Sport
29 August, 2025
State awards for volunteer
CAMPERDOWN’S own Teresa Matthews brought home three impressive awards at the 2025 Equestrian Victoria Awards last weekend.
The Camperdown Horse Trials secretary won Volunteer of the Year Dressage, Volunteer of the Year Eventing and Official of the Year Eventing at the awards night in Essendon Fields on Saturday, August 23.
Mrs Matthews said she was “humbled” to receive all three awards she was nominated for.
“A friend of mine did nominate me for one of them so I knew I was a candidate, but the dressage one was a complete surprise and then when I got the email to say I was being nominated for the official of the year, you could have knocked me over with a feather because I didn’t expect that one,” she said.
“Then to actually receive all three was so humbling.
“Part of my job is to make sure everything runs safely, so the riders have the correct gear on and if they’re lacking something or they want to ask questions on gear or rules we can help them - it’s just making the organising committee’s job easier by having us there.
“We’re out in the weather – stinking hot, pouring with rain – people are coming up to me and asking me if I want wet wipes because my face gets so dirty.
“You’re out in the elements all the time just making the events run smoothly.”
Mrs Matthews said she’s been working with horses since the 70s and has continued with her passion for horses ever since.
“I started riding myself back in 1978, back in England, then immigrated out here in 1980,” she said.
“I married, had three kids, two of them went on to do pony club and showing and general riding - when they stopped I thought what am I going to do, I need my horse fix, so in 2013 I started doing the stewarding courses and been doing that since then.
“In 2015 I got on the Camperdown Horse Trials committee and on from there.
“I was part of a group who went over to Tokyo for the test event for eventing for the Olympics.
“Being a volunteer, being a steward, you just never know where you can end up going – I just love it.”
Now with three shining new trophies in her possession, Mrs Matthews said her next big task was finding where to put them.
“I’m going to have to shift some stuff off the mantlepiece now to put my three awards up,” she said.
“I might just have to get rid of all the kids’ trophies to put mine up.”
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