Station hacks race during a previous meet at the historic Hurunui Racecourse in Medbury. PHOTO: FILE It was April 1874 when the Hurunui Racecourse on Medbury Rd was first used for racing - and the event attracted a strong crowd from across the region. The eagerly awaited race day was enhanced with the arrival of the railway in the early 1880s as it made it easier for people to make the journey.
In March 1885, a few months after Medbury Station opened, several hundred excursionists from Christchurch arrived by train, according to a report in The Lyttelton Times . Situated on a 100-acre recreational reserve, the Hurunui Racecourse itself occupies part of what was a 3000-acre block of Crown land at the forks of the Hurunui and Waitohi rivers. Administered by the Hurunui District Council through an advisory group, the land contains a caveat that states the racetrack must never be cultivated - which has held true to today.
However, the race meetings have been sporadic over the years. But the local Hurunui Race and Gala Association Inc committee have been determined to host a race event every two years since 2010. Each meeting a worthy cause is named to be the recipient of any excess funds being raised.
In 2025 the committee is proud to partner with the team at Ronald McDonald House, said Hurunui mayor and committee spokesperson Marie Black. ‘We will be endeavouring to make this event as successful as previous years and be in a proud position to donate funds to this extremely wor.
