Ina Height's love of harness racing and her horses' successes have been remembered following her passing on March 31.
Ina shared many talented horses with husband Colin Height, an Echuca trainer, attending the majority of races, including Colin's "great horse" Royal Highlander when he raced at the Showgrounds.
Other notable horses include Super, who won 21 of 73 starts.
According to her daughter, Amanda, a licensed trots trainer and HRV HERO retrainer, "Ina had the important job of keeping Super happy pre-race, by continually rubbing his ear".
"It certainly was happy times when Super won the Caduceus Club Cup in the 1990s."
The family also made many memories when racing other good or promising horses like Highland Tryax, Billion Kardiamond, Jokers Wild, Steeling, Sarah Emily, Gambler, Miss Clare and Fanagalo.
Among their highlights was winning the Weston Milling Championship trophy at Ouyen in January 1996, when Gambler also won, bringing home a double for the family. Colin and Ina are pictured above receiving a trophy on that day.
The double also featured in a poem Ina wrote:
Lucky
by Ina Height (October 2013)
Reading the Harness Racing paper,
while I was having lunch today,
memories are revived.
We're hobby racing enthusiasts,
from way back then in 1967.
Always rushing on race day, pushing for time.
Trying to cope with, our other farm work.
No rush today!
We're retired now, from real work!
Dates and place names on the winning photos,
spanning across 45 years.
Remembering hot, hot summer days.
Wet or freezing nights.
Double at Ouyen on a very hot January day,
how lucky we were! Two trophies te'boot!
How lucky are we?
We're still working at it!
Ina passed on March 31, 20 days after a sub arachnoid hemorrhage on March 11.
HRV extends its condolences to her family and friends.
Harness Racing Victoria