Landor Races boasts full field at Eastern Gascoyne Race Club, with positive feedback despite flash flooding

A bit of flash flooding at the end wasn’t enough to spoil the fun and frivolity of the 101st Landor Races, with the landmark event enjoying a full field of punters and horses kicking up their heels in the red dirt of the Gascoyne outback.

Bright colours were backdropped by the burnt orange racetrack at the 2022 event as about 1200 guests gathered to watch the trots over four days at the remote Eastern Gascoyne Racing Club from September 30 to October 3.

With 15 races and a full day of gymkhana events, the races were a huge success as people around the district and beyond joined the entertainment on and off the track.

Flash flooding when the event ended caused some departure issues, with some guests having to detour over 200km.

Patron Bryan O’Dwyer said it was wonderfully run this year with a full crowd and despite the unusual flooding at the end, the weather was in their favour.

“It was a well-received race meeting, we fielded 36 horses,” he said.

“The atmosphere is unique to Landor, the people make it what it is.”

Mr O’Dwyer said he’d never experienced severe weather during this time of the year in the Gascoyne race track.

“With my long association with the country, it’s the first time there was a significant weather event in October,” he said.

The long and proud history of the Junction Races dates back to its establishment in 1907, making it one of the oldest bush race meetings in Western Australia. It’s believed the Landor Races was established after stockmen argued over which horse was the fastest.

Mr O’Dwyer said the Hammarquist family were quite successful and had been over several years.

The Rotary Club of Greater Geraldton manned the bar over four days and helped fundraise in the community.

Rotarian Peter Sukeinnik said it was a successful weekend despite the flash flooding requiring Rotary Club members assistance in an evacuation.

“We were hampered by flash flooding and one of our members had to extricate a vehicle from two-near-metre-high water and tow it back to Meekatharra,” he said.