Harley Walden, a stalwart of breeding and racing at Scone in the Hunter Valley for sixty years, died this week after a battle with a brain
He had spent all his life at Scone, except for a brief stint as stud groom at the Stratheden Stud at Tamworth.
He grew up on the Sledmere stud as a schoolboy and for a few years after helped his father, the late Darcy Walden, in the breeding season, preparing yearlings and taking them the Sydney sales. Some of these yearlings were shown in the thoroughbred section at the Sydney Royal Show by Darcy and Harley and won many awards.
Harley helped in the production of many good horses at Sledmere, including Sailor's Guide, a great Australian racehorse of the 1950s who went to America and won the Washington DC International, and 1968 Golden Slipper winner Royal Parma.
Harley Walden had a long association with the Scone Race Club and published several books on its racing activities. He also often had a column on racing and breeding in the Scone Advocate
Brian Russell
