Photo: Trish Dunell
Cambridge Raceway salutes two local identities Nicky Chilcott and Luk Chin who have received nominations for this year’s Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards.
The awards, to be held in Palmerston North on March 10 during the Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games, honour the country’s elite rural athletes, volunteers and administrators.
Chilcott (sportswoman of the year) and Chin (lifetime legacy) are among four harness racing stars who have been nominated, along with Dexter Dunn (sportsman of the year) and Carter Dalgety (young rural sportsperson).
The quartet will face fierce competition from a host of heritage sports and the three finalists for each category will not be revealed until next month.
Chilcott, who is likely to be up against leading exponents in shearing, wool handling, tree climbing, wood chopping and rodeo, received her nomination for becoming the first woman to train and drive 500 winners.
Chin, who has just turned 80 and is still an active anesthesiologist, has been a successful trainer, driver and breeder for more than four decades.
Dunn had a big year in the United States with Bulldog Hanover and was voted driver of the year for the fourth time.
Junior driver Dalgety notched his first Group 1 win on Krug and had his New Zealand Cup drive.
Now in their seventh year, after Covid forced the cancellation of the event last year, the awards have featured previous harness racing winners including two in 2020 - junior driver Sarah O’Reilly, who was named outstanding young rural person and Ricky May who took the lifetime legacy award.
Kidz Kartz founders Deneece and Murray Goldsworthy have also won for their outstanding contribution to rural sports.
This year’s awards will include a new category, the Future Post Rural Sportsperson with a Disability.
