Persistence and hard work has paid off for Tara Vanderstok who recently became just the third woman to be elevated to a Racing SA steward.
The 26-year-old made the move to Adelaide from her home town of Tintenbar near Byron Bay four and half years ago and has been doing the hard yards as a cadet steward ever since.
“It’s definitely something I’ve strived towards for a long time and it’s a very proud moment to be elevated to a steward,” Vanderstok said.
“It’s a really big achievement of mine and I hope it inspires many women going forward to select stewarding as a career path.”
Like many of us, COVID-19 complicated Vanderstok’s rise, but the support of Johan Petzer and the rest of the Racing SA Stewards team has helped her progress through the ranks.
“With the current COVID situation it’s made it quite difficult. I ran my first meeting back at Penong last year and then the non-TAB circuit was cancelled so it put a bit of a halt on things progressing,” Vanderstok said.
“So this year it’s been really great with the stewards department, they’ve given me lots of opportunity and an enormous amount of support to run a fair few meetings and get the consistency going, and it’s been really great.”
Vanderstok’s passion for the industry started at a young age. She grew up on a working horse stud, and pony club led to competing in dressage. From there her mum was a track side photographer and Vanderstok joined her at the races every opportunity she got.
“I love the horses and everything that goes with it. Being a steward is a job that’s always changing. No day is ever the same – we go to races, office work, we walk tracks, we also see lots of different enquiries and things like that, it’s really a great opportunity to see everything,” Vanderstok said.
“Probably my biggest challenge has been a personal one moving away from family in New South Wales here to a job where I didn’t know anyone and didn’t have a support group so it’s been a big move on that side of things, and especially with the border restrictions not being able to go back and see the family at these tough times.”
For now Vanderstok plans to embrace the greater responsibility that comes with being elevated, and is well on the way to following in the footsteps of mentor Gail Thorsby, who recently retired as Chief Steward of the NSW Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission after a long and successful career.
“I started off in the greyhounds and Gail Thorsby was a great inspiration of mine growing up. She has worked in Racing NSW and definitely one of my mentors growing up and an inspiration.
“I hope to be given a lot more opportunity to grow as a steward and personally, so we’ll see where things go.
"I'm really loving every opportunity here in South Australia.”
