Horse Racing & Gymkhana
The Old Leigh Creek Racecourse
The first Adelaide Cup was raced in 1864 and over the years great horses like “Euclid” (1882) and “Far Away Places” (1961) have made it to the winners list. Just like the fancy city folks, people living in the outback have always loved a good horse race or Gymkhana. In years gone by, serious race goers would travel from Birdsville to Pt Augusta, and every place in between, just to be a part of the racing action. Of course, Leigh Creek Old Town had a proper horse racing track and held its own race meetings and gymkhanas up until 1968 (when it relocated to Lyndhurst). In 1956, the Leigh Creek “Topics” newsletter reported a record attendance at the racecourse, including state parliamentarians, to witness the running of the RSL “sports programme”. That evening 250 people attended a Ball in the Community Hall, dancing to the music of a local orchestra.
(Donna Read)
Gymkhana 1962
Gymkhana 1968
“I recall the noise of the kids as they played, running and laughing through the throngs of adults. The smell of the beer shed, the aroma of the barbeque and the smell of horses. The hustle and bustle as the bookies took bets, the sudden silence as the races were announced and the frenzy of the spectators drowning out the race caller as the horses neared the finish line.”
Around the Other Tracks
Marree Gymkhana 1978 (Kevin Waters)
Beltana Gymkhana (Kevin Waters)
Oodnadatta Races in the mid 1970s
Copley & District Gymkhana - 2019
Although the old racecourse may be gone, the tradition of local gymkhanas still carries on. While the horses look tamer and the cowboys (and girls) look a little younger, it is great to see people in the Flinders Ranges still enjoying these fine traditions.