By Casey O'Connor
Stanthorpe Jockey Club President Neil “Chips” Brunckhorst has been recognised for his outstanding commitment to racing in Stanthorpe with nominations in the 2021 Queensland Country Racing Awards. The Awards are organised by On the Bit Racing Australia in conjunction with Queensland Racing.
Speaking with Chips early this week he said he was surprised when he was notified by the organisers that he had been nominated in two categories.
He has been nominated for Outstanding Contribution to Country Racing – Club Person/Volunteer of the Year.
Brunckhorst is one of a field of 16 nominees from across country Queensland and while on paper there will be some stiff opposition in the field, we at Spin may be a little biased, but we reckon it’ll be a case of put down the glasses and shut the gate. Get in the cue to collect if you’ve backed Brunckhorst.
Neil Brunckhorst can’t remember the exact date he took the reins as President of the club but thinks it is around 32 years ago. You could say he is a stayer.
Back then the Queensland Country Racing landscape was vastly different to today especially at Armstrong Park. Crowds numbered around 100 – on a good day 150 and it goes without saying financially things weren’t fantastic.
Under the guidance of Brunckhorst and a number of committees things have changed.
More than 20 years ago Brunckhorst and the club employed a marketing person who worked with them for the next couple of years. At the time, it is fair to say there were plenty of naysayers locally and in the industry, however it proved to be a winning decision.
It provided a blueprint for the club to work with and under Brunckhorst’s stewardship the club, in the opinion of many, set the bar for Queensland Country Racing.
Marketed as “Let’s Go Wine Racing” Brunckhorst and his team worked hard to develop the club’s one race meeting a year as a ‘Must Do’ community event. On the Queensland Country Racing calendar, it has morphed into an annual event that lures racegoers from country centres across the State as well as city racegoers who yearn for a day at a real country race meeting.
The Stanthorpe Jockey Club was one of the first, if not the first, to introduce post-race entertainment – something that is now staple at all major country racing events across the state. Just something else to attract non-race goers through the gate and one of a number initiatives which have led to what is now a financially sound and strong race club.
It is not surprising that over the years Brunckhorst has been called on to share the success of the club with many of his peers.
Of course, one of the criteria for the award speaks to enhancing the race club and performing above the normal expectation of the role of the nominee. In this area surely Brunckhorst is a shoo in.
A builder by trade, Chips is almost more comfortable wearing a tool belt and working at the club rather than dressed in a shirt and tie on Cup day.
For most of those years as President, in the week’s leading up to race day you could always find Chips up a ladder completing repairs or putting the final touches on a new extension or the like. Although he is still hands on these days on during the many club working bees in the lead up to race day he now lets a couple of younger Brunckhorst blokes (his sons) look after some tasks like finishing a roof.
In fact, his five children have all been involved in the club since they were toddlers after wife Jilanne “temporarily” took on the Secretary’s role over nearly 30 years ago – a role she still holds today.
Reflecting on his time at the helm of the club, Brunckhorst says that while the relationship between Racing Queensland and the country clubs was tenuous at best for many years, under the current administration things have improved greatly. Funding has become more available as has assistance and support which is now readily forthcoming.
When we posed the question, “Would you like the club to have more meetings”, something that comes up regularly after each Stanthorpe Cup day?
Chips said that while the club might look at another date in autumn if it was offered, having only one meeting a year on Caulfield Cup and Everest day has worked in the club’s favour making the day something special for the entire Granite Belt community and giving the Stanthorpe Cup meeting a point of difference.
If it was a surprise to receive a nomination in this category, Chips said he was floored to learn that he is also one of 14 finalists in the “Hall of Fame Participant”.
“I just don’t know what all that is about,” a clearly bemused Brunckhorst commented.
While Brunckhorst ponders just who it was that nominated him one thing is clear, whoever is responsible did a great job, with the Stanthorpe Jockey Club also receiving a nomination for the Non-Tab meeting of the Year in a field of 10 country clubs.
The Awards will be announced at a Gala black tie event in Emerald on 5 February following a Calcutta evening on the Friday night and a big day at the Emerald Races.
Special guests at the Black Tie event will include Andy Bichel, Bernadette Cooper Jim “Pumper” Cassidy and Rupert McCall.
No matter the outcome, Chips Brunckhorst was quick to say that the nominations and any accolade that may come his way also belong to those on the various committees over the years who have supported him and of course he has had a damn good Secretary working alongside him for most of the trip.
