The HTBA President’s Award for Lifetime (Industry) Achievement is presented in recognition of an individual for their many years of dedication and service to Thoroughbred breeding, research and education and for campaigning to preserve and protect the Hunter Valley’s proud Thoroughbred breeding industry and heritage.
This year’s recipient of the HTBA President’s Award is steeped in Thoroughbred history and has breeding and racing in his blood. He is uniquely experienced in, and supremely committed to Thoroughbred breeding, training and racing at a local, state and national level.
Arriving in Australia in the 1970’s, he and his family quickly settled into the Scone community. His family’s legacy and contribution to the industry over the past 50 years has been continuous. Like his father before him, this year’s President’s Award recipient has helped shape the industry in the Hunter and continues to advocate for the development of the local breeding and racing industry.
While his formative years in Scone developed his passion for all things horses and saw him intersperse his legal studies at the University of Sydney with hands-on work in the industry, including on horse studs, at yearling sales and at one stage tempted him to become a trainer, he graduated and embarked on a legal career merging his knowledge of the law with his love of Thoroughbred breeding and racing.
Following his time with a Sydney law firm founded on its commitment of service to others, he moved back to Scone, practicing in, then transforming the Halletts law firm into Equilaw and later moving on to establish Morgan + English, providing legal advice to many of the biggest names in the business. Morgan + English was awarded Australian Lawyers Regional Law Firm of the year in 2020 (only 4 years after opening).
Throughout his career, his understanding of horses and horse people and his insights into his clients’ businesses have helped forge a bigger, better and safer industry. With an expansive vision, a love of community, unlimited energy for helping others and a boundless drive for getting things done, his private and professional life have been centred on the horse industry of the Upper Hunter.
As member of the Scone Race Club for over 20 years and former president, his contribution has been immense, applying his legal training to tackle the challenges facing country racing pro bono.
He is a loving husband and devoted father of three. A motivator and mentor to many in our industry. A champion of great causes and many people. And the son of a Hunter Thoroughbred Breeding industry legend and former Murray Bain Service to Industry recipient, Dr john Morgan.
The HTBA is very proud to present the 2023 President’s Lifetime Achievement (Industry) Award to an “Ideas Man”, a motivator, a mentor and an energetic driving force for the advancement of our industry, Mr Daniel Morgan.
