Mudgee may not have been selected to host the Commonwealth Games Queen’s baton relay, but that doesn’t mean the region wasn’t represented.
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Of the 18 baton bearers for the Orange leg on Tuesday, four Mudgee residents were chosen.
Louise Best, Michael (Joe) Best, Jenni Buckley and Carolyn Sheehan each took a 200 leg of the relay, ahead of the Gold Coast games in April.
Jenni described the honour as “fantastic”.
“It was better than I expected,” she said, “we didn’t realise how big a deal it was going to be.”
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Thousands lined the streets of Orange to cheer on the baton bearers that were selected from four key criteria:
- Has achieved something extraordinary or inspired others to achieve something extraordinary.
- Has made a significant contribution to either sport, education, the arts, culture, charity or within their community.
- Has excelled, or aspires to excel athletically or personally.
- Who contributes to a fun, friendly, vibrant and inclusive community.
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Jenni received two separate nominations from family members.
“A family member nominated me, without me realising,” she said, “they nominated me because in 2015 I did a lot of fundraising.”
She was also nominated for her involvement within the Mudgee community.
Carolyn Sheehan is heavily involved in the sporting community. At the end of 2017, she was named as the assistant coach for the National Country Cricket Championships for the second year in a row.
Husband and wife, Louise and Michael (Joe) Best, were selected for their involvement in a range of equestrian organisations. Louise has been a member of the Australian Stock Horse Society for more than 30 years, every year volunteering hundreds of hours of her time at branch, state and national shows.
