ROXY WESTON AT THE BIRDSVILLE RACES - PUTTING THE FOCUS ON A HIGHLY COMMITTED PHOTOGRAPHER

By Graham Potter | Monday, September 9, 2024

Birdsville ... it’s a name that resonates with the horse racing fraternity.

For two days in September, the Birdsville races turn a small dot on the outback map, which has a resident population of just over one hundred people, into a burgeoning mix of several thousand visitors all intent of making sure that Birdsville’s races maintains its reputation as an event that should be on everybody’s bucket list.

And once it is ticked off, the number of those who enjoyed the experience and who return again time after time to again swell the head count, underlines just how strong a pull the Birdsville races has as a unique attraction.

Not everybody is there just for the party though. Some ... like trainers, jockeys, race- club officials and volunteers ... have a work component part to their visit, and the story of Roxy Weston, the official Birdsville Race Club photographer for the big event, is an example, amongst many others, of the type of commitment to the cause behind the scenes which makes the event what it is.
_____________________________________________________________________

“This was my fourth year at Birdsville,” said Weston taking up the story. “This year was different because we’ve lived in Windorah for the last ten years.

“All the other times I’ve been around a 400km trip each way from there, but we’ve moved to Alpha so this year it was a 1200km trip each way. Previously I didn’t have to worry about the kids if my husband, Kelvin, was away or at work because Kelvin’s mum lived in Windorah ... but this time Kelvin had to do the school runs, bus runs and all the in-betweens.

“So, there was a bit to organise.

“I left Alpha for Birdsville on Thursday morning at 4am and I got to Birdsville around five-thirty in the afternoon.
“I went out on my own. I could have gone through Windorah, but because I’ve done that road a lot, I decided to go Alpha, Longreach, Winton, Boulia, Bedourie and Birdsville.

“So, I went a different road ... all bitumen ... which was nice. I stopped and took some photos and saw some different things, some things I hadn’t seen before ... but, yeah, I was certainly glad to get there.

“I did come back the shorter way, through Windorah, so I did like a big loop really.”

That’s a 2162 km trip to be exact ... in twenty-four hours and eight minutes.
______________________________________________________________________

“It is exciting when you get there,” continued Weston.

“It’s definitely not just another race meeting. Because it is only once a year you see people that you don’t normally see ... catching up with people like Josh Fleming, Kym Healy and Phil Cole ... all those people I might only see once or twice a year. I’m excited about that ... and, of course, it is the biggest meeting I photograph each year, so I do get a bit nervous as well.”

That is quite understandable for a photographer, with Birdsville posing a particular challenge to that activity in terms of the heat, the dust ... the flies.

“Well, on Friday there was another weather element we had to cope with,” said Weston.

“They were meant to have up to 50 km an hour winds. So, it was extremely windy with that extremely fine, gritty dust blowing around.

“It was so windy taking the photos and, with the dust, my eyes were sore, and it was really hot.

“My poor cameras. They are like real workhorses. They sit in the sun. They sit in the dirt. I sometimes think I probably should look after then better than I do but, in saying that, when I send then away to get cleaned, I apologise, and the bloke always tells me ... ’I’ve seen worse.’

“I don’t know how.”
_________________________________________________________________________

“The beauty of the Birdsville races is there is something for everyone,” offered Weston.

“If you want the outback experience, you can have that. If you want the racing, you can have that. If you want to see Brophy’s Boxing setup in the most iconic location, you can do that.

‘It’s not just a party at the pub. It is not just a race meeting.

Like I said, there is something for everyone and that’s what I like about it.
________________________________________________________________________

“The highlight of my time at Birdsville so far was when my sister, Brooke Richardson, won the Birdsville Cup on Echo Point in 2021,” said Weston.

“To photograph her winning the Cup and having that connection ... and knowing the horses connections as well ... was exciting.

“I do love the racing side of it. I love it when the guys who travel so far get a win.

“I like the back stories ... like this year when Cameron Dixon, who rode winners at Birdsville when he was a jockey, got his first Birdsville winner as a trainer this year ... or the Brook family winning the Cup for two years in a row with Neodium ... that was pretty cool too.

“The Brook family has put so much of their time and their lives into the Birdsville Race Club.

“That’s what I like. The back stories of the horses and the people ... that type of thing. There are some amazing stories ... and the emotion that’s shown. That’s one of my favourite things.

“I just love that people love their horses and spending time with them that much. They are certainly not doing it for the money.”
______________________________________________________________________

“Apart from everything else that is going on, it is just such a pleasure working with the people I do at Birdsville,” said Weston.

‘They obviously have their big media team who come out and do the stories for news outlets ... and Matt Williams is a great example of people I am grateful to have met along the way. He is such an exceptional photographer.

“With Matt and I it is just great banter all weekend.
“I share shots with him. He shares shots with me. There no such thing as, ‘that’s my spot’ ... or ... ‘that’s my shot,’ which can happen with some photographers.

“Here, we are in it together and I really like and appreciate that kind of working environment. It is really nice.

“That’s just another thing I like about Birdsville. Yeah, so you can tell, there’s plenty to like.”

And, as always, there is plenty to like about Roxy Weston’s superb photographic coverage of the Birdsville races.

Every year Weston proves to be a valuable asset to the Birdsville Race Club and their promotion of the Birdsville Races, not only for the photographs she produces, but for that positive, uplifting attitude she carries with her when she tackles what can only be called, a pretty full-on assignment.

It’s not an easy gig, but if you do it willingly and with a smile ... like Weston does ... it makes it seem that way.

All credit to her.

More articles