Races minus horses a winner

However, this didn’t dampen any spirits, with bus loads of people eager to get a taste of Spring Carnival action.

With 30 marquee sites, metro bookies and a big screen TV, Berrigan pulled off a great day with the much-anticipated Fashions on the Field event going ahead after the two-year COVID-19 hiatus.

Andrew Gorman, a fourth-generation horse breeder and committee member of 40-odd-years is a racing purist. “I don’t love marquees, I love horse racing.”

But he said the support the race day gets when horses don’t run was astonishing.

“The Berrigan Cup used to be picnics in the car park, but when we got in a bit of financial strife back in the ’80s, we put our heads together and decided to really push to make the cup an event on the shire’s calendar,” Mr Gorman said.

“We got the young ones involved and it made a hell of a difference.

“People booked out marquees and cottoned on that it was a great day out and they keep coming back.”

The Berrigan Gold Cup is stamped on the country calendar and means one of two things for locals — you either jump on a bus from a neighbouring town and head to the races or it’s time to start windrowing canola.

This year — with record-breaking rainfall throughout the region — farmers, truck drivers and contractors made the best of a bad situation and bonded at the races over the level of devastation being seen in sodden paddocks.

Farming goes hand-in-hand with Berrigan and the race committee members, and has done for generations.

“Race clubs were abandoned during the Great Depression,” club secretary Janine Murphy said.

“Then in the 1940s members got together and grew crops in the centre of the course for several years.

“This meant the course could be upgraded and the club could flourish.

“It’s now one of the most respected courses in the Riverina.”

The two major sponsors, Baxter Transport and Barrett’s Tyre Service, are as entwined in the agricultural industry as the committee members and racegoers themselves.

“We appreciate our sponsors, the fact they commit during good and bad seasons — more sponsors mean more prize money on offer,” Mr Gorman said.

“Country racing is tough, you’re competing against other meets.

“There are a lot less trainers in the area and the race club only holds three meets a year where it used to hold 12.”

This year would have marked the 67th Berrigan Gold Cup, Ms Murphy said.

“We have records that show horse races have been run in Berrigan since the 1890s,” she said.

“The first Berrigan Cup as such was run in 1955 with the winner, Belle Cavale, travelling from Bendigo with owner and trainer J. Farley and H. McMeekin.”

In the early days races were run ‘Sydney Way,’ meaning clockwise. This was reversed to ‘Melbourne Way’ in the 1900s when the Berrigan Amateur Turf Club was formed.

This year’s crowd of racegoers may have missed out on the thrill of the race, but they did enjoy the well-maintained grounds and facilities.

Club president and farmer Geoff Swann said there was an upbeat atmosphere at Berrigan on Octiber 29 despite the lack of horses.

“The above-average rainfall meant the course was in pristine condition,” Mr Swann said.

“Groundskeeper Kenny Moar said it was the first time in 20 years that he hadn’t had to water the track. The place looked superb thanks to the committee’s efforts.”