Well Groomed Racing Raceday and Long Lunch

Cover image courtesy of Brisbane Racing Club

Well Groomed Racing was created by a group of women that hope to encourage more people to return to the races through the power of education and showcasing the love of the thoroughbred.

It is no secret the perception of racing has suffered, with much of the wider public fed with mistruths and inaccurate information by anti-racing propagandists. Until recently, there was no voice in the corner of racing, with the industry almost content to slide on by without addressing the widely fantastical claims with peer-reviewed scientific evidence or personal experiences from industry participants.

However, with the rise of organisations such as Kick Up and now Well Groomed Racing, a group of committed racing enthusiasts and most importantly, horse-mad individuals are working hard to change the perception with factual information and experiences where people can be immersed in the grace and power of the thoroughbred.

The Well Groomed committee comprises 11 ladies with horse welfare at the forefront. Among them is Lorilie Cunningham, an effervescent woman who is more than happy to share her passion and Well Groomed project.

Cunningham told TTR AusNZ, “We created Well Groomed because we felt that there was a need for a group of people who really were passionate about their horses to try and get the message out to non-horse owners that we do actually do the right thing by our horses.”

Getting back to the track

Like many racegoers, Cunningham has been bombarded by anti-racing protesters who perch themselves out the front of racecourses vilifying those in attendance and condemning them ‘horse-killers’ among other obscene language and images.

Understandably, this hostile and confrontational experience of anti-racing propaganda turned many people away from attending races.

“I was really shocked by the level of, you know, protesting when I’d turn up to the races or even the sales,” Cunningham told TTR AusNZ.

“Protesters everywhere, and you know, screaming out horrific names, and I thought at the time that there has to be a way to try and just gently get the message through.

“I guess that’s what has happened with Well Groomed. While we’ve been doing that, you know, Vicky (Leonard) has actually gone full bore into that with Kick Up which is a great thing because she’s getting the message through very strongly.”

Well Groomed Racing and Kick Up join forces

With the two organisations' values and goals aligned, it was only natural that they would come together.

On Saturday, September 16, Well Groomed, in partnership with Kick Up, is set to hold their Well Groomed Raceday and Lunch at the beautiful Eagle Farm in sunny Queensland.

“What we wanted to do was show people what we do with our horses, and the only way we could think of doing that was through educating them and having great racedays and making these events really good quality events that people could attend,” Cunningham said.

“Hopefully, after attending our event on September 16, or any other event, people will say, ‘I think I might like to go back to the track again, and it’s okay because people involved actually do look after their horses.

“I think a lot of people stopped going to the races because they felt, you know, they heard all the protesting and felt that it wasn’t something they should be involved in.”

However, Cunningham’s previous forays with Well Groomed attracted diverse crowds and left a good impression on attendees.

“I know at our first event, we had a really good mix of horse owners and people who hadn’t been to the track, you know, for years. A lot of those people started going to the races again, which is what we wanted,” she said.

“So, you know, we wanted to get people back to the track, and we wanted them to understand what we do as horse owners and how much we looked after and care for our horses, and that's why we called it well groomed.

“The name (Well Groomed) is just a bit of a nod to how we look after thoroughbreds, when they’re in the training process and then when they retire, all the different avenues and pathways thoroughbreds can go down,” Cunningham shared with TTR AusNZ.

“We want to let people know all those things and also elevate some of the events at the track, so people aren’t just seeing people going to the races stumbling out drunk and untidy like they show from crowds at the Melbourne Cup.”

As Cunningham points out, the perception of drunken Melbourne Cup crowds where nobody cares about horses and are just there to ‘gamble on their lives’ is one often used as a weapon by the anti-racing folk.

Despite being twisted, as most propaganda is, it is a powerful perception that the average non-racegoer would presume is the norm for all racing crowds or attendees.

Changing the perception

Well Groomed hopes to combat and change the perception with their events.

“We want people to go to the races, have a great day, be entertained, watch racing, and have a fantastic time. But dress up a little bit; look the part.”

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Cunningham, but she is determined to forge ahead with Well Groomed Racing and is excited for the upcoming event that will raise money for Kick Up and another fantastic initiative in Reason To Thrive.

“We did the first Well Groomed event in 2021, and I got breast cancer last year, so we put it on hold for a little while. But we’re happy to be back, and I was just so happy we can raise money for Kick Up and Reason To Thrive, which is an equine-assisted learning farm,” she said.

“Reason To Thrive uses retired thoroughbreds to help at risk—kids who’ve stopped going to school and kids who are having difficulties. Reason To Thrive also helps women who are suffering or have suffered trauma and domestic violence,” Cunningham explained.

“It is an amazing program, and there are a lot of people who’ve gone through different therapy programs and have found the horse-related therapies have helped them so much more than anything they’ve ever done.

“So, you know, Reason To Thrive is having great results with that. While they are getting a little bit of government funding, they run on donations.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have these fundraisers. We’re thrilled that we facilitate it and help out both organisations because both are doing really positive things.”

Although it is one step at a time, Well Groomed is considering expanding and holding its events outside of Queensland.

“We are looking at doing events in New South Wales and one in Victoria. So, I imagine we will hopefully have one in Queensland, one in New South Wales and one in Victoria next year.

“These events are really important to the industry and a tool to attract participation. It’s really hit home with me just even since we’ve started, you know, the dialogue and starting to talk about just how uneducated people are in regards to racing, and it’s the protesters with the loud voice that people have been listening to with, despite it being misinformation, so it has been good to be able to turn it around somewhat.

“It is imperative that people understand exactly what the reality is.”

Socials: Wellgroomedracing (Instagram)

Contact: loriliecunningham@gmail.com