Robynne Markey
As a mark of respect, Markey Saddlery will be closed for business Monday 16th April 2012.
The co-founder of the business, Robynne Markey, passed away on Good Friday 6th April, aged 67 years. Robynne first started making racing silks as early as 1970, when a horse owner and friend, knowing her amazing sewing skills, requested she make him his own racing silks for his horses to race in.
She slowly got more work through word of mouth, but in 1975 when husband Ray, himself a jockey, broke his leg in a race fall, making racing silks became the bread and butter for the Markey Family. In 1976, Robynne and Ray formed Markey Saddlery as a partnership, and they started supplying Sydney’s jockeys & trainers with a range of products besides the racing silks.
Robynne also started making presentation rugs for Sydney’s Thoroughbred Race Clubs and Trotting Race Clubs in 1978 and continued to do so over a 12 year period until 1990.
The best races in Sydney soon had a presentation rug made by Robynne, including races such as The Golden Slipper, The Doncaster, The AJC Derby and The Miracle Mile. Funnily enough, her favourite presentation rug she made was The 1989 Kentucky Fried Chicken Gloaming Stakes. She was extremely proud of the intricate work involved in producing this particular rug, unlike today’s era of fully sublimate printed rugs.
Robynne took on many roles within the business, including secretary, admin, packing customers orders and accounts. She loved her work and she loved working in partnership with Ray. Her health steadily declined over the last twelve years, as she suffered from dementia.
Robynne is missed already.
Her funeral will be held at the Garden Chapel, Castlebrook Memorial Park, Windsor Road, Rouse Hill at 11am on Monday 16th April, followed by a wake at the Sunnybrook Hotel, Hume Highway, Warwick Farm from 1pm.
