Willinga Park's Terry Snow Passed Away

Dressage

Australia

Terry Snow, an Australian entrepreneur, billionaire and horse lover, has passed away on. He was 80 years old. Snow owned equestrian centre Willinga Park and sponsored Australian Olympic team rider Jayden Brown.

Tycoon

The grandson of Civic’s first general store owner, Terry was a business leader with a keen sense for innovation. He transformed the Canberra Airport precinct into a world-class aviation hub after it was purchased from the Federal Government in 1998. He ran the powerful Capital Property Group.

As the leading property identity in Canberra, Snow was ranked 30th on this year’s Financial Review Rich List, with a wealth of $4.1 billion.

In February 2024 he officially retired from active duty as a business man and entrepreneur. His son Tom Snow, a philanthropist and long-term airport director, took over from Terry as the new chair of the airport board. Stephen Byron will continue as chief executive officer.

Willinga Park

In 2017 Snow opened Willinga Park, an award-winning, 810-hectare equine facility in Bawley Point, Australia, with native gardens and a sculpture walk. Terry had purchased the land in the 1960s.

Willinga Park was developed to include an equestrian centre with three Olympic-sized dressage arenas, showjumping fields and a campdrafting arena. Snow's first passion was campdrafting and in 2018 he sponsored the largest campdrafting purse in Australian history at the World Championship Gold Buckle Campdraft centre.

Dressage at Willinga Park

Jayden Brown and Willinga Park's Quincy B
at the 2024 Olympics

For his dressage branch he initially teamed up with Australian team rider Brett Parbery and bought several horses for him. Parbery became a head rider for Snow in December 2017, closing his own yard in Penrose, NSW and relocating to Bawley Point, NSW. However, by December 2019 the collaboration ended. Parbery was replaced by Jayden Brown, who in April 2022 was allowed to base himself in Great Britain to pursue his Olympic dream.

Aboard Terry Snow's Quincy B, Brown finished 10th in the team competition with Australia at the 2024 Olympic Games on the day Snow passed away.

Breednet wrote that "Terry leaves a legacy of kindness, philanthropy, and business excellence. His spirit will continue to inspire us all, and his contributions will be felt for many years to come. He was a deeply loved husband to Ginette, father to Scarlett Gaffey, Tom Snow, Georgina Byron, and Stephen Byron, and grandfather to 14 grandchildren and brother to Michael and George. He will be truly missed by his family."