Over two big days the Bingara Sporting Club recently hosted the inaugural Light Horse Brigade Lawn Bowls carnival, in honour of the men of the District who served in the Light Horse Infantry in years past.
The event attracted around 100 bowlers from across Australia which saw groups of 4s and pairs battling it out for some fantastic cash prizes, with a total prize pool of close to $4000. Bowlers competed for over three thousand dollars in major prize money, and over a thousand dollars for individual rink wins.
Eighteen teams of Fours hit the magnificent Bowling greens of Bingara to enjoy the carnival held over the weekend. The event, which was the brainchild of Bingara Sporting Club’s Male Bowls Committee, aimed to showcase Bingara as A destination for regional sporting events, as well as introduce new players to the sport.
Carnival Coordinator Colin Whitfield says that he was very keen to promote lawn bowls as a great social activity, and an excellent way to relieve tension. “We are seeing a lot of farmers really hurting at the moment, and who are feeling stressed and socially isolated. We would love to encourage those farmers to take a moment out of their busy schedule and dedicate some time to enjoying a social game of bowls” said Mr Whitfield.
“Lawn Bowls is a fantastic game that can be played by anyone aged from nine to ninety, with no prior experience necessary. We are really hoping that many locals will see the success of this comp and will consider trying it for themselves” he added. In addition to the great number games of bowls played across the two days, there were numerous social events for players and their families, including event dinners and raffles.
“We partnered with a number of accommodation providers to offer competitors affordable accommodation options, it is hoped that this will free up their cash to spend more on food, drink and other goods and services in town, injecting some much needed funds into the local economy” said Mr Whitfeld.
“I would like to thank all our sponsors for their support,” said the Carnival Coordinator Colin Whitfield, who was more than happy with the outcome and delighted that bowlers committed to come back next year with more teams. The committee would like to thank the ladies bowler’s President, Irene Edwards, and her team to plan and prepare the wonderful food, Tim Wooster and John Breneger for quenching the thirst of the bowlers over two days and Lynn Whitfield, Jill Carmody, Judy Northcott and Lorraine Wade for providing smooth administration.
In addition, the Westpac helicopter boys did a great job on the barbecue and Ian Egan donated his time and patience in running a hugely successful courtesy service. There was plenty of great games played in sometimes trying conditions especially on Saturday afternoon with the eventual winners coming from Gunnedah.
The Light Horse Brigade Bowls carnival was dedicated to the 35 Bingara men who served in the Light Horse Regiment, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice for their town and their country.
