Roma Events

Friday, March 15, 2013

Roma Picnic Race Club (Horse Racing)

The time-honored tradition of horse racing has a rich and colourful history in Queensland and none more so than that of the Roma Picnic Races.

It is believed that the Roma Picnic Races started after a dispute broke out in a local shearing shed on the property of “Bellevue”. In order for the locals to determine a resolution to the dispute a horse race was organised near Camp Creek.

To this day the outcome of the challenge is unknown however the race was the birth of what we now know to be the Roma Picnic Races.

The first race meet was for grass fed horses only and so the Picnics tradition was born. The racing of locally owned horses, raised in the paddock, was well supported by the district and continued for the next almost nine decades until Racing Queensland standardised all clubs and the Grass Fed tradition was no more.

Today, the Roma Picnics is a two day event held in the Autumn featuring a black tie ball the evening before the race day and a five race program.