Like many others, especially in the world of racing, I was saddened recently to hear of the passing of Kaye Hill.
Kaye was born to racing.
Her father, Jack Nicholls, held a Metropolitan Trainer’s Licence and she became Quueensland’s first female licensed stablehand as a young teenager.
When I came to Gympie in 1993 to train horses, Kaye was a leading trainer.
She and the late Ray Kernick each had a string of more than twenty horses stabled and in work at the track.
Kaye was a pioneer of Queensland Racing, being not only the first female licensed stablehand but probably the first licensed trainer.
I believe Kaye was training horses for some years before Gaye Waterhouse gained her licence in New South Wales.
Anyway, Kaye Hill was one of the kindest and friendliest ladies you could hope to meet in a long lifetime.
She always had a ready smile and a cheerful greeting, even on the worst of losing days.
And she was always generous with helpful advice to those less experienced and knowledgeable.
One morning at the track she suggested that I remove the knee hobbles from a young horse because of the risk of his going down on his knees on the concrete floor of the tie-up stall. The knee hobbles never went to the track again.
I feel privileged to have known this genuine lady of the turf.
Kaye Hill will be missed by all who knew her.
– Merv Welch,
The Palms
