THE Queensland Country Racing Awards will be on the move in 2022.
For the past four years the annual event has been staged in Emerald, coinciding with a local race card.
But a spokesman said the event would shift north to the Burdekin next year.
"The Board thought long and hard about changing the venue and last year we called for Expressions of Interest in possibly hosting the event elsewhere in 2022," the spokesman said.
"We were stunned by the numbers and the high quality of the EOIs which came in and after a lot of consideration it came down to a decision to help grow the concept and take it to other places meant the move was on.
"Queensland is a big place and racing in country and regional areas is vitally important to each of those communities.
"So next year the event will be held in Home Hill and hosted with the Burdekin Race Club (BRC)."
BRC secretary Leanne Gudge, country racing's newest clubperson of the year, said the hosting opportunity was a real thrill" and would be embraced by the Burdekin region.
"We put a lot of work into our submission and it was very satisfying and thrilling to have this privilege, Ms Gudge said.
Read more in this week's edition of Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register.
Alan Welburn
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
