Scheffler proud of achievements on Queensland Country Racing Advisory Panel

By Jordan Gerrans 

It is a fitting farewell for Don Scheffler to officially retire from the Country Racing Advisory Panel during the week of the TAB Battle of the Bush Final.

The long-time FNQ-based racing administrator was involved in his final Racing Queensland Country Racing Strategic Workshop on Thursday before calling time on his decade long stint on the Country Racing Advisory Panel.

With the $200,000 TAB Battle of the Bush Final to be run on Saturday afternoon at Eagle Farm, the respected Scheffler cited the introduction and continued emergence of the concept as one of his proudest achievements while on the panel.

The BOTB gives regional trainers from around the Sunshine State the opportunity to compete for prize money they would only dream of in their local areas and a chance to race on a metropolitan Saturday.

“The Battle of the Bush and the Country Cups Challenge, they were initiatives of the Country Racing Panel in my time involved and they came about through the cooperation of Racing Queensland that they were able to come about,” Scheffler said.

“The Battle of the Bush is now $200,000 which is great for all participants.

“We have of course got the Country Stampede now as well.

“On top of that, we are always working on prizemoney increases, we have seen some increases and hopefully we can have more in the near future.”

Scheffler served the northernmost area of the state as the Far North Country Racing Association president during his time on the the Country Racing Advisory Panel.

Cairns Jockey Club president and leviathan owner Tom Hedley said Scheffler had been invaluable to the area in his around 10 years of service.

Mareeba Turf Club president Alex Malliff, who also trains in the north, said Scheffler always had every club in FNQ in mind, while also focusing on his home club of Atherton.

“Don has always done a good job as far as I am concerned with what we do with racing in the north,” Malliff said.

“He has done a great job for the Atherton club as well, I am not having a dig there because that’s his home club, I mean that sincerely he has been great for them.

“He has been a model for presidents across the Far North, he has done his job with dignity and stood the test of time.”

In his time on the Country Racing Advisory Panel, Scheffler aimed to bring suggestions and advice from those in his region for officials from Racing Queensland to consider, while developing strategies to foster and develop country racing.

Scheffler’s decade on the panel included focusing on delivering more QTIS races, higher prizemoney, increased payments to the clubs towards costs of race days to pay for services such as ambulances, security, barrier attendants and vets.

He noted the panel also worked towards providing more money for clubs for their feature days, avoiding race day clashes with neighbouring areas as well as infrastructure funding for clubs, which he says all clubs in FNQ have benefited from, including Atherton and Mareeba having new works completed recently.

Cairns trainer Peter Rowe, who has been in the racing industry for much of his life, said Scheffler was always forthright with participants.

“Even if Don did not provide you with the answer you wanted when you asked him a question, he would always give you an answer,” Rowe said.

“You may not agree with Don but he does not let things go unanswered.

“In that respect, he was great to deal with and would always provide you with an answer weather we liked it or not.

“Don is the type of guy who always puts his hand up to help out wherever he can.”

Before moving into racing administration, Scheffler first was introduced to the racing industry as a bookmaker's clerk when working at a bank in regional Queensland.

When he eventually relocated to the Atherton Tablelands, Scheffler became a bookmaker himself from 1972-1986.

In recent years he has played a key role in the committee at the Atherton Turf Club as well as his work with the Country Racing Advisory Panel.

He has also owned dozens of gallopers over the years and is currently racing former Cleveland Bay champion Grey Missile, as well as Higher Realm, Pamill, Robig and Vienna Cruise – mostly with Hedley and experienced Tolga trainer Roy Chillemi.

Outside of racing, Scheffler runs Central Tyre Service across north Queensland.

With Scheffler to retire from the Country Racing Advisory Panel, the FNQ-based position on the panel will be taken on by Mareeba’s Rhonda Stevens.

Stevens attended the Racing Queensland Country Racing Strategic Workshop on Thursday and has been the secretary and treasurer of Mareeba Turf Club for the last two years.

Stevens’ background in racing is diverse, with experience as an owner, breeder and administrator.

“Rhonda has a very good grasp on thoroughbred racing and she will be a fantastic addition,” Malliff said.

Scheffler has offered to provide Stevens with as much guidance and advice as she requires.

“She is a quality person and I am sure she will do a great job,” Scheffler said.