Roy Higgins (jockey)
{{short description|Australian jockey}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2011}}
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|name = Roy Higgins
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|birth_name = Roy Henry Higgins
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|nickname = The Professor
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|birth_date = 5 June 1938
|birth_place = Koondrook, Victoria, Australia
|death_date = {{death date and age|2014|3|08|1938|6|5|df=y}}
|death_place = Melbourne, Australia
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|sport = Professional jockey, media commentator
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Roy Henry Higgins MBE (5 June 1938{{spaced ndash}}8 March 2014) was an Australian jockey who rode from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. His talent in the saddle was to later earn him the nickname "The Professor".
Early life
Higgins was born in Koondrook, Victoria and grew up in the southern New South Wales town of Deniliquin where, in 1953, he was apprenticed to local horse trainer Jim Watters.
Career
Despite a constant battle with his weight, Higgins won almost every major race on the Australian calendar.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=j_4QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TJIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3127,6366713&dq=roy+higgins+premiership Roy saddles up for premiership No. 12] He rode a total of 2312 winners during his career and won the Melbourne Jockeys' Premiership a record-equalling 11 times.{{cite web |url=http://www.racenet.com.au/news/98243/Vale-Roy-Higgins-MBE |title=Vale Roy Higgins MBE |last1=Sherer |first1=Darryl |date=8 March 2014 |website=racenet |publisher=racenet |access-date=9 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309011125/http://www.racenet.com.au/news/98243/Vale-Roy-Higgins-MBE |archive-date=9 March 2014 |url-status=dead}} His first premiership win was in the 1964/65 racing season.{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horseracing/roy-higgins-dies-suddenly-aged-75-20140308-34epx.html |title=Roy Higgins dies suddenly, aged 75 |last1=Bartley |first1=Patrick |last2= Habel |first2=Tim |date=9 March 2014 |website=The Age |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=9 March 2014}}
Higgins won the Melbourne Cup twice, on Light Fingers in 1965 and Red Handed in 1967, both for trainer Bart Cummings, one Caulfield Cup, two W. S. Cox Plates, five VRC Oaks, four Victoria Derbys, the Blue Diamond Stakes and the AJC Oaks six times. He also won two Sydney Cups and two Golden Slipper Stakes. Some of the horses he was associated with were Gunsynd, Leilani, Storm Queen, Sir Dane and Big Philou.
Higgins' last race ride was at Flemington in October 1983, after which he declared his ambition was "to be a little fat man".{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/roy-higgins-is-crook-but-hes-not-starved-of-admirers/story-fni0ffyu-1226839873471 |title=Roy Higgins is crook, but he's not starved of admirers |last1=Rule |first1=Andrew |date=27 February 2014 |website=Herald Sun |publisher=News Ltd |access-date=9 March 2014}} He continued to be employed in the racing industry as a commentator on TV and radio, particularly on Melbourne radio. He also lectured in the jockey training program at the Northern Lodge Training Centre of the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE.
Higgins was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1987.{{cite web|url=https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/roy-higgins/|title=Roy Higgins|publisher=Sport Australia Hall of Fame|access-date=25 September 2020}} He was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.
Honours
In the June 1974 Queen's Birthday Honours, Higgins was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to "Horse racing as a jockey".{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1088134 |title=Roy Henry Higgins |author= |date=15 June 1974 |website=It's an Honour |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=9 March 2014}}
Personal life
Higgins was married to Genine. Although they were separated they remained friends. They had two daughters.{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/superracing/roy-higgins-a-humble-lad-from-the-country-who-reached-the-pinnacle-of-his-sport/story-fnibcaa0-1226849175044 |title=Roy Higgins – a 'humble lad from the country' who reached the pinnacle of his sport |last1=Nicholson |first1=Rod |date=8 March 2014 |website=Herald Sun |publisher=News Ltd |access-date=9 March 2014}}
Death
Higgins died in Melbourne on 8 March 2014, aged 75, following a short illness.{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/superracing/vale-the-professor-as-racing-fraternity-mourns-the-loss-of-one-of-the-greats-in-roy-higgins/story-fnibcgg5-1226849148574 |title=Vale The Professor as racing fraternity mourns the loss of one of the greats in Roy Higgins |last1=Schlink |first1=Leo |date=8 March 2014 |website=Herald Sun |publisher=News Ltd |access-date=8 March 2014}}
References
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External links
- [http://www.sportslink.net.au/downloads SportsLink interviews with Higgins in 2008 and 2007]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- [http://www.racingmuseum.com.au/hof/inductees/rhigg.htm Australian Racing Museum and Hall of Fame Champions - Roy Higgins]
- [http://www.dinkumaussies.com/SPORTING%20Oz%20Horse%20Racing%2FRoy%20Higgins.htm Dinkum Aussies - Roy Higgins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923214900/http://www.dinkumaussies.com/SPORTING%20Oz%20Horse%20Racing%2FRoy%20Higgins.htm |date=23 September 2015 }}
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Category:Australian Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees