The participating clubs in 2023 included:
- Longreach Jockey Club;
- Dawson Jockey Club (Taroom);
- Mount Isa Race Club;
- Eidsvold Race Club;
- Tara Race Club;
- Gordonvale Turf Club;
- Cloncurry & District Race Club;
- Emerald Jockey Club;
- Bowen Turf Club;
- Barcoo Amateur Race Club (Blackall);
- Innisfail Turf Club;
- South Burnett Race Club (Wondai);
- Yeppoon Turf Club;
- Burdekin Race Club (Home Hill);
- Central Warrego Race Club (Charleville);
- Roma Turf Club; and
- Brisbane Race Club (Doomben).
In Queensland, the RFDS provides healthcare services over an area of 1.73 million square kilometres.
They operate a fleet of 22 aeromedical aircraft from nine strategically located bases across the State – Cairns, Townsville, Mount Isa, Charleville, Longreach, Roma, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, and Brisbane.
RFDS (Queensland Section) Acting Executive General Manager Fundraising and Philanthropy Sebastien Krantz said the success of the 2023 Country Cups Challenge was felt in a positive way across the state.
“Many regional and remote Queenslanders are passionate about both horse racing and the RFDS, and it's fantastic to see money raised from the event go towards positive health outcomes in these communities," Mr Krantz said.
“We are rapt to continue our relationship with Racing Queensland and look forward to another successful year in 2024.”
In the last year alone, the RFDS provided more than 219 occasions of care across Queensland each day, via aeromedical retrieval and patient transfers, and primary health care services such as GP, nurse and vaccination clinics, telehealth youth, remote and regional mental health, and the RFDS mobile dental service.
This included more than 12,500 patients transferred via the RFDS aeromedical service.
Click here for more information on the Royal Flying Doctor Service.