:''for winners of the Inter Dominion see:

Inter Dominion Pacing Championship :''for winners of the trotting event see: Inter Dominion Trotting Championship'' The Inter Dominion is a harness racing competition that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand. The Inter Dominion was the brain child of Western ...

and

Inter Dominion Trotting Championship :''for winners of the pacing event see: Inter Dominion Pacing Championship'' The Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Grand Final was a race for trotters within the overall Inter Dominion series. The series is held each year, and is a harness raci ...

The Inter Dominion is a

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...

competition that has been contested since 1936 in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It is often referred to as the Inter Dominions or Interdoms for short as it generally encompasses two series: * the

for pacers and * the

for trotters. The host of the series was rotated between the six harness racing states of Australia and the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

s of New Zealand. The first Inter Dominion was held at Gloucester Park in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia in 1936. The 2011 series was held at Alexandra Park in Auckland, with the original venue of Addington in Christchurch deemed unsuitable due to the February

2011 Christchurch earthquake A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...

. The 2013, 2014 and 2015 series were held at the new

Menangle Park Paceway Tabcorp Park, Menangle, is a harness racing track operating in Menangle Park, New South Wales, Australia. The New South Wales Harness Racing Club conducts meetings at the Paceway. The New South Wales Harness Racing Club trading as Club Menangle T ...

at Menangle a village in the Macarthur region of New South Wales, Australia near Sydney. This was the first time a venue has hosted the event in three consecutive years.

Traditional programming of the series

Traditionally the series was held over a two-week period with three heats held in the first week, over a sprint distance (1,600 metres - 1,900 m), a middle distance (2,100 m - 2,300 m) and a staying distance (over 2,400 m). The trotters series usually had two heats. The scheduling of the distances is usually at the discretion of the host club. At each round of heats there are three races to accommodate the number of horses in the series. The final and consolation are held usually around a week after the final round of heats. The usual distance is a longer distance in excess of 2,400 metres.

Programming of the 2008 Melbourne Series

Harness Racing Victoria proposed a new system for the 2008 series that was accepted by the Interdominion Racing Council that rewards Grand Circuit race winners. Each winner of a

Grand Circuit The Grand Circuit, also known as the "Big Wheel", is a group of harness racing stakes races run at various race tracks around the United States. Run on one-mile tracks, it is "the oldest continuing horse-racing series in the United States." Th ...

race and the Grand Circuit Champion from the time period from the last Inter Dominion all gain an automatic start in two minimum $70,000 semi finals with the balance to be made up from horse that qualify through heats of at least $25,000 held a week previous. The first five horses in each heat along with the sixth horse in the fastest heat qualify for a minimum $750,000 final. The prizemoney had been originally put to $1,000,000, but due to the dire effects of the

equine influenza Equine influenza (horse flu) is the disease caused by strains of influenza A that are enzootic in horse species. Equine influenza occurs globally, previously caused by two main strains of virus: equine-1 ( H7N7) and equine-2 (H3N8). The OIE now con ...

that crippled the industry the final prizemoney was reduced to $750,000. The trotters series consisted of two semi-finals and a final. The trotting series was reduced to a simple semi and finals series raced over seven days. The semi finals were of $40,000 and the final was $250,000 which was comparable with previous series.

Programming of the 2009-2017 series

The system used in Melbourne received much criticism and therefore wasn't chosen to be used in the 2009 series on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast series had two rounds of heats and bonus points for winning major races. The bonus points races are not only include Grand Circuit races in Australia and New Zealand, but also The Graduate at The Meadowlands and the Canadian Pacing Derby, both open age races in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. The prizemoney was also raised to $1,000,000 for the final. The trotters series remained as a two semi-final series held in Melbourne. The 2010 series in New South Wales kept a similar format with no bonus points. The trotters series was again held in Melbourne. The 2011 series at Alexandra Park featured two rounds of heats for both pacers and trotters. A change to the points system saw points awarded only to the top eight placegetters - previously all heat runners earned points. The 2012 series in Perth returned to the traditional three-heat format, while the trotters series was held in Melbourne, and was discontinued after 2012. A new tender process replaced the rotation format and New South Wales won the tender to host the series from 2013-2015. However, a new structure saw seven heats run at different racetracks across Australia and New Zealand, with the winners and highest-ranked placegetters contesting a 14-horse final at Menangle. The 2015-17 Championships were awarded to Gloucester Park, Perth, Western Australia.Interdominion to return to Perth
The West Australian, September 17, 2014 Gloucester Park planned to run the series over the traditional four night format in December for each of the three years.

Programming of the 2018-2026 series

In late 2017 Harness Racing Australia (HRA) confirmed it had endorsed a proposal from

Harness Racing Victoria Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) is a statutory body for which the Victorian Minister for Racing, The Hon. Martin Pakula is responsible. Harness Racing Victoria's function is to administer, develop and promote the sport of Harness Racing in Victoria. ...

(HRV), Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ), and Club Menangle/Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW) to rotate the series between those organisations, starting in Victoria in 2018. The 2018 series commences with Heat 1 at Melton on 1 December, Heat 2 at Ballarat on 4 December, Heat 3 at Cranbourne on 8 December, culminating in the Grand Final at Tabcorp Park Melton on 15 December.

Date and time of rotating championships

The rotation of the Championships is fixed annually at a meeting of the Council. It is fixed five years in advance. Historically, it was held in New Zealand once in each four years, but that pattern has been recently broken. The Championships are held once in each racing year at a time and venue approved by the Council by the completion of the Championships in the preceding year. The Grand Circuit race is not held at the same time as the Championships.

Venues

*1936 - Gloucester Park *1937 -

Wayville Showgrounds The Adelaide Showground holds many of Adelaide's most popular events, including the Royal Adelaide Show. The Showground (also popularly known as the Wayville Showgrounds) is located in the inner-southern Adelaide suburb of Wayville, just so ...

*1938 -

Addington Raceway Addington may refer to: Places In Australia: * Addington, Victoria In Canada: * Addington, Ontario * Addington County, Ontario (now Lennox and Addington County, Ontario) * Addington Highlands, Ontario * Addington Parish, New Brunswick * Ad ...

(NZ) *1939 -

Elphin Paceway Elphin may refer to: Places Canada * Elphin, Ontario, a hamlet in North Sherbrooke, Lanark County Ireland * Elphin, County Roscommon, Ireland * Diocese of Elphin, a diocese in Ireland * Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin Scotland * Elphin, Highl ...

*1940 - Gloucester Park *1947 - Gloucester Park *1948 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *1949 -

*1950 -

Melbourne Showgrounds Melbourne Showgrounds is located in the inner north-western suburb of Ascot Vale, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, next door to Flemington Racecourse. The largest and most flexible indoor/outdoor venue space in Melbourne the Showgrounds ...

*1951 -

(NZ) *1952 -

Harold Park Paceway Harold Park Paceway was a harness racing track in Forest Lodge, New South Wales, in use from 1890 to 2010. It was a half-mile track (804.5 metres) but was just 739 metres in circumference until some changes in its later years. Races at the tra ...

*1953 - Gloucester Park *1954 -

*1955 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *1956 -

*1957 - Gloucester Park *1958 -

*1959 -

*1960 -

*1961 -

(NZ) *1962 - Gloucester Park *1963 -

*1964 -

*1965 -

Forbury Park Raceway Forbury Park Raceway was a horseracing venue in the New Zealand city of Dunedin until its closure in 2021. It was located close to the Pacific Ocean coast in the suburb of Saint Kilda. The raceway was initially developed in 1870 on an area of ...

(NZ) *1966 -

*1967 - Gloucester Park *1968 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *1969 -

*1970 -

*1971 -

(NZ) *1972 -

Albion Park Paceway Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

*1973 -

*1974 - Gloucester Park *1975 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *1976 -

Globe Derby Park A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model globe ...

*1977 -

*1978 -

Moonee Valley Racecourse Moonee Valley Racecourse, currently marketed as The Valley, is a horse-racing track in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, Victoria Australia. History Moonee Valley Racecourse was established in 1883 by William Samuel (W.S.) Cox, who purchased a farm ...

*1979 -

(NZ) *1980 -

*1981 -

Royal Hobart Showground The Royal Hobart Showgrounds are the site of the Royal Hobart Show and many other smaller events including a market on the grounds every Sunday. The Royal Hobart Showground is located 10 km north of Hobart, between the junction to Brook ...

*1982 - Gloucester Park *1983 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *1984 -

*1985 -

*1986 -

*1987 -

(NZ) *1988 -

*1989 - Gloucester Park *1990 -

*1991 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *1992 -

*1993 -

*1994 -

*1995 -

(NZ) *1996 - Gloucester Park *1997 -

*1998 -

Tattersalls Park Elwick Racecourse (currently also known by its sponsored name of Ladbrokes Park Elwick) is a Thoroughbred horse-racing venue located on Goodwood Road within Glenorchy, Tasmania, Australia. It is located in close proximity to the Brooker High ...

*1999 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *2000 -

*2001 -

*2002 -

*2003 -

(NZ) *2004 - Gloucester Park *2005 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *2006 -

*2007 -

*2008 -

*2009 -

Gold Coast Parklands The Gold Coast Parklands was a complex serving the Greyhound racing in Australia, greyhound racing and harness racing industries on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It opened on 7 December 1988 on the corner of Smith Street and Parklands D ...

*2010 -

*2011 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *2012 - Gloucester Park *2013 -

*2014 -

*2015 -

*2015 - Gloucester Park *2016 - Gloucester Park *2017 - Gloucester Park *2018 - Tabcorp Park Melton *2019 - Alexandra Park (NZ) *2020 - not held *2021 -

*2022 - Victoria (heats at Ballarat, Shepparton & Geelong, the finals held at Melton)

Eligibility

A horse shall not start in a race outside the Championships except in a race held after the completion of all qualifying races. The Controlling Body of the State or New Zealand in which the Championships are to be conducted or the Council may request a

veterinary surgeon Veterinary surgery is surgery performed on animals by veterinarians, whereby the procedures fall into three broad categories: orthopaedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/urogenital/ ...

to inspect and provide a report on any horse scratched after final acceptances are declared.

Trophy

A perpetual trophy is competed for. The conducting Club of the State or New Zealand in which the winning owner resides holds the trophy for a period until three months before the start of the next Inter Dominion Championship. The winner of the Inter Dominion Championship Final is presented with a trophy.

Previous winners

Pacers

:''for a complete list of winners please see:

Trotters

:''for a complete list of winners please see:

1952 Inter-Dominion racebook

File:1952 Harold Park Inter-Dominion Championship Final Racebook P1.jpg, Front cover of the 1952 Harold Park Inter-Dominion Final racebook. File:1952 Harold Park Inter-Dominion Championship Final Racebook P2.jpg, Inside cover showing race night officials. File:1952 Harold Park Inter-Dominion Championship Final Racebook P3.jpg, Racebook showing starters & conditions. File:1952 Harold Park Inter-Dominion Championship Final Racebook P4.jpg, Racebook showing starters & the winner, Avian Derby.

References

{{Reflist

External links

2009 Watpac Inter Dominion Official Site

Rotation Program - Inter Dominion Championship Series

Queensland Harness Racing Homepage
- Host state for 2009 Inter Dominion