Katrina Fitzpatrick was last night recognised with one of two Pearl Kelly Awards, the most prestigious honour for female participants in Victorian harness racing. The award acknowledges outstanding contribution to, or achievement within, the sport by a woman.
Katrina Fitzpatrick has been actively involved in harness racing for more than 50 years.
Learning the ropes from her father and prominent trainers Rex Hocking and John Dewhirst, Fitzpatrick obtained her driver’s licence in August 1979 at the age of 17, the youngest licenced driver in Victoria at the time.
A week after securing her driver’s licence Fitzpatrick saluted at her first race drive when she partnered Michaels Joy to victory at Kilmore.
Fitzpatrick was one of six female drivers selected to participate in a Unisex Drivers Invitation against the men at Moonee Valley.
As an owner Fitzpatrick has enjoyed her share of success with Irish Rhapsody who took out The Redwood Classic in 1989 and was named Bendigo Trotter of the Year in 1993 and 1994.
She also raced Beau Bradie, the winner of 17 races including the 1992 Bendigo and McNamara Trotters Cups.
In recent years she has put the polish on Kyvalley Surfrider the winner of 15 races, Dream Over and recent Ballarat winner Night Flight.
Since obtaining her trainer’s licence Fitzpatrick has trained 57 winners and 124 placings from 723 starts for prizemoney of $263,570.
Fitzpatrick, through her record of driving and training has been an inspiration to other women interested in participating in the sport.
She is always willing to share her knowledge and provide encouragement and praise to young drivers and trainers including Ewa Justice and Lauren White among others
Fitzpatrick joined the Victorian Square Trotters Association at the age of 17 and attended its first meeting and she continues to be an active member of the committee, often in charge of fund-raising for the Association.
Fitzpatrick wears the nickname ‘Smiley’ well by exhibiting sheer joy and excitement when her horses are racing,
In fact, she features in a You Tube video which went viral after her horse Dream Over won at Bendigo in 2018, resulting in many supportive texts – some recommending her to be an ambassador for the sport.
Outside of harness racing she is also involved in community, assisting her daughter Kylie fundraise for cancer with both Fitzpatrick’s mother and Kylie’s husband having died from the disease.
