semillon and verdelho grapes - which were sold to the renowned Rosemount Wines organization - on his Upper Hunter Valley property “Primorse”. Added to that Peter has moved with the times by being involved in the development of “Studmaster”, a computer software program used by leading thoroughbred studs and ranches throughout the world. Produced by Maxim Technology it is currently being marketed around the globe under the name of Equimaster. Again, that is not the end.
The author of a paper on the effects of coal mining on the thoroughbred industry in the Hunter Valley, Peter is at present busy lobbying federal and state government officials on the damage being inflicted on horse breeding properties in the area by open cut mining.
Reflecting on his life in the industry he believes he was fortunate, that after growing up on a farm, he had his earliest working experiences alongside an electrical contractor and then in banking, which helped lead him towards becoming something of a “jack of all trades”. His father Cyril, who was instrumental in importing pure bred Clydesdale horses into Australia from 1933, originally believed Peter should look outside the rural industry for employment on completing his formal education.
“I think, initially, I was fortunate to have been brought up on a mixed farm and I certainly owe my parents a lot for all they taught me,” he said. “My mother had a wonderful touch with the horses, as did my father. At the time I left school my father thought the rural situation was very tough and he believed I should try something different, and that’s how I came to first work for the electrical contractor, which provided me with a diverse training. Then a little while later I went into banking, and that helped towards giving me a broader knowledge which enabled me to put my hand to a number of things. It has all led to my having a very fortunate life . . . it has been very rewarding.
“My early upbringing and what I’ve done on the way through in my working life could hardly have been better, although the work was hard and the days very long. I have also been very fortunate to have had a long working relationship with some wonderful people and with two outstanding organisations such as Segenhoe Stud and Woodlands.
“In the days when we were building Woodlands I was virtually ‘it’. I didn’t have the assistance of architects or advisers or professional help which is the norm these days, but I was able to call on my previous experience to decide what should be done - this is job satisfaction and something I enjoyed very much and that I am proud of.”
Peter was the third of the five siblings - the elder Norm and Bill and the younger David and Susan -  of their parents Cyril and Linda and began life in the small community of Manildra in central New South Wales. While undergoing his primary schooling - at Orange, Dubbo and Elong Elong – Peter, along with the other Flynn children, helped their parents with the sheep, the cattle, the crops and the general duties associated with family farms.
“My father worked with and bred very large numbers of magnificent draft horses, some of which he imported into Australia from England,” Peter said. “He broke his own teams and worked the land on a very large station holding. My upbringing in this environment led to me being involved with many animals including cattle, sheep and horses, and I was breeding and training horses from a very young age. Because of my affinity with these gentle giants, my passion to work and be with horses was an easy and very natural progression.”
However, on his father’s advice after completing his secondary schooling at Belmont High, he began working for an electrical contractor - before joining the Belmont branch of the Commercial Banking Company of Australia. Following a transfer to Sydney he was soon on relieving duties throughout the city’s branches before being seconded to CBA’s head office in Canberra where he was appointed as head of security and assistant manager.
“I believe I gained good business acumen, people skills and learned how to deal with responsibilities, which I valued, before my desire to work with horses attracted me back to the land.”
At first, after leaving CBA, he worked at Rockedgel Station, at Premer in the western region of the Liverpool Plains, where he trained polo ponies as well as being involved in the property’s sheep, cattle and crop growing activities. It was at that stage he realised he wanted to devote the rest of his life to working with horses and as he says, “gaining knowledge and catering to their needs felt so natural to me”.
Then in 1967 a golden opportunity arose when he was able to join the workforce at the famed Segenhoe Stud, which at that time spread over 1000ha on rolling hills on the Pages River near Scone in the heart of the celebrated Hunter Valley. The stud had been bought nearly 30 years earlier by Lionel Israel who was on his way to becoming one of the most revered identities in the Australian thoroughbred breeding industry.
After just six months at Segenhoe Peter was promoted to manager, a position he was to hold for the next 18 years. It proved a particularly exciting era in Segenhoe’s history as three years after Peter’s arrival Kaoru Star joined the stud’s roster. By the legendary Star Kingdom from the Emperor mare Kaoru, he had registered 13 wins and eight placings in his 27 racecourse appearances and soon was to soar to the heights as a stallion.

Kaoru Star

Kaoru Star became Australian Champion First Crop Sire in 1973-74 and was Australian Champion Two Year Old Sire in 1976-77 when his representatives featured the exceptional performer Luskin Star. Besides winning the STC Golden Slipper Stakes in 1977, Luskin Star was triumphant in races such as the AJC Breeders’ Plate, STC Silver Slipper Stakes, AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes at two. He went on to capture the coveted VATC Caulfield Guineas, among other races at three, before establishing himself as a successful sire at the Kelly family’s Newhaven Park Stud at Boorowa.
“While I managed Segenhoe I had the pleasure of working with the mighty Kaoru Star and great mares, including Humour who produced the likes of Marceau, Zasu, Runyon and Joy Love and was Broodmare of the Year on numerous occasions, as well as that wonderful mare Amneris - to name two. Throughout my time with Lionel on Segenhoe I bred, broke-in, educated, and race-prepped many great and talented horses that went on to win many prestigious races, which carried the stud into the racing history books as one of the nation’s greatest thoroughbred breeding grounds.
“I was very fortunate to have worked with Lionel. He was one of the country’s most respected self-made businessmen, entrepreneurs and pastoralists in the manufacturing, thoroughbred racing and breeding worlds. He was a man I respected immensely and he was a great mentor to me, and I look back on my 18 years working with and for him as my apprenticeship into the thoroughbred industry.”
It was in 1985 that Peter’s association with Segenhoe came to a conclusion following Mr Israel’s decision to retire and to sell the property. From Segenhoe he moved to Blandford Park Stud, at Murrurundi, where he was employed on a 12-month contract helping his close friend John Kelso further develop the property, which was then in the United States ownership of Spendthrift Farms.
“Originally I’d decided to have a 12-month break to assist my brother in establishing his earth-moving business, when the late John Kelso approached me,” Peter said. “John initially engaged me primarily to look after the horses but before long I was managing, designing and carrying out a complete redevelopment of the facilities and infrastructure of the stud. At the time Blandford had quite an imposing stallion roster headed by the Luthier horse Twig Moss. He was Leading Australian Sire in 1985-86 and proved to be a great influence on the breed.”
While Peter was at Blandford, Bob and the late Jack Ingham purchased the 690ha Woodlands Stud about 25km west of Muswellbrook, and on completing his assignment with John Kelso he was appointed general manager of their operation. At that stage the STC Golden Slipper Stakes winner Crown Jester, who was bred and raced by the Inghams, and Yeats (USA) comprised the stud’s main stallion roster. During the next four years the Inghams purchased Oak Range on the southern side of the Hunter River and Randwick Park to the north. That resulted in the stud spreading over more than 2500ha - with a seven kilometre frontage to the Hunter River - of good natural pasture on irrigated flats and sheltered hilly country.
Under Peter’s guidance the Inghams leased Carrington Stud and, in 1995, they bought the 1215ha Trans Media Park at Cootamundra from media personality Mike Willesee.
“Although budgeting was essential Mr Jack and Mr Bob, as they were known by the staff, spared no expense in developing their thoroughbred enterprise. Like their multi-billion dollar chicken business, they had a vision, and they developed their racing and breeding interests into a huge business, in which they took great pride. With foresight and planning we added to Woodlands some of the best land in the Hunter with the intention of developing the stud into a world class breeding establishment.
“Old Woodlands consisted of about 690ha and the new Woodlands boasted 2500ha with some of the best pasture on improved river country which rose to undulating hills that climbed steadily to their spectacular mountain backdrops. The view as you drove over the crest at Woodlands would literally take your breath away and it is a vision I will cherish until the day I die.”
Peter says he was “extremely honoured” that Jack and Bob entrusted him with bringing their vision of building a world-class stud and breeding facility to fruition. “I totally enjoyed working with these vibrant men, who had the highest of standards and admired quality. They were engaging, and bounced happily off each other. Jack, especially, had an uncanny eye for a horse. It was not a smart move to go against him or disagree with his opinion about a horse’s future prospects or its ability, because more than likely, you would be proved wrong - especially when it came to the racetrack.”
That all led to Woodlands winning many prestigious awards and titles during Peter’s years at the stud. “These included being leading breeder of Group winners in the world and successive breeders’ premierships in Australia. We bred such Gr.1 winners as Lonhro, Arena, Dracula, Unworldly, Freemason, Higher, Tributes, Preserve, Gordo, Hosannah, Omens, Viscount, Dextrous, Smash, Yell and Planchet - to name a few. Also of course, Lonhro was Australian Champion Racehorse of 2003-04.”
As well, over the years, successful stallions such as the English Derby winner Quest For Fame (GB), the Golden Slipper winner Star Watch, Octagonal - an Australian Horse of the Year in the Inghams’ all cerise colours - Canny Lad and Commands, as well as Strategic and Viscount, who were both bred and raced by the Inghams, stood under the Woodlands banner.
“There is no doubt the Australian racing and breeding industries were very fortunate to have had the support of the Ingham brothers, with their huge investments and passion. When Woodands was sold on, it had the reputation of producing Group winners to rival the best in the world, which was a fitting tribute to Bob and Jack.”
Along the way, Peter has, right from his days at Segenhoe, dabbled in breeding and racing horses. The first horse he raced was Miss Leilani, a metropolitan-placed winner in the late 1970s by Boucher from the Wilkes mare Kambella. “I raced and bred quite a few winners, and every horse except one, went on to win races.
“My favourites were Miceala, a Kaoru Star filly who was an early favourite for the Golden Slipper, and another Kaoru Star mare in Carosa who was a really good race mare and won five times. More recently I raced Shand who was a brilliant speed mare by Quest For Fame, and she went on to become the dam of the ill-fated Sycophant. I sold Sychophant at the Magic Millions and she was a Sydney metropolitan winner at her only start.”
Also over the past 12 years or so, he has become involved in breeding quarter horses at Coronation Park Stud in the Lower Hunter Valley. Operating in partnership with Kath, they bred Obvious Heir who was acclaimed as World Champion Quarter Horse in a competition conducted in Oklahoma in the United States.
“There is no better horse person than Kath, and we’ve had a high degree of success. We imported from Texas the multiple world champion paint horse stallion Just Shameless who achieved great heights for us. He was a dual Royal Show Champion in Sydney and Canberra Royals, and then went on to be the leading all-round western performance horse sire of the nation, siring national Futurity champions for nine years in succession.
“We recently imported world champion Palomino quarter horse stallion Uwantapieceofme, who we are expecting big things from as a result of joinings with our imported quarter horse mares. In all we have bred the winners of more than 250 Royal Show and national championships, and I think it is fair to say Coronation Park is one of the most highly accredited quarter horse studs in Australia. I can say though, that it is a very, very different world to the thoroughbred industry.”
These days Peter continues to be busy with outside activities - with Darley and on the mining front - as well as helping run the property. “I am employed as a consultant in the design and construction of most of the state of the art facility Darley is building at Richmond. It will include a private 1800m grass, pro ride and sand tracks, which will cater for 100 horses in work and 100 horses spelling. There will be accommodation for staff and associated facilities.”
In addition Peter is vigorously entrenched in fighting the spread of open cut coal mining into the Hunter Valley, which as he says is one of the world’s foremost thoroughbred breeding grounds. After producing the study entitled “The Upper Hunter Thoroughbred Horse Industry Jeopardised by Coal Mining” in March 2007, Peter has been trying to ensure the thoroughbred industry has an input in future planning of the coal mining industry. That has meant dealing with government, mining, minerals council and thoroughbred industry representatives and organising meetings and discussions groups in an attempt to achieve the best possible outcome for the parties concerned.
“It is hoped there will be a moratorium on new mines in the Hunter, a cap on coal exports from the Hunter region, and an inquiry on the impact of the coal industry on the long-term environmental, economic and social sustainability of the Hunter and its industries,” Peter said in his report.
“Thoroughbred horse breeding is a global industry, and the Hunter Valley is one of the three major thoroughbred nurseries in the world, along with Kentucky in the United States, and Newmarket in England. However the cumulative effects of the vast area that has already been mined in the Hunter Valley is of great concern to the horse breeding industry, as it needs quality grazing land in a pristine environment with clean air and water to produce these equine athletes of world standards.”

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Tags: Darley, Thoroughbred Breeders Australia
Permalink| Feb 8, 2010

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