2016
Hot to Trot
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Kyabram Trotting Club has been awarded its sixth Harness Racing Victoria Graduation Club and Secretary of the Year award.
The club was announced the winner at the industry’s Gordon Rothacker Medal awards night at Melbourne’s Crown Casino on Sunday.
Long serving secretary treasurer Ian Purdey said recognition for his club and his services were again an honour and reflected the club’s contribution to the industry at the grass roots level.
“Our club has spent $40,000 on stablemate improvements and $12,000 on track maintenance over the past 18 months.”
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Park stalwart is now a legend
A former corporate executive whose passion for wildlife drove him to the bush more than 30 years ago is Echuca-Moama’s latest tourism legend.
Kyabram Fauna Park general manager Ron Pope, who has been working at the park since 1980, was bestowed with the honour at Echuca-Moama Tourism’s annual dinner on Thursday night.
The award sees him join the company of Ross Veale, Maureen Baker, Kevin Hutchinson and Di and Glyn Macfarlane, as well as several others who have been named legends in the past three years.
‘‘I’m shocked,’’ Mr Pope said after receiving the award.
1996
Sam top volleyball in the state
It’s now official.
Kyabram’s Sam Wills is an exceptionally promising volleyballer.
The board of directors and staff of Volleyball Victoria, say so.
They have just named the 18-year-old Kyabram Secondary College VCE student as the Most Outstanding Junior in the Victorian Volleyball League Competition―the top level of the sport in Victoria.
A congratulatory letter announcing Sam as the winner of the award stated: “This individual award for Indoor Volleyball is the most prestigious within the state and your success has been acknowledged by the Victorian Volleyball community.”
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Robert, a top Aussie model aircraft pilot
Robert George, who is employed by Ky Electronics and flies with the Echuca Moama Model Aero Club, is fast becoming one of Australia’s top model jet aircraft pilots.
And fast is the operative word! At a recent jet meeting at Leeton, NSW, attended by model jet fliers from all over Australia, Robert attained accreditation as the third fastest pilot in Australia achieving a radar measured speed of 345 kph.
Only five people in Australia have constructed a model jet aircraft which will achieve over 320 kph.
Rob was flying a new jet ‘Spectre’ aircraft valued at over $3000, ignoring the 150 hours of painstaking work converting a basic kit to the finished product.
1976
Marvel Marshall in another miracle
Kyabram’s incredible endurance athlete Keith Marshall, ran, walked, and at times staggered, around the Kyabram High School oval from 5pm Friday ngiht to 5pm Saturday, almost 424 times.
Or to be more precise, 105 miles and 371 yards.
The 50 year old Marshall was understandably feeling a little jaded on Sunday morning but was obviously happy with his feat to become only the third Australian to have covered 100 miles on foot in 24 hours on more than one occasion.
Marshall admitted the run took more out of him than his previous two, 24 hour runs, but was quick to explain that he had attempted this marathon on virtually a sprinter’s preparation.
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A rebuild and Graeme’s treble
Riding his 347 cc Yamaha, Graeme Muir continued on his winning way when he took a hat trick at Winton Motor Cycle Road races last Saturday and his treble success included the Unlimited Feature race for A grade riders in which a NSW rider on a 1000 cc Kawasaki was an entrant.
He won each of the three events, Junior A grade Scratch Race, Senior A grade (for machines up to 500 cc) and the Unlimited by the proverbial street to get a great hand from Tatura fans.
However, the sensational feature of the races and one which caused the spot-light of the meeting to be focused on his and his motor cycle was the fact that the machine “blew up” in a practice run at 10.30am.
With the start timed for 1.15pm, Graeme’s chances of competing appeared hopeless.
However, with his father’s assistance and despite the dust, dirt and confusion of the pit area, Graeme fitted a new crankshaft and was ready to face the starter dead on time.