Oamaru woman Bev Williamson was recognised for years of tireless work last week when she was made a life member of the Oamaru Harness Racing Club at the club's annual general meeting for 2013.
Williamson, a vital part of her husband Phil Williamson's Totara training operation just south of Oamaru, has been a regular figure around the North Otago harness racing scene for the past 30 years.
Williamson has been the volunteer trials secretary of the North Otago Harness Racing Association for 30 years and joined the Oamaru club in 1986-87.
She served as president from 2004 to 2009 before becoming chair of the Oamaru racecourse joint grounds committee in 2009, a position which she still holds today.
''Bev is our first female to become a life member,'' president David Heffernan said.
''Bev has served in a pretty wide variety of those main committees.''
The 2013 meeting had been delayed until this year, but the club was able to report a cash surplus of $10,464 and has total net assets of $1,268,000, of which $750,000 is cash reserves.
''Financially the club is very strong,'' Heffernan said.
