Kimba Set for Emotion Charged 90th and Final Race Day
- Tuesday, 01 April 2003 00:00
But the history and tradition of the Kimba Racing Club will not be lost in the future with the meeting being transferred to Port Lincoln from 2004 and beyond.
Ironically this weekend's Kimba race day will be the 90th held in the town since its first meeting in December 1913.
A meeting at the home of Mr Jack Haskett officially kicked away the history of the Kimba Racing Club on November 7, 1913. The first committee was formed with Ralph Hogan elected president and Charlie Sutton as secretary.
Just over a month later on December 29, Kimba was away and racing with an entertaining six event card. On the day a six furlong handicap, a hurdle races of a mile and a half, a hack race, a handicap of a mile and a quarter, a handicap trot of two miles and a consolation race (for non-placed runners) were run. Incredibly a number of the runners were starters in all of the races.
Also on the afternoon of the first meeting in 1913, the horses weren't the only ones put to the speed test. A number of foot races and novelty events were held for the men and women on track.
The Kelly Race Club, as it was known, continued on until the First World War when many of the committee became soldiers, before the club was renamed to the "Kelly Patriotic Races," and all proceeds were donated to the comfort funds.
After shifting to a venue closer to Kimba around 1926 and then another location in 1939, racing continued to prosper in Kimba and they then decided to move to the current location in 1949.
Over the 90 years of racing at Kimba many of the region's leading horseman have supported the meeting. Names like Whyte, Holland, McInnis, Humphries, Glenn, Bourke, Whitlock, Dempsey, McEvoy, Nadells and Hall have all contributed to the proud history of the club. These days the club has been blessed to be supported by trainers including Trevor Trenowden, Mick Whittle, Darryl Carrison, Herb Oats, Malcolm Hebberman and Ray Angelo.
This year's weekend kicks off with the annual "calcutta" at 7pm on Friday in the confines and comfort of the Kimba Community Hotel. Here's your chance to become an "owner" of a runner for a day and in the process win big dollars.
The club will hold its usual five race programme, which has attracted strong fields, on Saturday afternoon. Prior to and after the racing action horses of another discipline will entertain racegoers with the staging of the 'Yeltana Showjumping Championships.'
At the conclusion of the race meeting more entertainment is being programmed for the evening for those patrons who wish to stay on and celebrate the ninety years of racing in Kimba.
Be a part of history and help make Kimba's final race meeting at the town the best ever this Saturday.
