Held on the last weekend of August and the weekend before the Birdsville Races each year. Innamincka Races and Gymkhana – a Brief History
Innamincka – a small remote township on the banks of the Iconic Cooper Creek – hosts an annual weekend of horse racing and gymkhana competition. The tradition of local horse race meets goes back to the days of settlement in the region where the nearby stations w
ould bring in their best stock camp horses to try their luck. Sometimes these horses had been trained up for the event and sometimes they were just fresh in from the stock camp. The Innamincka race weekend has been held for many years but has had years where it was not run due to drought, war and low population. The current Innamincka Sporting Club was formed 27 years ago and is kept going by a very small group of committee and club members – the town of Innamincka only has a permanent population of 15. The races is one of the last true ‘picnic’ horse race where the horses are unregistered race horses. The Innamincka race and gymkhana weekend has always been a favourite event for the locals. It is a time to catch up with friends and neighbours, to enjoy watching and having a flutter on the races and to test your riding skills in the gymkhana – the competition is fierce but always friendly. It is a family friendly environment with competition for the children from as young as four years of age. For many children who live on the surrounding cattle stations, the weekend is eagerly awaiting as it is a time for them to play with the other children, to go camping and to have some fun riding. Around 20 years ago, with the ever increasing interest in motorbikes, the gymkhana was expanded to include motorbike events. These days, the motorbikes are as popular as the horses and provide spectators with fast and furious riding. All of the usual activities associated with horse racing can be expected at the Innamincka Race weekend – fashions on the field, novelty races for the children and adults, music at night time and Dogga Dare and his crew look after us all weekend proving food and drinks.
