Free entry to pacing cup
The sight of wide-open gates and the sound of rattling collection tins will welcome patrons to The Weekly Advertiser Horsham Pacing Cup meeting on March 31.
Horsham Harness Racing Club president Justin Lane said the club had decided to make the cup meeting a free event in support of special guest and ‘The Naked Farmer’ Ben Brooksby.
“It will be a great opportunity for our community to come together, enjoy the racing and off-track entertainment and toss in their gold coins for Ben’s nominated charity, the Royal Flying Doctor Service mental-health unit,” he said.
What started as a bit of fun with a tasteful nude photo of Ben ‘in the buff’ laying back in a truckload of lentils to educate consumers about the work that goes into putting food on their plate, has grown into a cheeky but powerful platform for raising awareness of, and generating support for, mental-health issues in the bush.
“I chose the RFDS mental-health unit because its professionals visit our remote towns and properties, providing treatment, support and mental-health education for our rural communities,” Ben explained.
“Factors such as social isolation, lack of community connection and limited mental-health services along with severe economic hardship caused by drought, fire and flood all contribute to the agricultural sector’s over representation in Australia’s shocking suicide rate.
“Having dealt with mental health firsthand, seeing others strug- gle with it and having family and friends take their own lives has encouraged me to stand up and help in any way I can.”
Profits from sales of The Naked Farmer 2019 Calendar went to the RFDS, together with $1 from each pair of TNF undies and hats sold.
“We raised a staggering $17,228 last year and are looking to build on that in 2019,” Ben said.
Ben will be out and about on the lawns at Horsham Racing Centre, enjoying his day at the Sunday cup.
No doubt he’ll be in for a chat and a photo or two, so make sure you get your backside trackside with your family and friends on March 31, chip in a couple of dollars for the RFDS and be a part of this great community event.
You never know just what might happen and what the outcome might be.