Thirteen club leaders and two Harness Racing Victoria staffers gained certificates and invaluable learnings as part of a collaboration to strengthen club governance.
The 10 two-hour seminars, which included regulation, promotion and operations, were initiated by Harness Racing Victoria and Trots Clubs Victoria to provide harness racing-specific inductions and training.
Paul Rowse, president of Trots Clubs Victoria and CEO of the Ballarat and District Trotting Club, said the seminars greatly enhanced officials’ expertise.
“A significant improvement was achieved overall, which gives managers and committee members greater confidence to perform their roles effectively going forward,” Rowse said.
“I thank the clubs that participated and the venues for making their facilities available for the sessions, which tested participants on their knowledge of running clubs at the beginning and end of the programs and confirmed significant growth.
“We plan to run the next program later this year, and I encourage all club managers, their presidents, and committees to nominate for this well-run educational event.”
The governance and education program began in November 2025 and included sessions in Melton, Ballarat, and Charlton by business coaching company The Next Level, facilitated by its owner, former Mildura Harness Racing Club CEO Tim Scala.
The first half of the course covered the model rules, registration agreements, governance and minimum operating standards.
The second half focused on club operations, including the importance of rules of the game or culture statements, staff appraisals and job descriptions, time measurement and delegation, attracting membership and sponsorship, community involvement, and volunteer recruitment.
Detailed sessions were also held on financial statements, managing GST, and fuel rebates. The course finished with a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis and an overview of available Victorian grants.
HRV CEO Matt Isaacs congratulated the officials on completing the courses.
“The clubs are a vital engine of harness racing in Victoria, and it’s terrific to see 13 members of our network of 27 racing clubs embrace the opportunity for personal growth that will better their clubs and the broader industry,” Isaacs said.
“I congratulate them for their dedication and look forward to even more club leaders grasping this opportunity in the future.”
To reward a member who completed the course, TCV and HRV held a prize draw, awarding two people with flights, accommodation, and corporate seats for the 2026 Inter Dominion. Georgia Sheen, from the Swan Hill Harness Racing Club, was the lucky winner.
