A globe-trotting canine coach and comic has been remembered as a beloved larger-than-life determine after his sudden and tragic loss of life.
Tony Knight, 54, was on the ‘Music and Automobiles’ pageant in Lavaur, south France, when a big tree department fell on him and 6 different attendees. He was the one casualty.
The Englishman had solely simply completed paying off a house in close by Bouillac, the place he deliberate to calm down together with his Aussie accomplice of 15 years, Hayley Wright.
Ms Wright’s sister, Joanna Allen, revealed Mr Knight wasn’t together with his accomplice on the pageant and had messaged her an inside joke simply moments earlier than the accident.
The time distinction meant Ms Wright noticed the message as she was about to go to sleep and did not get the prospect to reply.
Mr Knight was a world-renowned ‘canine listener’ and even helped prepare the pooches of stars akin to Molly Meldrum, Sonia Kruger and the Dubai Royal Household.
‘He was match, he was passionate, he was charismatic, humorous. He was only a good man,’ Ms Allen informed Every day Mail Australia.
Earlier than transferring to France, he lived in Australia for a number of years, the place he carried out common stand-up comedy exhibits throughout Victoria and expanded his canine coaching enterprise on-line.
Tributes have poured in for world-renowned canine coach, Tony Knight (pictured), after he was tragically killed by a falling department at a French music pageant final month
Ms Allen stated her heartbroken sister and Mr Knight have been like ‘two peas in a pod’ and would usually journey throughout Europe collectively to chase summer season.
Ms Wright has now needed to journey to the house they supposed to stay in collectively to organise his funeral as a substitute and wake together with his household within the UK.
‘I feel the exhausting half will probably be her coming dwelling to the farm as a result of he is been there for 4 years and he is he is been fairly useful across the place,’ Ms Allen stated.
‘Our mother’s dwelling now on the farm she’s to says he is in all places … in all places you go, there’s Tony.’
Ms Allen additionally remembered the sudden shock of being informed that the full-of-life Mr Knight had all of a sudden died, saying ‘all of your hope is dashed in that second’.
‘Mum phoned me and stated “Tony has been killed,” you simply cannot understand it, like, what you imply killed? How can how can he be killed?’ she stated.
‘However that is the phrase, he is lifeless and we’re by no means going to see him once more. That is fairly exhausting.’
Mr Knight had simply began to stay the life he dreamed of, working with canines whereas travelling the world whereas having a house in a quaint French city, Ms Allen stated.
‘If he had a thought, he by no means believed he could not do and simply went for it,’ she stated.
The Englishman had solely simply completed paying off his dwelling in a close-by city in France which he supposed to stay in together with his devastated Aussie accomplice of 15 years Hayley Wright (each pictured)
Mr Knight was remembered as a bigger than life determine who wished to have a shot at all the pieces, even taking to stand-up comedy which landed him an everyday present in Ballarat
Ms Allen fondly remembered Mr Knight being the household larrikin throughout Christmas usually stoking the English vs Australian rivalry in yard cricket.
Ms Allen launched a GoFundMe earlier this week to assist help her sister which has already raised over $4,600.
‘(My sister is) arranging a funeral, masking hospital bills, assembly police detectives, medical doctors and the mayor, visiting the accident web site and sorting Tony’s property,’ the fundraising web page reads.
‘All whereas experiencing a crushing quantity of grief and disbelief out of the country.
‘Tony we are going to love and miss you eternally, life is not going to be the identical however we are going to wrap our arms round the one you love Hayley.’
Lavaur mayor, Bernard Carayon, informed the media that ‘by no means has such a dramatic occasion occurred in out city’.
‘I’ve expressed our profound compassion to the household on this troublesome time,’ he stated.
