Racecourse bans irate Fashions on the Field legend, 76, for FIVE YEARS after she went on Sunrise to complain about them
- Racing fashion pageant queen was banned from a North Queensland race track
- Atherton Turf Club alleged Alison Wilson, 76, bullied rival at recent race meet
- Ms Wilson has since gone public to tell her side of the story of what happened
- Turf club volunteers have stood by allegations regarding Ms Wilson's behaviour
- Originally banned for the rest of the yeay, Ms Wilson is now banned for five years
Tensions between a veteran fashion racing pageant queen accused of bullying a younger competitor and her local turf club have escalated.
Alison Wilson, 76, strongly denies allegations she bullied a younger rival at an Atherton Turf Club race meet in North Queensland on August 25, where the club claimed she 'shoved a finger in her rival's face and demanded to know how old she was'.
Originally barred from entering fashion pageants at the track for the rest of the year, the ban has been extended to five years after Ms Wilson contacted media outlets to tell her side of the story, including an appearance on Channel Seven's Sunrise.
It comes after the turf club stood by its allegations in a lengthy written statement to Daily Mail Australia on Monday night.
Banned racing fashionista Alison Wilson (pictured on Monday with her husband Trevor) has been banned from entering Fashions on the Field for five years
Ms Wilson, who has won almost 100 Fashions on the Field sashes in the last 11 years at racing meets across the region, has been left devastated by the ongoing saga.
She said she's 'gobsmacked' by the allegations and claimed she didn't get a fair hearing by a club she said wanted to get rid of her.
'It has been degrading, humiliating and embarrassing that I didn't get the chance to get my voice across,' Ms Wilson told Daily Mail Australia.
'This is a small town and others members of the turf club have also been affected, not just me. I just want the whole thing to go away now.'
The club committee met on Monday night to review the ban imposed on Ms Wilson's behaviour deemed 'out of line'.
The ban was extended to five years after the committee considered Ms Wilson's 'name calling and general negativity' towards the club and committee members in the media in recent days.
Alison (pictured in 2013) has won 97 Fashions on the Field sashes at racing meets
Ms Wilson was quoted as calling the committee 'silly B*****s' and described the ban as 'horses*** in a Courier Mail article.
'The Atherton Turf Club is a volunteer based organisation and many of our volunteers have personally affected by these comment,' committee president Valerie Moses wrote in an email to Ms Wilson.
'With consideration of these actions and the negative effort upon the volunteers, the club and our racing community, the exiting ban has been reviewed.
'The Atherton Turf Club regrettable informs you that we will be extending the ban of your entrance into Fashions On the Field for a period of up to five years.'
The letter adds Ms Wilson is still 'very welcome' to attend Atherton Turf Club race meets and that it would require a written apology if she wants the ban to be reviewed.
But Ms Wilson has no plans to attend future Atherton Turf Club race meets anytime soon.
'Certainly not, I want an apology and a chance to get my point across,' Ms Wilson told Daily Mail Australia.
'I have done nothing wrong.'
Alison Wilson (pictured left) is a regular Fashions on the Field contestant at race meets in North Queensland
She also claims she's been inundated with support from fellow turf club members and says she's been invited to join another club in the region.
Ms Wilson hasn't ruled out legal action.
The club stood by its claims in its statement to Daily Mail Australia on Monday night.
'At our previous meeting, after presentations of the ladies fashions on the field, the president of the turf club and I watched this lady strut up to the winner, still sashed in her runner up sash and clutching her flowers shove her finger in the winners face and demand how old she was and tell her she should be in the young ladies category,' volunteer Fashions on the Field co-ordinator Georgie Cole wrote.
'Behaviour like this ruins organisations, stops volunteers and will kill the fashions on the field at country race meets.
'We do not deserve this treatment and we will not tolerate it. We are a small regional turf club but we are brave and we will stand our grounds.
'We will shut the fashions down completely before we let this lady behave inappropriately at our club.'
The email ended urging Ms Wilson to find another club.
Ms Wilson (left) claims Atherton Turf Club owe her an apology, not the other around
The turf club has since stated on its Facebook page it won't comment further on the matter.
'We would like to thank all who reached out and supported our local turf club in light of the recent spotlight we have received,' the club posted on Tuesday.
'We do not wish to make further comment and would like to focus on moving forward, continuing our work as volunteers to bring the community together at our race meets with a focus on family, fun and community spirit.'
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the younger Fashions on the Field contestant involved for further comment.
Alison Wilson's five ban only applies to Fashions on the Field at Atherton Turf Club meets. The club says she is still 'very welcome' to attend meets as a general race goer
Tensions between her and the turf club escalated after Ms Wilson appeared on Channel Seven's Sunrise on Monday to tell her side of the story of what happened at the August 25 meet.
'I just approached her and asked for her age as I thought she was in the wrong section,' the glamorous septuagenarian said.
'Unfortunately, she was in the right section and I walked away and sat down. I never pointed no fingers and I raised no hand. It's been blown out of proportion.'
'I don't owe her an apology, the turf club owe me an apology and I need that. I won't apologise. No way. I have done nothing wrong.
Ms Wilson is devastated she's been banned from upcoming spring racing carnival meets.
Alison Wilson was devastated about not being able to competing in the Atherton Cup Fashions on the Field in her hometown on the weekend. Pictured are some of Saturday's contestants
'It's been very hurtful. I enjoy going to the turf club. I enjoy going to the country meetings, especially our small country town and we have a lot of friends that I have met and kept,' she told Sunrise.
'Unfortunately, I went on Saturday and one particular person went to the security guard and said to them to throw me out of the turf club if I enter Fashions on the Field. Now that is getting very dirty.'
Her husband Trevor added: 'I think they should have given her a chance to get her voice across, they should have invited her into the office and taken her side of it.
'It would have cleared it up straight away. If she has done something wrong, she will accept it.'
Ms Wilson has no plans to attend future meets at Atherton Turf Club anytime soon
- Veteran style queen banned from competing after Fashions on the Field fracas | Sunrisehttps://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/76-year-old-style-queen-banned-from-competing-after-fashions-on-the-field-fracas-c-467110
- https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/north-queensland-fashion-queen-alison-wilson-76-banned-over-fashions-on-the-field-bullying/news-story/643cff5e5a31bc510349e5a33693d575....
