Social connection the key for Tara Race Club

By Andrew Smith

Connecting with the younger generation of racing fans and volunteers through social media is one of the keys to building for the future of country race clubs.

That is according to Jess Norford from the Tara Race Club, who has been named the latest Racing Queensland Cheer A Volunteer winner.

The mother-of-two first became involved in the club in 2020, manning the front gate and ensuring participants were complying with COVID-19 restrictions.

Since then, she has moved into the club vice-president role, and coordinates the Fashions on the Field competition, race day entertainment, food and alcohol suppliers, social media and advertising, and sponsorship.

“I honestly really enjoy it - it's such a good little group of people on the committee and we have a lot of fun,” Jess said.

“I've been involved in volunteering in the local community for many years now, and with a range of different community groups and organisations.

“I love volunteering, I've learned so many valuable skills over the years from volunteering and you build so many connections and friendships along the way as well.

“It's a really rewarding experience too, when you get to the end of the event and you see everyone enjoying themselves and you pull off a successful race day.”

The club in the Western Downs region of Queensland hosts one race day a year, usually around early October.

This year the club hosted one of their biggest crowds since the COVID-19 pandemic, with around 500 racegoers attending the race day.

“It was the biggest event I've probably seen since I've been involved, and it’s great to be building up those attendance numbers again, and getting a good crowd through the gate,” Jess said.

“Obviously, it's really important for the racing industry, but sort of it's one of those big events on our social calendar in Tara as well.

“It's a key event on our social calendar once a year, and it really does bring the community together.”

Jess said one of her most memorable race days in recent years was when the annual event had to be moved to Dalby in 2023, due to concerns over the Tara track surface.

But the club was able to turn the disappointment of the lost meeting into a significant fundraising event.

“There were a lot of cracks in the ground and it just wasn't safe for the horses to run, so we had to change and adapt really quickly at the last minute,” Jess said.

“We ended up putting on a really good phantom race day for the community and for the patrons - we thought we were going to have a cruisy day, but we ended up being very, very busy with yabby races and other things.

“We raised a lot of money for LifeFlight that day, sending the hats and the tins around, so a good percentage of the money we raised went back to them.”

Jess' family has a long history of living in the region, having resided there since 1911.

The 36-year-old mother of two juggles family life, work and the volunteer work at the club.

She is keen to encourage more clubs to make the most of their social media platforms to connect with younger members of the community and bring more volunteers on board.

“I think it's our best form of advertising at the moment - there is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to create all the social tiles and schedule things in, but I think it is the easiest way to get people engaged,” Jess said.

“It is really tough to try and get the younger generation involved, and it's the same in everything, but I really just try to push people to what a rewarding and fun experience it can be.

“I've just learned so much from volunteering, and it just teaches us so many skills and you build so many great connections and friendships along the way as well.

“We are only a small committee and it’s a team effort but we are also so grateful for the volunteers who turn up to help out on the day and give us a hand to help set up or pack down.

“I think if we can encourage more people to get involved and volunteer, that would be a big win for everyone not just here at the Tara Race Club, but other local clubs around the area as well.”

Clubs are encouraged to nominate their valued volunteers for the award, which is sponsored by Neil Mansell Transport & Mittys.

State-wide, there are more than 8,300 volunteers who make an invaluable contribution to the industry, providing their time and expertise to sustain Queensland’s three codes of racing.

Click here for more information on Cheer A Volunteer and to nominate.