Te Awamutu News | December 22, 2022

Thanks to Shelley

“For me, my disability is a part of who I am, not the entire picture. That came about because of Special Olympics.”

Those were the words of Te Awamutu retail assistant and Special Olympics global messenger Tegan Crotty when talking to The News in June.

One visit to a Special Olympics event underlines her words.

Men and woman with all types of

disabilities compete in an environment as competitive as any Olympics, yet equally social and welcoming.

An army of people around the globe have made Special Olympics so special, and today The News honours one.

Our 2022 person of the year is Te Awamutu Special Olympics swimming head coach and Enrich Plus service manager Shelley Blair.

The Special Olympics movement was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver – sister of American president John F Kennedy - in 1968 to provide training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities.

She was inspired by her sister Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability.

Shelley Blair was equally inspired.

While working for Northern Districts Cricket she was approached by someone

who wanted to use the indoor facilities.

“I was in awe, I was looking at someone with no legs from the knee down and he’s running the cricket wicket,” she recalled.

The former swimmer began teaching children to swim and coaching the sport and found herself gravitating towards people with disabilities.

“Swim with Shelley” had as many as 20

Shelley Blair, pictured at Waterworld, Hamilton, during this month’s Special Olympics National Summer Games.

Photo: Roy Pilott.

Continued on page 3

HOLIDAY HOURS

DECEMBER

24th 9.30am - 3pm

25th - 27th Closed

28th - 30th 9.30am - 3pm

31st - 3rd Closed

JANUARY

4th - 6th 9.30am - 3pm

7th 9.30am - 1.30pm

homewares • gi s • décor

Autumn fest cash blow

By Mary Anne Gill

A long-running community arts festival which attracts hundreds of performers and thousands of spectators every autumn has failed to attract a grant from the Creative Communities scheme.

The biggest impact on the Cambridge Autumn Festival next year will be on the Main Street Carnival and a Maadi Cup parade welcoming thousands of rowers and their supporters to Cambridge.

The festival, which first started in 2009, was granted $7000 from the scheme last year. But the money could not be used because the Covid pandemic led to the event being cancelled.

So, when the trust which organises the festival, made another application for $9000, it expected to get funding again.

Chair Alana MacKay said the festival had attracted funding from the creative scheme every year since 2014, totalling $50,500.

“The lack of funding is a huge blow to the festival,” she said.

“To have a $9000 gap in our budget at this late stage in our planning is very challenging. To be honest, it really took us by surprise, especially after having funds approved last year which were then never paid out.”

Waipā District Council has a partnership with Creative New Zealand to promote, support and increase participation in community arts and cultural activities in the district.

It provided $75,348 this year.

Martin Campos’ and then exited the room for the allocation discussion.

In its notes on why it did not grant the festival any money, the panel said the Cambridge Autumn Festival has been funded continuously since at least 2014 from the fund with no significant change in operation.

print advertising.

But a spokesperson for the council said it was part of a wider conversation about road closures, hall hire, projected number and opening event costs.

were:

Te Wharekura o Nga Purapura o Te Aroha Whakamana

Roy Pilott editor@goodlocal.nz 027 450 0115

Mary Anne Gill maryanne@goodlocal.nz 021 705 213

Viv Posselt viv@goodlocal.nz 027 233 7686 Advertising

Janine Davy janine@goodlocal.nz 027 287 0005 Owner/Publisher David Mackenzie david@goodlocal.nz Office/Missed Deliveries 07 827 0005 admin@goodlocal.nz

A council spokesperson said for the first round, approved in September, there were 28 applications totalling $118,330.

The assessor panel comprised Alex Wilkinson (chairperson), Waimihi Hotere, Marie Bramley, Heather Wellington, Marcus Gower, Jennie De Groot and David McCathie, who has since resigned.

McCathie spoke to the Autumn Festival application and then left for that and the Cambridge Arts Council and Richard Adams Art Workshop as they were part of the Autumn Festival line up.

De Groot spoke to her application/project ‘Figure and Space Painting Workshop with

One of the criteria panel members must look at is whether previously funded events had developed in any significant way.

MacKay said the festival was the highlight of the Cambridge cultural calendar bringing a wide range of performers to the town.

Most events are free for the community and others are at affordable ticket prices.

It is run by a trust of volunteers, involves around 500 artists and performers - many of them emerging local talent - and attracts thousands of patrons.

She understood the panel had questioned the Autumn Festival’s plans to use funds for

There was no suggestion the Autumn Festival application was unsuccessful because of its proposal around how it would advertise the event, the spokesperson said.

The trust was now looking to other options so the carnival and Maadi Cup parade could go ahead.

“It’s looking like we’ll have to tap into our minimal reserve funds, that have already been somewhat depleted by Covid, which puts future festivals at risk, but the show must go on.

“With time tight, and Christmas fast approaching, other funding options are extremely limited, and we haven’t had any luck so far,” she said.

Recipients of the Creative Communities Scheme September round and the amounts received

Rangatahi Waipā Kapa Haka Festival - $3500, Tovah O’Neill Theatre Sports for Beginners - $1500, Jennie De Groot

Figure and Space Painting Workshop with Martin Campos -$7000, Sasha McLaren, David Woodcock, Kereama Clarke Waipa Digital Storytelling Workshop - $4000, Te Awamutu Creative Fibre Looking Forward - $800, NZ Northumbrian Pipers’ Society Summer Workshop 2023 - $1800, Enrich Plus Mayoral Artwork - $200, Quinton Tunoho Whiti Mai Ra Ki Owairaka$4000, Oriwa Morgan Ward Taua Toi Raranga/Our Woven Art - $1500, Alex Wilkinson The Creative Conduit - $19,960, Kate Symmonds The Artistry Huddle$5000, Te Awamutu Community Food Forest Pekerau Mural$2000, Adam Harvey Surgical Precision - $2500.

• Did your group get funding or miss out? Tell us more.

Contact editor@goodlocal.nz

Enrich Plus artists have a $200 Creative Community grant to complete a painting for display in the mayor’s office.

And it’s a merry…

The Te Awamutu News will next publish on January 12 and we will update our website and social media platforms during the break. Email us any news tips on editor@goodlocal.nz Merry Christmas from the editorial team of Roy Pilott, Mary Anne Gill, Viv Posselt and Steph Bell-Jenkins. See you in 2023.

Website visits

Kathy Miller was a great science teacher at Te Awamutu College if visits to our teawamutunews.nz website are any indication. Her story about retiring attracted 70 per cent of all visits to the site in the last week. The also rans were: New look for community board, Six of the best, $9.23 the cost of a vote, Progress in ram raid fight.

Pothole plague

Waka Kotahi says the latest round of bad weather has affected both road conditions and progress on road renewals. The roading agency says a number of new potholes emerged following rain in the middle of last week.

Covid warning

Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand Waikato is warning Waikato residents to plan ahead as Covid infection rates rise. Covid-19 Directorate executive lead Maree Munro said there were 3000 active Covid-19 cases in the region and it was important to check when medical centres and pharmacies will be open. Free RAT kits can be ordered online at the Covid-19 website. Waikato hospitals are open over the holiday period and emergency departments will continue to provide urgent care.

No dumping please

Hospice Waikato is urging people not to dump their post-Christmas leftovers at their op shops in Cambridge and Te Awamutu. See further story Page 8.

District value hits $2 billion

Waipā district is growing at an “exponential rate” and its assets are valued at over $2 billion for the first time.

The district council ended its financial year with an operating surplus of $28.7 million.

Deputy chief executive Ken Morris said the growth clearly reflected in the annual accounts.

“Developers contributed $19.4 million of development and reserve contributions and vested assets last year, which is a sizeable proportion of the surplus,” he said.

“There can be no doubt the Waipā building boom continues. In the last financial year, council

issued 2027 building consents with a capital value of $596.2 million.”

The growth also put pressure on infrastructure.

Just under a third of the $70.3 million collected in rates last year was spent on community services and facilities and the next biggest area of expenditure was roads and footpaths, almost 20 cents in every dollar of rates.

Morris said 16 per cent of rates went on wastewater treatment and disposal and 13 per cent on water treatment and supply.

“These are core council services which ensure the district functions while continuing to offer a very

good lifestyle for Waipā families and residents.”

He said the fact council maintained its AA- Fitch Credit Rating for the fourth year running was important.

“The financial climate we are all working in is challenging and there is no doubt at all that will continue into this financial year.

“But our credit rating means we can secure better interest rates for our debt than we would otherwise be able to achieve and that benefits all ratepayers.”

Council assets were valued at nearly $2.2 billion. Debt was $149.5 million which Morris

Thanks to Shelley

learn to swim participants as she set out to find out more about people with disabilities.

“It became very evident, you don’t judge them until you know them.”

There followed a move to Te Awamutu, the establishment of a Special Olympics movement there in 2008 – and a year later she took three male swimmers to the nationals.

Husband Bruce was the team manager.

That trip would mould her future over the next 15 years.

“We went to Palmerston North, one of the three men had never been away from home.

“This young man grew in confidence, he had to manage his own medication and he had to sleep in a bedroom on his own.”

Watching the benefits and learning started “an incredible journey for me”.

Story after story would follow – young men and women would gain confidence. Friendships were formed, some were invited to speak in public – others who had spent their whole

Waipā Snapshot

We refer to Waipā in every edition – today we present Waipā by the numbers.

Population:

• 59,500

Age:

• 20% - under 15

• 62% - 15-65

• 18% - over 65

Ethnicity

87.7% - European

• 14.9% - Māori

• 4.3% - Asian

• 1.8% - Pasifika

• 1.4% - Other

• 0.5% - Middle Eastern, Latin American, African

Economy

• 8055 business units

• $58,366 – average household earnings

said was relatively low in comparison to the wider local government sector.

Continued from page 1

lives at home suddenly thought about going flatting.

“It’s about the whole holistic side,” says Shelley. “I don’t want to pick anybody out. Every single one of them has touched me.”

Special Olympics has also taken Shelley overseas with New Zealand teams in Los Angeles and Dubai. She has also earned a Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary and Local Hero awards.

“I always say to my kids, my Special O are my family too,” says Shelley, who became a grandmother again last May. “I want to help them as much as I can. Special O is supposed to be a hobby but it’s bigger than a hobby.

The successes are both in the pool and out of it.

One of those young men she took to Palmerston North is now looking after a farm with his partner and a baby.

Her skills in helping young and old alike set and achieve goals which might have appeared impossible, and her unstinting support of those men and women make her a worthy person of the year.

• $117,903 contribution to gross national product per filled job

Waipā Council

• Value of property, plant and equipment $2,082 billion

• 2 wastewater treatment plants

• 184 bridges and large culverts

• 6 water treatment plants

• 51 public toilets

• 663kms of watermains

• 222kms rural drains 4203ha of open space land

• 28ha of cemeteries

• 2 libraries

• 303kms wastewater pipes

• 1115km of roads and streets

• 2 public swimming pool complexes

• 339 staff (279 full time)

• 7 executives received $1,286 million

• Rates collected $68,925 million

Bella and labradors top the Waipā dog poll

By Mary Anne Gill

If your dog is called Bella and you’re out for a walk and call out her name, be prepared to have several dogs come bounding up to you.

Bella is the top dog’s name in Waipā followed by Molly, Charlie, Ruby and Poppy.

And it’s odds on one of the dogs will be a labrador as that’s the most popular breed in the district with 1271 of the 9434 dogs followed by collies (642), huntaways (491), spaniels (465)

Celebrating Life -

and Jack Russell and fox terriers (both 413).

The council has rehomed 42 dogs in the last year including Duke who was impounded five times in the past year and the council animal control staff have finally found him a new home and hope to have seen him for the last time.

Not a lot is known about the name and breed of the 318 unregistered dogs on the council’s database other than owners can expect to see an animal control staff member soon.

Way

We believe that each funeral service should be as unique as the life you are celebrating. When a funeral is personalised, it creates a special space for sharing precious memories, telling stories, and simply being together with friends and family.

Rosetown Funeral Home are dedicated to providing personalised and meaningful funeral services, and are happy to discuss new ideas, pre-planning and/or pre-paying for your funeral. We are here for you in your time of need, so please get in touch anytime to discuss your options.

Jim Goddin JP Funeral Director

Ken Morris

Cryptocurrency: for the crypt?

By Peter Nicholl

Cryptocurrencies have been in the news a lot recently, but mainly for the wrong reasons.

The collapse of FTX in the US, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, has created shockwaves. A claim made when the industry started was because they were not subject to government regulation, they could be efficient, flexible and creative.

But because they were not subject to any regulation, FTX thought they didn’t need to worry about such boring things as keeping good accounts, having a balance sheet that balanced, maintaining internal controls and separating customer money from their own money.

If any ordinary business operated in this way, no-one would lend to it. But FTX had been described as the darling of the crypto industry and it was able to borrow huge sums of money. Now, most of these large sums of real money have disappeared and FTX has on its balance sheet a lot of their own tokens. Investors have recently pulled a record number of bitcoins off several other exchanges and further bankruptcies could follow.

In the midst of this drama, the RBNZ announced on December 7 a consultation process on how new forms of money, such as cryptocurrency, should be regulated. The RBNZ said “we need a level playing field where regulation matches risk across all technologies and consumers have real choice in how they pay and save and trust in private money is preserved”.

It all sounds good but the timing of the announcement surprised me. The risk involved in cryptocurrencies has been obvious since they first appeared in 2009. I don’t understand why it has taken the RBNZ, and most other Central Banks, 13 years to decide a “level playing field” where regulation matches risk across all technologies’ is a good idea. There should have been a level playing field several years ago, specially in the area of

money laundering, for which cryptocurrencies have been ideal.

Also, cryptocurrencies are making very slow progress in becoming widely-used forms of private money. I put the question ‘who accepts bitcoins in payments?” into my computer. A website produced a list of all the businesses that did. What struck me was that 13 years after bitcoin started, it is still possible to put on a single list the name of every business in the world that uses it in transactions. In comparison, Visa card is accepted in around 44 million merchants in over 200 countries.

Bitcoin has two major characteristics that will prevent it ever taking a major role as a transaction currency. First, its value fluctuates sharply and suddenly. Secondly, the way the transactions in Bitcoin are processed is very expensive and bad for the environment.

The amount of electricity currently used to process Bitcoin transactions is equivalent to the total electricity use of Finland. As much as 170 million tonnes of carbon dioxide is pumped into the atmosphere every year by crypto miners, equivalent to the carbon footprint of the Netherlands.

To date, the Bitcoin miners that have to pay for all that electricity have been primarily paid by being issued with new bitcoins. But the Bitcoin programme has an upper limit of 21 billion coins built into it. There are only 1.1 million left to be issued. As the limit comes near, miners will have to receive most of their income from transaction fees or they will switch off their electricity-hungry computers.

Apparently, this is already beginning to happen. I anticipate that it will accelerate.

The end of a tough year

By Barbara Kuriger,, MP for Taranaki King Country

The year 2022 has been a difficult one for many of our families and businesses.

For the past two years, as we have experienced the phases and stages of Covid-19, we hope each new year will be easier than the one before.

This year we have seen the opening of the borders. Many families have been reunited and travel has been reinstated so we can again be part of the global scene.

Tourism is picking up, but it is still a difficult time for businesses in tourism and hospitality to keep businesses open to pre-Covid levels due to limited staffing and the ongoing effects of people off work due to Covid and its variants.

Through this tough time we have continued to rely heavily, as a country, on the food and fibre sector to keep our economy flowing.

It needs to be said that we should all be thankful not only for our own food, but for the benefits we all receive from these industries, which equate to about $9000 per person.

My biggest hope for 2023 is that our children will attend school regularly.

As the song goes ‘children are our future’ and regularly attending school will help secure their futures with knowledge and skills to help them on life’s path.

I hope that businesses can find the staff they need to undertake their businesses as the stress of keeping things going without enough people is mounting and people are more stressed

than I have ever seen. I would like to see society get back to the basics of supporting one another.

Being through such a tough time has tended to exacerbate stress levels and appears to have made people more aggressive towards each other, which is not how we Kiwis are naturally wired.

It would be good to think families who wish to be together at Christmas, will be able to be together. That Christmas is a peaceful and safe family time and not overly commercialised.

The environmental conversation recently is focused on whether we decide to have a real tree or an imported plastic one.

I have an aversion to waste and not being a Christmas tree person myself, I won’t be having a tree. Instead I’ll be putting my favourite reusable wreath with three red candles on my coffee table.

It is great to share food but hopefully everyone will ensure to keep food waste to a minimum.

With food waste one of our biggest emitters of methane, along with the fact that food is at record prices, it makes no sense for families to be using hard earned funds to buy food that will be binned.

All the best for Christmas and New Year.

My only wish is that 2023 will be better year for us all.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Deputy Kane

Kane Titchener is the new Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board deputy chair. His nomination by councillor Lou Brown was seconded by Sally Whitaker. There were no other nominations.

River project

A project to retrieve foreign objects dumped in the Waikato River has received $250,000 funding. Deep Dive Division will work at seven sites from Narrows Landing, through Hamilton city to Ngāruawāhia retrieving dumped items.

Signs of the times

Social media sites have been running venomous posts aimed at roading authorities in response to news that speed limits in the Waikato District are being reduced. Many of the more abusive posts in a Te Awamutu site where swearing has been allowed, suggest the public would rather see potholes filled in than speed limits cut.

Interest rate hit

The latest Federated Farmers banking survey of almost 1200 farmers has revealed their average mortgage interest rate had increased to 6.29 percent from 4.59 percent in May. The average level of overdraft was up $46,000 to $328,800.

Plaque seals the deal for Luke

By Roy Pilott

Royalist Luke East’s campaign to have a plaque acknowledging the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh was fulfilled in a ceremony in Te Awamutu on Sunday.

But there’s a twist in this two-year-old tale.

From before the death of both royals, East has sought to have a plaque attached to the former Post Office building in the town centre to acknowledge the Royal visit in 1954 and Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee.

But when invited guests gathered on Sunday for an unveiling – 32 days shy of the 69th anniversary of the visit, East revealed the “real” plaque was still in transit.

It was thanks to some quick help from Waikato Stonecraft that he was able to have a substitute plaque to unveil.

East isn’t sure when the genuine item will arrive –but with a month long trip back to his native England commencing with a flight yesterday, he’s expecting it will arrive when he’s away.

Mayor Susan O’Regan, speaking to an audience which included district councillor Lou Brown and community board chair

Ange Holt and newly elected deputy Kane Titchener, acknowledged her speech had been prepared with some information provided by “the font of all things Royal”.

She paid tribute to East’s foresight, saying it took a champion “to bring things like this to life”.

Building owner John Dill

was also among those to watch the unveiling.

The Queen and Prince Phillip visited Te Awamutu in January 1954, and she was the first monarch to step foot in the town. The young Queen visited 46 towns and attended 110 engagements during the tour.

Meanwhile East says he has watched all six episodes

of the Prince Harry-Megan Markle Netflix exposé having gone into with a sceptical view.

But having watched it he says it shows what the couple went through in terms of the horrendous abuse they suffered.

“No one should go through that whether or not you agree with them.”

East said he had experienced something similar on line – including death threats, trolling and false accounts being created in his name – when he was a National party activist.

He said it was sad that there was an obvious rift in the Royal Family and hoped King Charles could help resolve it.

Mayor Susan O’Regan unveiled a temporary plaque which royalist Luke East was instrumental in securing funds for. Photo: Roy Pilott.

By Julie Guest St John’s Anglican Church

For many people Christmas is not the happiest time of the year. It is hard to avoid being influenced by the increasingly hyped-up expectations that stockings will be full, the table will groan with bounty and everyone will have a great time.

We know those are unrealistic expectations, but we still feel cheated when our stocking are empty, the meal is no frills and the kids are sad because the “ad” Christmas is not true for them. For others there are memories of happy Christmases that can never be repeated because a precious family member has died. Now Christmas is poignant, painful and overwhelming.

My Mum died a week ago. Our Christmas will never be the same. Mum was the Christmas cake and mince-pie expert, not to mention the buyer of thoughtful gifts squirreled away over the preceding weeks. But for Mum, the primary purpose of Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

We who loved her had the pleasure of witnessing faith worked out in her life. The centre of Christmas was gathering to celebrate Jesus’ birth with fellow worshippers – to sing, pray and give thanks for the love of God in our lives. Faith was and will be our rock as we grieve. God knew the pain of losing his own Son to the cross, but at Christmas we quietly celebrate with Christians everywhere the birth of the bringer of peace, hope, joy and love. May you find hope in your pain this Christmas.

Barbara Linton St. Patrick’s Catholic Church

When humans soar into space to conquer the stars, millions of dollars and years of preparation are required to make complicated, precision-performing high tech machines to ensure safe blast-offs and re-entries.

Explosive rockets, deafening sonic booms and trails of bursting flames launch the giant sky-labs many kilometres above earth amid breath-holding-anxieties of scientists and cheering millions of onlookers worldwide.

But when God comes from the heights of eternity to the depths of time, it is in a quiet self-effacing descent, powered by love and humility.

This truth is revealed in the birth of the star of all stars – the Christ-child, Son of God - in a simple stable.

How different God’s ways are from our prideful selfinflation, materialism, greed and ambition for control and fame.

The silent forces of God are the strongest in existence. So let us take time out from the pre-Christmas noise, hustle, bustle and glaring lights of commercialism so that we can welcome Christ Jesus into our hearts for He alone brings God and humankind together. “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life: no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14: 6).

Christmas Messages

Ariki and Pam Ashford

Senior Pastors, Reach Church

We both love the absence of despair in the Christmas story. It’s the most treasured Bible story we know. We see so many passages – the nastiness of King Herod, the scheming evil of the snake in Eden, the anger of Moses when he came down from Sinai to see his people worshiping Baal. But once Mary and Joseph were guided to that manger, the star shone above, and the animals looked calmly on.

For the length of this Christmas story, the most sacred of stories, there is no fear. There is hope – we feel it all these centuries later as we both celebrate and marvel at the Christmas spirit.

How do we savour the wonder of that glorious birth and time of unimpeded hope and carry it with us like a beacon to light the darkest times of the year?

How do we preserve the joy in that beautiful manger scene letting it permeate our souls all year long? We all need a guiding light in this world just as the star guided Mary and Joseph to that manger. Let that guiding light be the glorious birth of the saviour, swaddled in his mother’s arms, cradled in everlasting grace.

Remember to take comfort and joy from this auspicious moment so far back in time, so wonderfully present today.

By Rev Ron Bennett, Te Awamutu Presbyterian Church

Christmas is about celebrating – having a party! Rejoicing in the fact that God sent his Son into this world; that God became human and dwelt among us.

And why did he do that?

It’s all about relationships. God wants to be in a living, real genuine relationship with you and me. Right from the Garden of Eden God has wanted to talk with us, listen to us, understand us and be understood by us. And the best God could think of to do was become one of us.

So he did. He started where we all start – as an egg in our mother’s womb.

And so, the story unfolds … months down the track Mary gives birth in Bethlehem and together, Joseph and Mary, name their baby Jesus – a name we continue to celebrate 2000 years later; a name that puts us all into relationship with almighty God; a name that brings salvation… and with it hope, joy, peace, and love.

This Christmas may your relationships with God and with other people be enriched.

By Phil Strong

Senior Leader, Zion

One of the things I love about the Christian Church is that we are all one big family. Don’t let negative mindsets or experience around family turn you away – God’s family may not be perfect, but it is glorious.

Every one of us was once away from God, but this was not God’s finished plan.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Through Jesus, a plan for redemption was put in place so that Jesus and the ones He makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.

We are one big family.

This should be an exciting concept for us all – through Jesus we can now say we have been adopted as God’s very own children. And because we are his children, God sent His spirit into our hearts, that helps us to call God, “Daddy.” This means we are no longer a slave to destructive behaviour, but instead we are heirs to all the promises of God. This is a family with benefits.

To be born again is to become a new creation in the image of God’s design. The old life is gone and the new life has begun. You are God’s masterpiece. He has made you anew for a superior purpose that God planned for you long ago. You are invited to join God’s family.

By Bruce Judd Pastor, Te Awamutu Christian Centre

Why did Jesus come? The Bible foretells the birth of Jesus many times, from as early as in the third chapter of Genesis.

God sent his Son, Jesus to earth to show us what God is really like. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. God is love – and God’s love never fails.

Jesus Christ was born in that little town of Bethlehem in Judea, just as Isaiah the prophet had foretold 700 years before.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

He came and set people free from sin and suffering. He brought inner peace and destroyed the works of the devil in the people’s lives and he still does that today.

This Christmas in the wonderful atmosphere of giving, remember God, from whom comes every good thing. He invites you to “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year.

Get gardening

A monthly gardening column, courtesy of Amber Garden Centre December is the start of summer – this means it’s getting hotter in the garden – and it becomes more about maintaining plant growth than planting more. With the longest day coming up we get to spend more time in the garden. Apply mulch to bare soil to conserve moisture following rain.

Cambridge Life

(formerly Lifecare Cambridge) is under new management.

We would like to thank the Cambridge community for their support throughout 2022. All of the staff and residents would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

•Personalised care plan

•Yummy, nutritious meals

•Local GP services

• Full activity calendar and entertainment

Rest home • Hospital level

•Hairdresser and beautician visits •Podiatrist visits

• Church services •Meals on Wheels

Call us to arrange a visit and experence our Culture of Care.

86 King St, Cambridge 3434 07 827 5972

manager@cambridgelife.co.nz soundcare.co.nz

Vegetables – It is best to plant lettuce and fast growing herbs in areas with afternoon shade to prevent them from bolting in the summer sun. It is time to dig out new potatoes in time for Christmas and to replace them with final main crops, it is also time to check for any garlic bulbs you may have planted. Planting carrots and parsnips now will ensure winter crops. Hold off on planting seedlings if you are planning on going away over the holidays, or ask someone to water them for you. Vegetables will need to be watered at least three times a week in this dryer weather. Regular picking of beans, peas and tomatoes will encourage healthy growth.

Houseplants – If you are leaving your plant babies while you go on holiday it is important they are not left to drown in water or too dry. Most plants will make it a week or so without being watered, especially if moved out of direct sunlight. Putting indoor plants in the bath without their saucers on top of a wet towel is a good way to ensure they will not dry out.

Algal bloom: next wave is coming

Waipā’s Lake Ngā Roto will be hit by an algal bloom breakout over summer.

It’s not a question of if, but when, Waipā District Council community services manager Brad Ward says.

“The impacts of climate change mean our summers are hotter and water temperatures warmer than in previous years, so it’s the ideal breeding ground for algae,” he said.

The council says it has action plans in place to enable a streamlined response to an algal bloom – cyanobacteria – outbreak.

“Our action plans can be deployed at a moment’s notice, even when the council office is closed over the Christmas break –which is where we came unstuck last year,” Ward said.

“While it’s difficult to prevent blooms, we aim to communicate quickly with mana whenua, the public and have a more streamlined response with partner agencies to mitigate damage caused by the algae,” Ward said.

Algal blooms forced the closure of recreational activities on the lake and the

walking track last summer when a public health warning was issued. There was an extreme risk of lake users being exposed to cyanobacteria and E.coli.

Waikato Regional Council uses satellite imagery to detect algal bloom in the lake, and the recent installation of new monitoring sensors will give an early warning before they arrive.

There are a total of 31 peat lakes in Waipā and Waikato districts and Hamilton city.

They form the largest collection of peat lake habitat in the country and represent some of the few remaining areas of wetland once part of the formerly extensive Komakorau, Rukuhia and Moanatuatua peat bogs.

Peatlands take thousands of years to develop and are valued for their unique genetic diversity lakes – but are susceptible to fire, increases in nutrients and the effect of drainage.

With a surface area of 108 ha, Ngā Roto, home of the Te Awamutu Rowing Club, is the largest Waipa peat lake.

Students get tertiary boost

Joshua Fitzpatrick of Te Awamutu College and Giaan Pouwhare from Otorohanga College were among 31 recipients of David Johnstone Charitable Trust grants presented in Hamilton last week. Each student received $6000 to start their tertiary career. Hundreds of Waikato school leavers

have realised their potential in tertiary education in science, engineering, teaching and technology thanks to Johnstone’s determination to give other ambitious, hardworking young people the gift of learning.

He died in 1990 and the first of the annual scholarships were awarded in 1993.

Holiday healthcare

Lake Ngā Roto became a death trap for birds and fish at the start of the year.

Joshua Fitzpatrick

Giaan Pouwhare

House volunteers celebrate

Don’t dump on Christmas

Habitat for Humanity’s Central Region, which has a Te Awamutu outlet, has issued a plea to people not to dump unwanted goods outside their doors during the festive season.

Charity organisations which raise funds through second hand stores are plagued by what amounts to little more than fly tipping

The organisation’s Te Awamutu shop will be closed from Saturday and will reopen on January 9.

Central Region Chief Executive Nic Greene, said during the Christmas period and weekends, Habitat often received an

influx of goods left outside their ReStore charity shops.

“While we appreciate people considering Habitat for their donations of pre-loved goods, we encourage you to check the opening hours of your local ReStore and drop off your donations when our teams are available to assist you.”

Dumped goods cannot be sold and Habitat, a not-for-profit organisation, has to pay to get rid of them. By then, scavengers have often gone through what’s there and left what they don’t want strewn around.

Police under fire

Cambridge Community House (CCH) volunteers do a valuable job encompassing a variety of different roles and have proved to be ‘indispensable’ to manager Gabby Byrne, who stepped into the role nine months ago.

Speaking at a volunteers Christmas morning tea held at Cambridge Community

House in Leamington, she said their efforts, combined with a growing staff base, made a huge difference as needs in the community increase.

She acknowledged CCH receptionist Amy Watkins and trust chairperson Carolyn Casey for their support over the past eight months.

Wishing a Happy Xmas

Cambridge Community Board member Sue Milner gave a run-down of the community board’s function in the town and said its support of CCH was part of that.

“It is groups like yours that are really important … they are what community is all about,” she said.

Four youths have been arrested following a crime spree across Te Awamutu, Cambridge and Hamilton –and police are now searching for six others who fired shots at them in Hamilton.,

The teenagers - 19, 18, 17 and 15, - face charged of burglary following the Waipā incidents.

Police said they responded to a report of a ram-raid style burglary in Sandwich Road, Hamilton, at 1.53am on Monday, a burglary in Duke Street, Cambridge reported at 3.49am and a burglary in Sloane Street, Te Awamutu,

reported at 4.42am.

The youths involved in the Sloane St incidents were caught in the Bader Street area in Hamilton – where the shots were fired.

Police were “throwing the kitchen sink” at finding the six before Christmas Bird said.

The News reported last week Te Awamutu retailers and the Waipā District Council were investing in CCTV cameras and a coordinated effort was underway to provide protection to Alexandra retailers from ram raids.

Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan called those responsible “children of the meth generation”.

Hamilton deputy mayor Geoff Taylor was less charitable, saying it appeared Bird has just worked out what the rest of the country has known for a year.

“And I’m a little tired of hearing people talk about “the root causes of youth offending”. We are a country of excuses. The root cause is that they’re little shits and the solution is they need to go to jail.”

Choristers back in tune

The Rosetown Choristers have farewelled musical director Anne Griffiths following a successful concert that was a year in the making.

The Songs for all Seasons concert at Te Awamutu’s Highfield Country Estate was delayed as a result of the Covid pandemic, but the musical director who had already announced plans to follow other musical interests stayed on.

The concert featured a

song for each month of the year, including Summer Holiday, an Anzac medley, Song for a Winter’s Night and, finally, a Christmas medley.

Guest artist Glenys George from Ōtorohanga, who played the harp also shared some of her harp learning journey. The concert was also the last with the Choristers for pianist Elisabeth Murray, who will be concentrating on playing with choirs in

Hamilton where she lives.

The Choristers are a “nonauditioned” community choir which performs choral, folk, sacred and popular music.

It meets weekly at the Te Awamutu Baptist Church and traditionally stages community concerts in July and November.

Club president David Brown said the choir has now started a search for a new musical director to begin next February.

Gabby Byrne rings in Christmas with Carolyn Casey, Cambridge Community Board member Sue Milner, and CCH receptionist Amy Watkins.

When life’s a beach…

New figures from ACC show that over the past 10 years, there have been an average of almost 1400 claims for sand-related injuries in the six-week period between December 20 and January 31.

It amounts to almost 14,000 holiday makers being injured in that time. These injuries have come at a cost of about $10.3 million, or $1.03m each year, to help people recover.

Waikato is second on the sand injury list with 174 injuries over that period.

The figures show that nationwide, soft tissue injuries like muscle strains, ligament tears, and bruises account for 45 per cent of injuries and ankles and knees take the brunt.

Cuts and stings account for 9 per cent of injuries, while a small number of claims, about 4.5 per cent relate to sand getting in people’s eyes.

There were 1433 sand-related injuries in this six-week period in 2021-22, the second-highest in the past 10 years behind the 1446 claims recorded in 2018-19.

Last year’s cost of $1.4m to help people recover was the equalhighest in the past 10 years, along with 2018-19.

The data shows most injuries occur while people are walking and running or doing a sporting or recreation activity.

ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker says exercising and playing on the beach can lead

to increased muscle and ligament fatigue because of the uneven and unstable nature of sand.

This risk can increase if exercising barefoot because of the extra strain on muscles and ligaments.

“Kiwis love getting down to the beach in the hot summer months to exercise, play sport, and spend time with family and friends,”

Whitaker says.

“Whether it’s some beach cricket or football or just throwing a ball or frisbee around, the beach is a great place to be, and we love that Kiwis get out there amongst nature.

“But we also know that exercising on the beach poses unique injury risks because of the extra strain soft surfaces like sand can put on our muscles and joints.

“If we are not used to exercising on these surfaces, we can increase our chance of getting injured.”

Research shows 90 per cent of all injuries are predictable and therefore preventable, and Whitaker says there are ways to stay safe while playing or exercising on the beach these holidays.

“If planning to run along the

beach, spend time getting used to uneven surfaces by standing on gravel or running short distances on sand to begin with; avoid taking excessive strides; and don’t lean too far forward on your foot.

“For people heading to the beach for some sun and recreation, be aware of muscle fatigue, check the ground below you for uneven surfaces and foot holes, and avoid overdoing it because a lot of injuries can happen when we are tired and not concentrating.

“Be aware also that exercising barefoot will give you less support for your muscles and joints and can increase the chance of cuts from things like stones and seashells.

“We can’t wait to see everyone out there on the beach this summer, but we want everyone to stay safe so they can continue doing the things they love with their friends, family, and workmates.”

ACC claims for sand-related injuries Dec 20 – Jan 31 (10-year totals)

• Total injuries: 13,699

• Total cost: $10.3 million

• Most commonly occur during: Recreation/sporting activity (3201 claims), walking/running (3182 claims)

• Most common injuries: soft tissue (45%); cuts and stings (9%), sand in eye (4.5%), fracture/dislocation (4%)

• Most injured part of body: ankle (1167), knee (1108), eye (933), lower back/spine (883), foot (802)

Accident and Medical Centre

Accident and Medical Centre

Open 7 days per week • X-ray 7 days per week

Open 7 days per week • X-ray 7 days per week

Ph: 07 872 0923 • Mega Centre, 670 Cambridge Rd, Te Awamutu

Ph: 07 872 0923

Hours:

NORMAL HOURS:

HOLIDAY HOURS

Monday to Friday: 8am-8pm. Saturday & Sunday: 9am-3pm

Thursday, Dec  24 8am-6pm

Friday, Dec  25 9am-1pm

Public hoildays: 9am-3pm

Saturday, Dec 26 9am-3pm

Sunday, Dec 27 9am-3pm

Monday, Dec 28 9am-3pm

Tuesday, Dec 29 8am-8pm

Saturday 24th Dec 9am-3pm

Sunday 25th Dec 9am-1pm

Monday 26th Dec 9am-3pm

Tuesday 27th Dec 9am-3pm

Wednesday 28th Dec 8am-8pm

Thursday 29th Dec 8am-8pm

Wednesday, Dec 30 8am-8pm

Thursday, Dec 31 8am-6pm

Friday, Jan 1 9am-1pm

Saturday, Jan 2 9am-3pm

HOLIDAY HOURS

Sunday, Jan 3 9am-3pm

Monday, Jan 4 9am-3pm

Mega Centre, 670 Cambridge Rd, Te Awamutu We wish

Friday 30th Dec 8am-8pm

Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm • Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 3pm Public Holidays: 9am to 3pm We

Saturday 31st Dec 9am-3pm

Sunday 1st Jan 9am-1pm

Monday 2nd Jan 9am-3pm

Tuesday 3rd Jan 9am-3pm

Wednesday 4th Jan 8am-8pm

all our patients a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous

Our sandy beaches can be a hazard – but those cricket and frisbee sessions have resulted in some bad injuries.

Lord Logan, trained by Murray Logan broke through for his maiden victory at Cambridge Raceway last week.

The Sweet Lou gelding finished runner-up on debut earlier in the month and was subsequently backed into $2.40 favouritism for the IRT.

Your Horse. Our Passion. Mobile Pace (2200m).

Logan, who trains out of Te Awamutu, has had a long association with Cambridge reinsman Peter Ferguson who was in the sulky for the win.

Ferguson eased Lord Logan off the gate to sit

midfield behind a hot early pace before improving to sit in the one-one at the bell.

Turning for home he came off Diamonds Are Forever’s back and was able to get up for a long head victory over the Andrew and Lyn Nealtrained debutant.

“He goes well this horse. It was a perfect run tonight and everything worked out,” Logan said.

“He went well on debut and we have been pleased with him so far, I hope it keeps going.

“There are different grades of horses, so you can’t get too carried away, but it is

very nice to get some early success.”

Lord Logan has proven to be a bargain buy for the Te Awamutu trainer, who purchased him out of Woodlands Stud’s 2020 NZB Standardbred All Age Sale draft on gavelhouse.com for $3300.

“I can’t take any credit for that; my daughter picked him out. She liked his breeding plus his dam looked like she could run along a bit,” Logan said.

“My wife, daughter and brother share in the ownership, so it is a real family affair.”

Special Olympians share Interlock lunch

The inclusion of eight Special Olympians among their number made last week’s Christmas lunch particularly special for Interlock NZ.

The group, whose members come from Cambridge, Hamilton, Te Awamutu and Matamata, offers a welcoming space for people living with disabilities to connect with friends while enjoying a range of activities.

Last week’s Christmas lunch at the

Hautapu Sports Club doubled as a celebration for eight of their members who achieved well at the recent national Special Olympics in Hamilton. Interlock NZ founders Aaron and Lois Ure said they were very proud of the athletes.

“This is about them living their best life,” said Aaron.

Lois added: “It is through opportunities like this that they are confident enough to enjoy such success. We are thrilled for them.”

Xmas hours:

Saturday 24th December 10am - 9pm

Sunday 25th December Closed

Monday 26th December 1pm - 8pm

Tuesday 27th December 1pm - 10pm

Wednesday 28th December 1pm - 8pm

Thursday 29th December 1pm - 10pm

Friday 30th December 1pm - 10pm

Saturday 31st December 10am – 1am

Sunday 1st January 1pm - 8pm

Special Olympic success was enjoyed across several disciplines by these Interlock NZ members. They are (back from left) Cambridge’s Tuscany Davis-Havill and Hamilton’s Katie Townsend, (centre from left) Cambridge trio Keziah Clark, Courtney Duncan and Christina Crawford, and (front from left) Hamilton’s Matthew Slone, Te Awamutu’s Stevie Cook, and Matangi’s Nicholas Taris.

Cambridge reinsman Peter Ferguson salutes the judge at the winning post on Te Awamutu trained Lord Logan.

Celebration nibbles

We may ring in the New Year like it’s going out of fashion — but it isn’t and it won’t.

Celebrations to mark the beginning of the New Year began several millennia ago. The first were recorded about 2000 BC in the city of Babylon in ancient Mesopotamia. Festivities in other regions of the world were often connected to the land or astronomical events. For example, in Egypt the beginning of the year coincided with the flooding of the River Nile, which usually happened when the star Sirius rose.

The New Year is the traditional time to make changes for the better. And it’s customary to make some positive resolutions. However, every year my usual plans for fitness plus fun seem to come unstuck. Fun wins out and the planned 7000 steps every second day alternating with gym sessions falter. However, it’s always good to have a goal.

Developing innovative healthy dishes is an ongoing goal for me. It provides a great opportunity to catch up with family and friends — they make wonderful taste testers and their company provides plenty of fun. Hopefully my fitness plan can be accommodated too.

BAKED ONION BHAJI

Gluten-free, cheap, cheerful, yummy and easy to make and serve as pre-dinner nibbles.

500g brown-skinned onions

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons grated root ginger

1 teaspoon each: cumin seeds, ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric pinch cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander stalks and leaves 1-2 teaspoons green chilli sauce 100g gram (chickpea/besan) flour

2 tablespoon canola oil

Peel and quarter the onions. Thinly slice then place in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Mix well. Cover and stand for 2 hours.

Tip into a sieve and rinse under cold water. Place in a bowl. Add the spices, chopped coriander and chilli sauce. Mix well. Sieve the gram flour over the onions and mix. There

should be enough water from the rinsed onions to form a thick batter. If not, add 1-2 tablespoons. Mix the oil in with your hands until the onions are evenly coated. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Using your hands, form the mixture into 10 balls just a little smaller than a golf ball. Place on the tray. Bake for 35-40 minutes until cooked and golden. Great served with a good chutney. Makes 10.

CHICKEN LARB IN LETTUCE CUPS

Taste the dressing and add more lime juice, fish sauce or sugar, if you prefer. I poached a chicken breast in water and root ginger on very low heat for about 20 minutes. It was so tender it shredded easily using two forks. I used crisp crown lettuce leaves cut into cups.

Dressing: finely grated rind 1 lime 1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/8-1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

Salad: 250g cooked chicken, finely shredded 4 tablespoons finely chopped roasted peanuts

2 spring onions, diced

2 small makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, julienned then diced 1/2 cup each: mint leaves, basil leaves, finely sliced 1/2 long red chilli, diced 8-10 small crisp lettuce cups

Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl.

Add the shredded chicken and stand for 15 minutes. Combine the remaining salad ingredients — except the lettuce cups — in another bowl. Using tongs remove the chicken from the dressing to the salad bowl. Toss gently. Spoon into the lettuce cups. Top with a little extra dressing. Makes 8-10 nibbles.

GINGER LAMB BITES

500g lean minced lamb

2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon finely grated root ginger salt and pepper to taste canola oil for frying

Combine the lamb with the garlic, ginger and seasonings. Form into firm patties about 3cm in diameter and 1cm thick. Brush each side with oil. Pan-fry or grill for about 2 minutes each side.

Great served on mini poppadums or flat corn chips topped with a dab of plain yoghurt. Serves 8.

Baked onion bhaji

Chicken larb in lettuce cups

with Jan Bilton

Waipa Real Estate Ltd, MREINZ Licensed REAA 2008

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The Te Awamutu News reporter will report to the news editor and discuss job assignments, how stories will be presented and how to make the most of resources available. For the right candidate, this position could either be full time or part-time, but the hours will be flexible and often determined by the timing of events and the availability of contacts.

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If this sounds like the role for you, please email your C.V. and letter of application to Roy Pilott on editor@goodlocal.nz

50/50

Waipā race gets bigger

The Race by Grins will join the thoroughbred code’s Karaka Million races and New Zealand Derby as the country’s richest races in 2023 in April.

Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness committed to a $1 million stake for the second edition of the Waipā race.

But its hopes of launching an equivalent trotting race have been dashed, at least for 2023.

SHAREMILKERS,

looking for new opportunity, 25 years’ experience, 600 cross cows, high BW-PW, extensive farm equipment, ready to start 2023 season.

cow.freaks@xtra.co.nz

CV and references or

Brock Fiske 027 2279870

The first running of the race this year attracted some of the best standardbreds in Australasia and was won by the Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen-trained Self Assured, the charge of slot holders SENZ.

“We were really proud of what we achieved with the first edition of the race and we’re excited to build on that foundation and create a bigger and better event next year starting with the increase in prizemoney,” Cambridge Raceway chief executive Dave Branch said.

The Race by Grins is the top billed race of the newly branded Grins Night of Champions, a nod to the Waipā district’s slogan, home of champions, which will take place on Friday April 14.

It is a slot race – this year 10 slots were sold, securing the buyers a spot in the race for three years. They

then liaise with owners and trainers to fill their slots with independent deals done on the distribution of any prize money won.

The terms and conditions of The Race by Grins have also been amended.

“Last year Dunstan’s horse was withdrawn prior to the fields being drawn which was disappointing for everyone involved, so we want to avoid another situation like that,” Branch said.

The 2023 edition of The Race by Grins will have

a pool of horses available from which slot holders can select a replacement for any horse withdrawn prior to acceptance time. There will also be one emergency drawn in the field.

While the prizemoney has increased for The Race by Grins, Branch said funding from Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) was less than expected and meant that there could be no trotting slot race in 2023 as planned.

“We would have loved to also be announcing a trotting

slot race but unfortunately the funding situation has made it impossible to do both races.

“As a club our priority is to support the inaugural slot holders who backed this concept from the beginning with the intention of getting the stake to $1 million in its second year.

“It’s disappointing as it is the next logical step for growing the event and something we were pushing hard for, but we will try again for 2024.”

Polly could be a Christmas cracker

Quality mare Polly Grey will be given the opportunity to boost her future broodmare value and attain millionaire status during a brief homecoming.

The New Zealand-bred mare has headed home from her adopted base in Sydney for a one-off crack at the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Pukekohe on Boxing Day.

The well-related daughter of Azamour is a stakes winner on both sides of the Tasman and elite-level success would crown the terrific ride the mare has given her connections, which includes her former trainer Kylie Fawcett.

“She is just coming over for the Zabeel Classic, there’s not really anything else for her so we’re giving it a go,” the Matamata-based horsewoman said.

“We’ve been keeping an eye on the weather and ideally we would like quite a rain-affected track.”

Polly Grey has won more than $960,000 and her 11 wins have been posted on soft or heavy ground.

But the eight-year-old isn’t onedimensional.

“She still has run very well on better tracks in Australia without winning. She has been right there a number of times,” Fawcett said.

She prepared Polly Grey to win six races, including the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) and placed in both the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) and the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m).

In her subsequent Australian career with champion trainer Chris Waller, she has been the dual Group Three winner of the Epona Handicap (1900m) and the Japan Racing Association Plate (2000m).

Polly Grey has also claimed the Listed Gosford Cup (2100m), Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m) and the Listed ATC Cup (2000m) and posted multiple black-type placings.

“She has been terrific, she’s been an absolute gem for us,” Fawcett said.

Polly Grey has run three times this campaign and finished a first-up fourth in the Gr.3 Angst Stakes (1600m) and was then seventh in the Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) before an unplaced effort in the Gr.2 The Ingham (1600m).

“She’ll go back after the Zabeel and get ready for one more prep in the autumn and hopefully through to Brisbane before she goes to the broodmare paddock,” Fawcett said.

“We are going to keep her and get her in foal. That’s why we have raced her on a bit as we’re going to breed to race.

“Initially, we will probably send her to a stallion in Australia and then bring her back here in foal.

“We were tossing up getting her in foal last season and we looked at a couple of stallions, but decided to race on.”

The mare is a daughter of the Zenno Rob Roy mare Allanah, who was successful on four occasions, and she is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Easter Handicap (1600m) winner Pasta Post and the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Gold Cup winner Dom Domingo (2200m).

Polly Grey’s hit and run Group One mission aside, Fawcett will be enjoying a quieter Christmas racing period.

“I won’t be having any runners, all my racing team are in the paddock and I’ve just got a handful of young ones coming up,” she said. – NZ Racing Desk

Polly Grey winning the Gosford Gold Cup

Self Assured won the inaugural Race by Grins