Kevin Corstens with Captain’s Son at Mornington in May 2018
© Racing photos
With temperatures soaring and fires raging across parts of eastern Victoria, Kevin Corstens knew he couldn’t just sit at home and watch the races from Flemington on Saturday.
Corstens himself had no runners at headquarters or Wangaratta but believed there would be some people in desperate need of transport vehicles that could potentially save horses caught in the blazes.
Families were being evacuated on short notice as the fire threat intensified, putting many in the difficult situation of potentially leaving their loved animals behind due to a lack resource.
“I just knew there would be a lot of horse people who wouldn’t have access to floats in such a short space of time and I was in the position to help,” Corstens said.
“There are obviously a lot of horse people in the area, not just racehorses but horses in general.”
So, with two trucks and some equally willing staff and friends, Corstens, who is based at Merricks on the Mornington Peninsula, put out a message across social media that they were available to help for those in need.
Kevin Corstens Racing tweet
© Racing.com
“The phone started ringing pretty quickly, people were needing help,” he said.
“We ended up picking up about 17 or 18 horses in really shit conditions to be honest, I’ve now got a new-found respect for fire fighters.
“We were in constant contact with people who had been evacuated but unfortunately didn’t have time to take their horses with them.
“They were telling us they had friends who had properties who were safe, and we basically just helped move them from one to another.
“One of the properties we arrived at the house was completely gone.
“At times we were pretty close to the fires, ash was raining down it was very serious, but we knew we had to help.”
Corstens and his team worked throughout the day, travelling as far as two hours from his home base to Labertouche.
“The roads were full of horse floats, it was like there was a mass exodus,” Corstens said.
“We weren’t the only ones moving horses, there were many doing the same.”
It is back to normal life as a horse trainer for Corstens on Sunday but he is still receiving messages for help.
“Unfortunately I couldn’t help again today but I’ve forwarded on the messages I’ve received to people who can,” he said.
“I’ve got horses racing at Wangaratta, I’ve got my normal work here with the stable and a bit of family time to squeeze in but I’m glad I could help out yesterday.
“We weren’t doing it for any publicity. I’m in a privileged position in that I had the trucks here available to help, I could afford to pay for the petrol for the day.
“I’m seeing it as a pay it forward moment, hopefully someone would do the same for me if I’m ever in need of help.”
This article first appeared on Racing.com and is reprinted here with their kind permission. To find out more about Racing Victoria’s Off the Track program, visit rv.racing.com/the-horse/off-the-track.
READ THE LATEST NEWS ARTICLES HERE
