By Jordan Gerrans
There has been a passing of the baton in the Cunnamulla training ranks over the last year.
An energetic newcomer to the racing industry has replaced a respected stalwart of the game in the Downs Country Racing Association.
At 61 years of age and having trained for around 25 years, Cunnamulla’s Tim Higgins has been ready for some time to step away from the caper on a constant basis with his knees not as strong as they once were.
And, with a few horses in work in the regional Queensland town, Higgins pursued Monique Gavin to teach her all the tricks of the trade to be able to eventually take over his team of gallopers.
With Higgins the only licensed trainer with gallopers in work in Cunnamulla in recent years, he wanted to up-skill Gavin to keep the tradition of racing going in the community.
As Gavin is on the verge of claiming her first winner as a licensed trainer this weekend at Noorama, the rookie conditioner reflected on all the hours her mentor has put into her over the last few years.
“I often say to my family back home in Sydney, you would need to pay for the experience I have received in recent years and I was lucky to receive it as someone was just willing to show me,” she said.
The 26-year-old grew up in Sydney and had no involvement in racing or around horses until she relocated to Cunnamulla about eight years ago.
By chance, she lived on the same street as Higgins and his stables, and was intrigued by the animals and the work going on behind the scenes to get the team ready for race day.
Higgins – as well as few other statesmen who were working with the horses – offered to show Gavin the ropes if she was to help out around their stables doing a couple of jobs.
“He told me if I came around to give him a hand, he would teach me everything I need to know about and from there, I took over strapping while learning the ins and outs of the industry,” Gavin remembers.
“Tim said that he was getting a bit old for it all now and he wanted to teach someone else.
“He taught me everything and now has handed the reins over to me as he no longer has any horses.”
Gavin took one of Higgins’ retired gallopers to pony club as she learned to ride, eventually progressing to riding track work.
As Gavin has taken out her own licence over the last six months, starting the first galloper in her own name in October of last year, Higgins’ horses have been transferred to her name as the veteran trainer has stepped back from being at the stables every day.
He still is there every now and again to offer advice and guidance, as well as just being a phone call away for whenever a question arises.