Wellington Race Club stalwart Gillian Ryan was bestowed Life Membership of the club during yesterday’s race meeting in Wellington.
Club president, Peter Barton presented the honour between races saying he was priviledged to be in the position to bestow such a prestigious award to a lady who has worked tirelessly for not only the race club but many other organisations in Wellington and locally.
“Gil has been a keen supporter and hard worker on and off race club committees for many years,” he said.
In accepting the honour, Gillian Ryan mentioned that one year, her and another lady sold more than 1000 hotdogs at one race day, probably a Wellington Boot race day.
She recalled many decades back she asked to join the club committee to be told that they didn’t have women on their committee.
Instead, she and other ladies sold raffle tickets for bull raffles, Merino rams and later, young horses to raise funds for the club.
But, how times have changed, and mindsets too, as Gil and other women are now the backbone of the race club.
Her late father, Jeff England was a club president and later a life member of Wellington Race Club.