Trotting Club Honours Woman

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32030, 3 July 1969, Page 2

Trotting Club Honours Woman

When the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club made Mrs C. S. Thomas its second woman life member recently, it recognised the kind of service that often goes unnoticed. It showed its appreciation of a woman who has helped bring a homemaker’s touch to a club renowned among visitors for its hospitality. Mrs Thomas, with Mrs Allan Matson (the first woman life member), was responsible for the tasteful redecorating and refurnishing of the clubrooms in the stewards’ stand. For 14 years the two women spent the day before every race meeting arranging massive bowls of flowers at every vantage point. This was their way of aaying welcome to visitors and local patrons they were helping their husbands entertain. Mrs Thomas has never been seen at Addington without a spray of flowers from her garden on the lapel of her jacket Long Association As the wife of a keen trotting enthusiast Mrs Thomas first became interested in light harness racing in the 19205. Since then, as Mr Thomas moved up into the top administrative offices of the club, she has become more deeply involved in its

social activities. Mr Thomas, now the club’s honorary treasurer, is also a life member. Looking back on more than 40 years association with the

club, Mrs Thomas said yesterday she had seen many changes at the Addington Raceway. “There have been vast improvements in facilities—two new stands have been built—and there has been a great

change in women’s dressing,” she said. In the early days women patrons were in the minority and they did not bother to dress up for a day at the trots. Well Dressed "Today, I doubt if better dressed women would be seen on any racecourse in New Zealand than at Addington,” she Mid. Though she has never owned a trotter, Mrs Thomas has been a horse lover all her life. Before her marriage she rode regularly on her family’s property in Hawke's Bay. Mrs Thomas seldom bets at the races, but she remembers having one really good win at Addington. With several members of her family she decided to back an outsider named Sir Leonard. It won and paid a dividend of £34 and the family collected a total of more than £7O on the race. It was not a matter of someone playing a hunch or having a premonition. Leonard was the name of their gardener. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my association with trotting and the wonderful friends I have made. I hope to have many more days at Addington,” Mrs Thomas said.