New Life Members for Toowoomba Turf Club

By Andrew Smith

The Toowoomba Turf Club has inducted three new Life Members as part of last month’s Annual General Meeting.

Former jockey Ben Saunders, former Toowoomba Mayor and philanthropist Clive Berghofer OAM, and former club secretary Allen Volz were all bestowed the honour.

Toowoomba Turf Club CEO Lizzy King said the trio has been recognised for their significant contributions to racing in the Garden City.

“It’s always an absolute privilege for clubs to bestow a Life Membership, and to recognise a couple of people who have given so much not only to the club but also to the industry, it’s a lovely thing to be able to do,” Ms King said.

“There were three names suggested to us and each name ticked all the boxes.

“It’s a small thing the Club can do but I know it means the world to them as recognition for the many, many years of selfless service on most occasions there to our beloved industry and our beloved club.”

While he’s never actually been a member of the TTC, Ben Saunders is almost part of the furniture at Clifford Park.

Having been around the Club since he was 15 as an apprentice for the Downs and South-West Racing Association, an Honorary Life Membership was a fitting reward.

“For someone that hung around and never had a membership but rarely paid to get in the gate at any time, I thought they might have given me the Life Membership because they were tired of me sneaking in!” Mr Saunders said.

“The industry itself and the Toowoomba Turf Club have always been there in some aspect of providing me with an income and a living…I’m totally honoured by the Life Membership, and it was very unexpected.”

The recognition came after the former hoop finished up as a Racing Queensland apprentice jockey advocate at Clifford Park earlier this year.

Mr Saunders continues to deal with the ongoing effects from a trackwork accident in 2017 that left him as a paraplegic, but he remains grateful to RQ and TTC.

“I like to think I was very reliable, whether I was in a wheelchair or walking around, so I’d hate to leave someone in the lurch,” Mr Saunders said.

“(The apprentice jockey advocate role) gave me a little interest and it gave me a little push out the door which is where I found myself in life.

“It helps because sometimes in the wheelchair you need a reason to be somewhere, otherwise you would probably stay comfortable…so I appreciate them for giving me a purpose in that fashion.”

Lizzy King said the TTC had no hesitation in awarding the Honorary Life Membership to Mr Saunders.

“The guy is incredible - he has the respect of every single stakeholder here,” Ms King said.

“He was already held in high esteem because he’s just such a great bloke and everyone knows him and works with him and he’s an incredible horseman.

“The way he held himself and recovered from that accident, he is a machine…he’s a beautiful man with beautiful family who will always be part of the fabric that is the Toowoomba Turf Club.”

While Clive Berghofer’s name already adorns Clifford Park’s Grande Atrium, Life Membership was another way for the TTC to honour the prominent property developer’s contribution to racing in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.

“Clive has been a member here at the club for some time and we felt it was time to elevate him to Life Membership and recognise that ongoing commitment to our community - not just the racing community, but everyone,” Ms King said.

“In the areas of education and health, he has donated millions and millions of dollars and that doesn’t go unnoticed.

“The racing fraternity is involved in that as well… he’s just an incredible man and he’s been very generous with donations to the club over the years.”

Former TTC secretary Allen Volz was also recognised for his decades of service to the club, as well as the influential role he played in positioning Clifford Park as the home of twilight racing.

“Allen has been involved with the club since the late 70s when he became a member, and he actually served as secretary (back when it was called secretary and not CEO) of the club from 1988 to 2003,” Ms King said.

“He worked with the board at that particular time and said ‘hey let’s get lights, let’s position the TTC as racing under lights every Saturday night’, so he was one of those instrumental pieces.

“He had the introduction of full TAB involvement at that time as well…and he’s still a serving member of the committee too!”

Racing Queensland extends its congratulations to all three new Life Members.