PETER Taunton, the man widely known as ‘Pedro’, was honoured with life membership of the Mallawa Picnic Race Club at round two of bush racing’s Golden Triangle on Saturday.

Taunton, a hardworking committee member who was this year instrumental in redesigning  and reshaping the famous Mallawa racetrack, started farming in the district with his wife Ros in 1985.

He joined the Mallawa Picnic Race Club committee eight years later.

“I’m still not a local, but I’m getting close,” he laughed.

Taunton joins life members Johnny Hutton, Sam Jaquet, Chris King, Graham Marshall, Henry Moses, Rob Onus, Grant Peacey, Peter Seccombe, Pat Smith and Geoff Hunt.

Pedro Taunton at Mallawa picnic races on Saturday.

“It’s a great honour,” Taunton said.

Club president Nick Gillingham said one of the privileges of sitting at the head of the table is being able to recognise the people who go above and beyond for picnic racing at Mallawa.

“Pedro has been a tireless committee member for more than 30 years,” Gillingham said.

“He rolls up his sleeves when there’s work to be done and had had a hand in all the building projects at the Mallawa track.

“He has always been someone we can rely on, and people like him are the backbone of country race clubs like ours – they don’t look for the spotlight, they just get in and get things done,” he said.

Taunton, along with fellow life member Geoff Hunt, was chiefly responsible for the complete overhaul of the Mallawa racetrack.

“This track is designed on exactly the same principles as Randwick,” Taunton said.

“It’s exactly 500m across from the home straight to the back straight, with a 450m run home – the Mallawa straight is now 64 metres longer and the track is very fair.

“We put up a new running rail and basically built a new track around the rail. We also laser-levelled the entire track so all the water runs away from the course proper,” he said.

“We used to have trouble at the 1000m start, where water would lay.

“The Mallawa track is the Randwick of the bush – always has been,” Taunton smiled.

Pedro Taunton receives his Mallawa Picnic Race Club life membership badge from club president Nick Gillingham at Mallawa races on Saturday.

Talmoi Picnic Race Club rounds out bush racing’s Golden Triangle with six races at Garah on Saturday, June 20.

The meeting, with online tickets available HERE, features the 1400m Talmoi Cup and 1000m Talmoi Bracelet.

Raceday highlights include a catered lunch and fashions-on-the-field as well as live entertainment and a big screen to watch local, provincial and metropolitan races.

Sponsors include B&W Rural, Kenway and Clark, Syngenta, Black Truck and Ag, TTS, Providore Global, RDO Equipment, BMC Partnerships, AFF and Orica.

Nominations for the six-race card close at 11am, Monday, June 15.

Bush Racing’s Golden Triangle

Talmoi: Saturday, June 20.

Online tickets for Talmoi: Talmoi Picnic Races TIX

Updates: Talmoi Facebook Page