Terry Frisby is Awesome
Race 3 on the card at the recent Invercargill Harness Racing Club meeting at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill, the “Terry Frisby Is Awesome Mobile Pace”, generated a lot of interest throughout New Zealand.
It came about after the Invercargill Harness Racing Club introduced a new initiative this season, an opportunity for members of the public to purchase naming rights to a race and receive an on-course experience allied to that. The club also promoted it on the Southern Harness Racing Facebook page as a Father’s Day gift idea and it was there that Terry Frisby spotted it.
He showed his wife Anna with the comment, “you always say that there is nothing I want for Father’s Day – here it is this year.”
Anna duly obliged and purchased the package at a cost of $300 plus gst. That gave Terry the opportunity to name a race anything he wanted (within reason), an advertisement in the race book, a day on course in the Members Lounge at the Top of The Park, time in the Presidents Room with complimentary drinks and nibbles before and after his race plus a ride on the EH Ball ITM Mobile Barrier to start one of the other races on the programme and a special souvenir photo with the winner of his race to mark the occasion. He also received five $10 betting vouchers on the day to spend at the meeting.
Terry, a real character, who actually spent five years as a stand-up comedian came up with the name for his race – “The Terry Frisby Is Awesome Mobile Pace”.
“It was a great day, a real blast,” said Terry at the end of the day. “A couple of family members have had horses and I am a member of the Own The Moment Syndicate. I have been to the races dozens of times but this is unique. The ride on the mobile barrier was awesome and I loved being hosted in the Presidents Room. Club President Barry McCulloch and his wife Lyn hosted me and they were wonderful. I met Roxburgh trainer Geoff Knight and the owners of the winner of the previous race there as well.”
Terry says he would recommend the opportunity to sponsor your own race and enjoy the experiences the club is offering, “one hundred percent.” “I thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily recommend it to anyone else.”
Watching a recording of his race later Terry said he had not realised just how much publicity he would receive until he heard commentator Justin Evans promoting the race name and broadcasting how the race was named and how it was a gift from his wife and kids on Father’s Day. “I was getting text messages from all over!”
Anyone can enjoy the benefits that Terry enjoyed by contacting Southern Harness Racing’s Promotions Officer Lindsay Beer at 021 351 499 or [email protected] Opportunities exist at both Invercargill and Winton and with Christmas and then soon after Valentine’s Day looming, the gift of a race sponsorship with all the benefits included would be the perfect gift for the harness racing fan in your circle of family and friends or simply for the person who will try anything.
As for Terry he has already agreed terms with the club to return, so watch out for the Terry Frisby Is Still Awesome Mobile Pace early in the New Year.