IT might have been a race that set politicians up against business men and other local identities, but in the end it came down to mate versus mate.
The Celebrity Esky Charity Challenge at the Reliance Bank Royal Bathurst Show on Saturday evening drew a big crowd and even bigger cheers from the audience.
The event saw 10 competitors each jump aboard a motorised esky in the main arena all in the name of raising money for charity.
Head steward for the challenge, Adelaide Kenworthy, said competitors were each asked to pay a $100 entry fee to take part, with the total amount going to the winner’s charity of choice.
In the lead up to the event, competitors boasted of their prowess in racing an esky and that their determination would see them take home a win.
Racing car driver and Bathurst local Grant Denyer was one of the competitors, as was Calare MP Andrew Gee, Bathurst Business Chamber president Angus Edwards and Peter Harrison from Fish River Roasters, among a host of others.
“They’ll timed heats and then the two fastest people will go head-to-head and then the winner of that, all the money accumulated from the event, will go to their choice of charity,” Ms Kenworthy said.
During the heats and finals, esky riders were asked to ride their vehicles around large hay bales before reaching a large gallon drum which had a bottle of soft drink on the top.
Once at the drum, competitors had to jump off their vehicle, put the soft drink inside their esky and race back to the start line.
In the end Mr Denyer and his long-time friend from Sydney, Adrian Christie, had the two fastest times from the heats.
In the final Mr Christie out-raced Bathurst’s only Mr Denyer and crossed the line first.
- VIDEO: Celebrity Esky Charity Challenge head steward Adelaide Kenworthy talks about the event