Indigenous men and women gather in Santa Teresa/Ltyentye Apurte, about 70 kilometers southeast of Alice Springs, for an annual horse race event that has been running since the 1960s. The races are not just about winning prize money but serve as a cultural celebration with traditional dress-up evenings following the main event. Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation chair Raymond Plamer emphasizes the importance of the races to their community, noting its significance for both past and future generations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Every first weekend in October, Indigenous communities in central Australia gather for the Santa Tereasa/Ltyentye Apurte horse races, held about 70 kilometres south-east of Alice Springs. In this remote area, where stock saddles replace light pads and children run barefoot on red dirt tracks, the event has been running since around the 1960s. Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC) chair Raymond Plamer emphasized its importance: "It's very important to us, because we had this race for years for our forefathers." The AAAC aims to maintain these traditions and continues to organize the races annually despite limited prize money that only covers extra groceries. Spectators show up in utes reversed at track boundaries and swap fancy hats for sports caps. Veteran horseman Peter Kenny has been attending since the early 1990s, noting its enduring excitement.
Written for “Santa Teresa Horse Races” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
A crowd cheers as horses gallop past the finishing post, but this is no ordinary race.
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this → cheer → post
On the first weekend in October every year, Indigenous men and women gather for the Santa Teresa/Ltyentye Apurte races, about 70 kilometres south-east of Alice Springs.
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men → gather → Springs
In this remote corner of central Australia, helmets are optional, chunky stock saddles replace light saddle pads, and children run barefoot across the red dusty track between races.
Behind the rail, spectators swap fascinators for sports caps and reverse their utes up to the track boundary for the best views.
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spectators → replace → views
The prize money is enough to cover some extra groceries from town, but jockeys and owners know the event is about more than winning.
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event → cover → town
Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC) chair Raymond Plamer said the annual amateur race meet had been running since about the 1960s, a time when many of the region's Indigenous people worked as stock workers on cattle stations.
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many → say → stations
"[It's] very important to us, because we had this race for years for our forefathers," he said.
"
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he → have → forefathers
We will continue to keep it going."
Walkabout Bore horseman Peter Kenny has been coming to the races since the early 90s and said the event was as exciting as ever.
"
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event → continue → 90s
I love doing this.
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I → do → this
I love riding horses, watching horses, galloping, getting all the kids and family all together.
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I → rid → kids
It's a good thing,"he said.
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It → say → ?
Like many who travelled hours over rough, tyre gouging roads to come to the race, Mr Kenny learnt how to handle horses from his father.
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Kenny → travel → father
"That's what I grew up doing, riding horses and breaking them in all the time," he said.
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he → grow → them
"I've got my little breeding horses at Walkabout.
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I → get → Walkabout
I breed them up there, handle them, bring them to the races all the time, every year, all these mob."
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I → breed → races
Festivities continue after dark
Once the dust settles and the horses have been put away, racegoers flock from the track back to the community.
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racegoers → continue → community
Later that night, in the dim light of a giant sports hall, hundreds of people from the community, and their visitors, pack in, holding paper plates loaded with potato salad, sausages and steak from the free barbecue outside.
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hundreds → pack → barbecue
It is time for the community dress up evening, the oft-mentioned, highly anticipated evening tradition, where cowboys, cowgirls, cow-women and cow-men put on their best, dressing up and showing off.
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cowboys → dress → best
Choosing best dressed is a hard job for this year's judge Sidney Mahinya, an occupational therapy student from the city on placement at the local clinic.
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Choosing → choose → clinic
We had some whip-cracking, we had some chaps, we had really cool boots and amazing hats and even the belts.
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we → have → boots
It was really cool," she said.
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she → say → ?
Ms Mahinya has been in the community for two weeks and said residents had been welcoming.
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residents → welcome → weeks
"I would definitely like to come back.
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I → like → ?
I think this community is so beautiful and there's so much to offer," she said.
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she → think → ?
"Being able to be here and learn and just being amongst all the people is just really a wonderful experience."
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Being → learn → people
The Aporia