Source : ABC NEWS
An outback horse racing meet is running as an independent event after Racing Queensland demanded it build a $100,000 horse shelter to qualify for a licence renewal.
Each May, people from all over north-west Queensland make the trek to Koorooinya Reserve, 400km south-west of Townsville, for the annual event.
But this year, Oakley Amateur Picnic Race Club vice president Steven Larkin said licence conditions from the governing body put the 108-year-old tradition at risk.
“Our club has decided to step away from Racing Queensland because it’s just getting a little bit too hard to race the way we have been racing for 100-plus years,”
he said.
The annual Oakley Amateur Picnic Races attract crowds from all over rural Queensland. (ABC News: Brooke Tindall)
In a statement, Racing Queensland said Oakley and the Tower Hill Amateur Race Club, which hosts a sister-event in April, had opted not to renew their licences due to Licensed Venue Standards that came into effect in May last year.
The standards dictate what facilities are required for race meetings to be conducted under a Racing Queensland licence.
They include the condition of the track, car parks, horse stalls, mounting yards, veterinary facilities, steward and jockey rooms, and race calling towers.
“Following the expiration of their licences … RQ met with representatives of both clubs to discuss their future direction,” the Racing Queensland spokesperson said.
“Both clubs subsequently advised RQ that in order to preserve the nature of their grassroots racing, rather than change their operations and upgrade facilities to comply with the Licensed Venue Standards, they would not elect to be re-licensed.”
Tower Hill Amateur Race Club, which hosts the other grass-fed horseracing meet in Queensland, has also given up its licence. (Supplied)
Announcing their decision on social media, the Tower Hill Amateur Race Club said it was not made lightly.
“We are so incredibly passionate about our bush racing, it’s a love many of us have been born into,” the club said in a statement.
“Others have come to a race meeting and have never left because they love what we represent.”
Without a licence, the clubs can no longer access funding and public liability insurance provided by Racing Queensland.
The Tower Hill Picnic Amateur Races have been held in western Queensland since 1909. (Supplied: Ruth Bode)
For the Oakley club, the decision not to renew means they had to pay a $30,000 insurance bill themselves, but Mr Larkin said keeping the tradition alive outweighed the cost.
“We’re grass fed, these horses live out in the paddock, we’re not like other clubs on the coast,”
he said.
“It’s why we are different, and we want to keep it that way.”
Feeding tradition
Grass-fed racing horses are often older rejects from the main racing competitions, that graze in paddocks on nearby farms.
“These horses are getting rehomed to us, where we can give them another four or five years of just good living and good racing,”
Mr Larkin said.
They also don’t use barriers to start the race — instead, they use a flag start, where the horses trot up to the line together, a flag is lowered, and the race begins.
The day is filled with a lot of excitement for children. (ABC News: Brooke Tindall)
Along with the horse shelters, Mr Larkin said the conditions to renew their licence with Racing Queensland included removing the flag start, which he said would completely change the competition.
Racing Queensland said it provided $3 million a year through its Country Club Asset Funding program to assist country racing clubs to repair, maintain and replace facilities.
Despite severing ties with the governing body, the club said it would maintain the racing standards set when it held a licence.
Among those determined to keep the tradition alive is jockey Cameron Creevey.
Jockey Cameron Creevey is cheered on by his Mum. (ABC News: Brooke Tindall)
He said small country race meets gave him the chance to fulfil his passion for horse racing.
“It’s the going fast bit for me, it’s a good adrenaline rush and I just love it,”
Mr Creevey said.
A much-loved social event, he said the country race meet was about much more than just horses.
“It’s great just to meet people and have a few beers together,” he said.
Cam Tindall’s parents became involved with the club in the 1950s, and he’s continuing the family legacy. (ABC News: Brooke Tindall)
More than just horses
Mr Larkin said the Koorooinya races provided a wonderful opportunity for remote farming communities to get together.
“It’s all about having three days off in a bush area,” Mr Larkin said.
“It’s just something we look forward to year in, year out.
“Our kids love it, and if we were going to miss one, I tell you what, we wouldn’t have a very happy family in our household.”
Minister for Racing Tim Mander says it’s important to maintain the viability of country race meets. (ABC Western Qld: Grace Nakamura )
In March, the Queensland Government announced a “landmark review” of the state’s racing industry, covering thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing.
It appointed former chair of the Australian Turf Club Matthew McGrath as the chair.
“From our biggest cities to our smallest and most remote towns, racing brings our communities together,” Minister for Sport and Racing Tim Mander said at the time.
“We want to ensure the long-term financial stability, viability, and integrity of racing in the state.”
More than 1,200 submissions were made on the discussion paper, which included looking at the need for “fit-for-purpose infrastructure” statewide and safeguarding country racing.
“It’s important that we get this right, so racing will continue to flourish and grow for decades to come,”
Mr Mander said.
The final review is expected to be delivered in late 2025.
