Originally Published August 23 2022
KERANG Turf Club president Colleen Shay doesn’t know if she can be brave enough to watch racing.com’s coverage of the weekend’s Country Racing Victoria awards.
On a night when the cream of the industry gathers in Melbourne to salute the industry’s champions, Mrs Shay admits she went into emotional meltdown the second she realised she had just received the Tony Shanahan award for Services to Country Racing Victoria (presented by View Melbourne).
Suddenly she was dragged from the table she was sharing with three committee members, daughter and race sponsor and onto the stage to thunderous applause as one of the stars of the show.
Then had a microphone stuck in her face and was called on to address the huge crowd of luminaries and industry heavyweights – and she hates public speaking.
Albeit only of the kind where you talk and hundreds listen. Put her in a Kerang Turf Club committee meeting or planning session and you probably won’t shut her up.
But hit her fair in the face with a spotlight and start grilling her about the who, what, why, where and how she got to be the one standing up there and she would be at an immediate loss for words.
Sure, Mrs Shay immediately started crying at her table, relying on her serviette as a mop to stem the flow of tears once she realised it really was her name called out.
However, by the time she reached the stage she was fired up and good to go, giving the crowd several uninterrupted minutes of history about her beloved club, her fabulous friends and supporters and then still had the grace and humility to dedicate her award to every volunteer in racing right across Victoria.
You’re probably not allowed to say it these days, you might offend the pepper lobby, but back in the good old days people such as Mrs Shay were known as the salt of the earth.
And that’s exactly what she is (even if she would be the last to admit it).
“I had been asked a couple of times to join the committee, but had always said I didn’t know anything about racing,” Mrs Shay said.
“Then when I was at Northern District Community Health, I got asked again and was told not to worry about the horses, we would be too busy for any of that anyway.
“Busy helping set up marquees on the morning of each race day, helping make sure everything the public needs is in the right place at the right time.
“Our club’s two meetings are tough to put on too, both impact on valuable family time – our Boxing Day meeting kinds of ruins Christmas Day because we have to work; and Good Friday gets cut in half because it’s our Cup on Easter Saturday.
“But all that on Saturday night was just amazing, and when they started talking about the winner was the first inkling, I had that someone had nominated me – it was totally overwhelming.”
When she first joined the committee 25 years ago, Mrs Shay was just happy to be one of those sets of helping hands, but she soon started making her presence felt, filling every role from chief cook and bottle washer to, for the past three years, president.
She recalls coming up to Kerang with some friends to see Appin in action – and she couldn’t take her eyes off one of its players, a chap called Allan Shay.
Yep, one day, one footy match, one hello and she was already the future Mrs Shay.
That was 43 years ago, a fair haul making her an honorary Kerang local and giving her so many people to thank for their help, friendship and kindness along the way.
Starting with Allan, their children (and their children’s better halves) Kristy, Blake, Tahnee, Abby and Daniel and her late rush of grandchildren – Eve, 4, Dulcie, 10 months, and Ted, six months.
And countless others that would require a phone book to do justice.
Perhaps Jackie Noonan, Kerang Turf Club’s community engagement manager and Mrs Shay’s secret nominator, should have the last words.
She said although it was a special time for Mrs Shay and the Kerang Turf Club, it was her hope the award helps keep Mrs Shay’s passion flourishing.
“Colleen has not solely supported Kerang Turf Club, more importantly she has helped back the wider Murray Mallee Region and all country racing has benefited from her work,” Mrs Noonan said.
“In a way, this is what makes the award even more special – and this is so integral now as clubs need to collaborate and work together for long-term sustainability at a time when volunteering is declining.
“But Saturday night was her time, her moment, and it was scripted perfectly.”
You can view Mrs Shay’s introduction and speech at www.facebook.com/CountryRacingVictoria/videos/434471421973033
