Co-ordinators Bruce Taylor of Farmlands Ashburton and Farmers Weekly columnist and rural advocate Craig Wiggins want all farming families to swap a day on the farm for a day at the races with the Ashburton Trotting Club.
“It was such a success last year we decided we should do it again,” Wiggins said.
“We made a few calls and all the rural businesses, sponsors and supporters from last year were really keen to go again so with that confirmed we are pretty chuffed to be able to bring this event back for farming families in 2019.”
Last year 350 farming people from North Canterbury to North Otago attended winter race meeting incorporating the organised activities for farming families.
“We were pretty stoked with the success of the event. We won’t be changing a lot about the format this year, just tweaking bits and pieces here and there, adding a few new bits and ensuring we make it a great day out,” Wiggins said.
“The whole event revolves around everyone getting together,” Taylor said.
“We would like to think now we can make it an annual event,” Wiggins said.
The day is free admission with a free race book and fun for all the family with both children’s and adult entertainment, food, spot prizes, sulky rides for the kids, bouncy castles, face painting, colouring competition.
A key spectacle this year will be the arrival on course of skydivers, weather permitting, and there will also be a line-up of vintage and classic cars on show.
The Rural Fashion in the Field competition is expected to attract some interesting outfits.
There will be eight races.
“There will be opportunity to get up close and personal with the drivers and we will have an education centre to help people at the tote.
“Best of all there will be losing tote spot prizes.
“It’s school holidays, it’s mid-winter, it’s pre-calving and lambing and it’s a break from the farm for a fun day out.”
The day kicks off at 11.30am and runs to 4.30pm.
To give organisers an idea of numbers people can register their interest on the Farming Families Day at the Races Facebook page or by emailing rst.midcanterbury@gmail.com
