Big finish for Teal Pants campaign

The annual Teal Pants has come home with a huge finish, to total nearly $40,000 for 2024.

Helped by some great performances on the track, and some huge fund-raising efforts off it, the provisional total for this year's campaign is $39,268.30.

The campaign, run by Harness Racing New Zealand, is in its seventh year, and is all about increasing awareness of ovarian cancer and raising funds for research. This year's campaign started on February 1 and finished on March 15.

Funds are raised every time a female driver, dressed in her distinctive teal pants, wins a race, thanks to support from HRNZ, clubs and individual sponsors. This campaign there were 72 wins by Team Teal drivers.

Seven ambassadors, each raising more money through their own sponsors, were also involved.

Of the drivers Kerryn Tomlinson raised the most money at $3720. She had six wins during the campaign.

The other driver-ambassadors were Crystal Hackett, Neita Balle, Sarah O'Reilly and Kim Butt while two trainers were also involved for the first time. They were Amber Lethaby and Nicky Chilcott, with Lethaby running her own raffle for the cause that raised over $5500.

Other initiatives like the Easter Egg raffle at Addington Raceway and the Robin Dunee Club raffle down south also helped raise funds, as did dual sulky auctions, the annual HRNZ quiz night, and many donations from clubs and supporters like Mitre 10 Westport.

New innovations this year included the Frocks at the Trots where entrants were judged on their outfits, which had to incorporate some element of teal. Deborah Lambie was the first ever winner, at Addington March 15.

HRNZ would like to thank the many people who helped make this year's campaign a big success and we look forward to "tealing it up" again in 2025.