THREE decades of service to the sport she loves were recognised on Friday night when Anne Hall from Gilgandra was announced as the winner of the Simon Nivison Special Achievement Award at Racing NSW's country and provincial awards dinner.
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The award is given each year to a person who has gone above and beyond in their efforts to improve and develop country racing in NSW and it is easy to see why the woman known as 'Annie' was announced as the winner.
A stalwart of racing in the western districts, Hall currently serves as secretary treasurer of the Gilgandra and Mendooran clubs, is the secretary of the Western Racing Association (WRA) and has been a swabbing steward since 1992.
Outside of thoroughbred racing she is also a swabber in the harness racing industry, is secretary of the Gilgandra RSL sub-branch and devotes some of her other time to Legacy.
"I've been involved with racing since 1985 and I have loved every minute of it," Hall said.
"I have always loved horses but when the Western Racing Association office shifted to Gilgandra I hounded John Smith to give me some work.
"In the end the board employed me to do some work with them, and we used to do the barrier draws in the office on the computers and the stewards were there for a while as well.
"John's training taught me so much and I'm just lucky that I've been able to be involved since then. I wish I had started earlier because you meet so many good people.
"That's why I love the swabbing, because you meet people and I still get to work with the horses as well. But I'm 69 this year and I'm going to scale back a bit because I have some things I want to do and I want to spend some more time with my family."
Hall's award was received on the same night that her close friend, Gilgandra racecaller Bob Foran, was given a special achievement award in honour of his 60 Gilgandra Cup calls, and Greg Ryan was announced as the Country Jockey of the Year.
Unlike the other awards, in which finalists are revealed prior to the night, the Nivison award winner is kept secret until the awards night.
"We've been going to the awards for a number of years now and when they read my name out I was speechless, which isn't really like me.
"It's a pretty prestigious award to win and I didn't think I was worthy of winning it but someone obviously did and nominated me. I'm still over the moon about it, to tell you the truth.
"To win it on the same night as Greg won his award and Bob Foran was recognised was great as well. We're all very proud of Greg and what he has achieved, and Bob is a wonderful gentleman. He's sick again unfortunately but his daughter Bobbie was there to accept his award."
Hall joins her good friend Deirdre Adam as the only female winners of the Nivison Award.
Adam, who hails from Tottenham and is a life member of the WRA, collected the gong back in 2012 for her services as secretary of the Tottenham club and her work for the WRA.
