Iconic South Australian chocolatier and prominent racehorse owner John Haigh has passed away aged 93.
The Haigh family announced of his passing on Friday.
Haigh started with the family business in 1946 and was a key in transforming Haigh’s into an internationally acclaimed chocolate manufacturer and the oldest family-owned chocolate maker in Australia.
His passion outside of chocolate was his horses.
Haigh was a prolific owner racing over 120 horses over the journey and was instrumental in the success of Balcrest Stud at Balhannah in the Adelaide Hills.
Started by Claude Haigh, Balcrest was the passion for John when sons Alister and Simon took over the chocolate business.
“He (John) loves the horse business,” Alister Haigh said it an Aushorse interview.
“Balcrest has been sending drafts to Adelaide yearling sales for a long time … before ABCOS, before Magic Millions. Way back when David Coles first got involved,” he said.
Haigh currently has two horses in work, Rebel Mistress for the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas stable and Balcrest Belle who is in the care of long-time friends Barry and Ali Brook.
Brook said his passing was a sad time.
“John was a great man loved by everyone who knew him,’’ Brook said.
“I have been training for him for more than 45 years I would think, far too many horses to count.
“I remember the first one was a Lindsay Park reject and someone suggested to John to send it to me to sort out.
“We won a race, and the rest is history,’’ he said.
IMAGE: aushorse.com.au