Paying tribute to a trailblazer for women in harness racing

South Australia’s Sandra Hutchinson, who passed away last week, will be remembered as a trailblazer for women in harness racing.

Regarded as fiercely competitive, Hutchinson was the first female in her State to be granted a licence to compete in races against men – but only after fighting hard to be given the chance.

“Sandra competed in trials and women’s exhibition races and desperately wanted to be part of the racing scene,” close friend John Conry said.

“She went through the proper channels but felt she didn’t get a satisfactory hearing. So, the next step was to take her case to the Equal Opportunity Board,” he said.

“She bluntly told them that the reason she wasn’t being granted a licence to drive at the races was not because she couldn’t drive – in her opinion it was because she was a woman.”

The Board gave her the ‘green light’ and Sandra competed successfully at Wayville and then later when trotting moved to Globe Derby Park. She would also travel to country meetings at Port Pirie, Whyalla and others.

“Records dating back to those early days are hard to obtain, but Sandra drove quite a few winners and was also consistently among the placegetters,” Conry said.

“She often told a story about getting sledged before her first race drive in the mid-1970s by a male driver who asked who she thought she was – he told her she’d be better staying at home.

“I don’t think it worried her too much and they both laughed about it years later.”

Sandra was thrilled to win an Australian Lady Drivers Championship race on one occasion and later became a trainer herself. She started off in the Weigall Oval era in the Adelaide suburb of Plympton, in the early 1960s.

Many outstanding horses were prepared at the Weigall Oval complex by some great trainers. Young Pedro and Free Hall both won Inter Dominion finals, while Bon Adios took out a Victorian Derby.

At its peak, 60 horses were trained at the famous oval, named after Sir Archibald Weigall, SA’s State Governor in the 1920s. The track was closed in July 2019 and is now home to soccer and baseball facilities.

Hutchinson retired from race driving in 2000 but remained a familiar face at harness racing meetings.

“Sandra turned her hand to writing articles for the BOTRA magazine, which she enjoyed for a long time,” Conry said.

“She would also run the Fashions on the Field during the big cup night and always managed to get enough money donated by sponsors to give out vouchers to all the sections.”

Conry said Hutchinson’s legacy should be honoured for the leading role she played in promoting and progressing opportunities for women in South Australian harness racing.

“We hope to get a set of Sandra’s driving colours mounted and displayed in the bar area of the Globe Derby Park grandstand alongside those worn by legends including Wally Bowyer, Bill Shinn, Bill May and Norm Webster,” he said.

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink