Tatts Finke Desert Race
[/url]July 14 at 5:32pm[/url] · · Sports
Statement from the Finke Desert Race Club
On Tuesday we received the devastating news that Billy Hayes of Deep Well Station had been killed in a light plane accident whilst mustering cattle on New Crown Station. Billy was doing what he loved; working on the land with cattle.
He was a father, an esteemed cattleman, a character and a talented bike rider, but most of all he was our friend.
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Billy was a great supporter of motorcycle racing and he revelled in the Deep Well Enduro and the Finke Desert Race; both of which were on his door step. He loved Finke and along with supporting many riders he was a keen competitor. An accomplished but unassuming rider, he finished Finke in outright third position in 1998 on a CR500 alongside his mates Rick Hall and Stephen Greenfield. This was a hugely popular result with three local fella’s doing what they loved in Billy’s back yard.
Throughout the 2000’s the camping crowds along the Finke track began to surge and despite Deep Well bearing the brunt of campers, Billy wanted to work with the Finke Committee. He recognised how much the event meant to so many others and didn’t want to restrict camping, but it was reaching a stage where the amount of rubbish left by campers was having an impact on his livelihood of running Deep Well as a cattle station. Together we worked to educate people around responsible camping - taking your rubbish home and being careful with fire. This year was in his words the best he had seen post event and he was a happy man. This year also saw eldest son Luke (pictured with Billy) finish 6th outright in Finke. Billy was a mighty proud father.
There is an old saying - you never know how much you miss a place until you leave. The same can be said about friends - you often don’t realise how much they mean to you until they are gone. Shock has now turned to sorrow and a sense of great sadness with many people affected by Bill’s passing. Along with grieving, be mindful that we all handle these events differently. Some will want space, others will need comfort. Don’t be too proud to seek out your mates.
To mother Jan Hayes, we offer our deepest condolences. Both your husband Billy Snr and son Billy are two men that so many of us were proud to call our friends. They are now just that little bit too far away.
To Billy’s boys and extended family, we were so lucky to know Billy and share a part of our lives with him.
We will all hold on to those memories.
Vale Billy Hayes...