Friday, March 29, 2024

Families enjoy a day at races

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Not only the horses came out winners at the Ashburton Trotting Club’s midwinter race meeting. Farming families from all over Canterbury turned out by the hundreds, leaving farming stresses at home and enjoying a family day out.
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Organised by the Farming Families Day at the Races Trust in conjunction with the Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust and the Ashburton business community the day toted up more than 500 visitors through the gates.

“It was quite simply a winner all round and we thank the Ashburton Trotting Club and raceway for donating the facilities and allowing us to run this farming family day out as part of their race day,” co-organiser and event emcee Craig Wiggins said.

“We have had amazing feedback about how great the day was from the farming families that came along as well as the sponsors of the day.

“It’s just been such a good success, a winner through and through,” Wiggins said.

The day is designed to allow the rural community a day off the farm in a fun and relaxed setting where they can socialise with like-minded people.   

It included fun activities for children, food, and a variety of family entertainment including a fashion in the field competition, sulky races and spot prizes for losing tote ticket holders.

“A lot of these people have been doing it pretty tough with any number of farming challenges including Mycoplasma bovis and to see the smiles on their faces is fantastic. 

“We figure that this is the future of rural wellbeing,” Wiggins said.

StayWell, doing blood pressure, heart and cholesterol checks, was kept busy with a number of people told to follow up with their doctor.

“To run events like this will do more to fix rural mental health than talk fests,” Wiggins said.

Any overflow of funds from the day will be spent in the rural community.

“If the trustees of the Farming Families Day at the Races can support any farmer in any way, shape or form we look forward to doing that with any overflow from the day,” Wiggins said.

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