My name is Melissa, and I have the privilege of being the Horse Placement Officer for the Standardbred Association of Queensland—but more importantly, I had the honour of calling Maxine my friend.
Maxine joined SAQ in 2011, and that’s when our journey together began. I had the pleasure of rehoming her first horse through our Adoption Program, Pixie Stevemax, for her and Steve. From that moment, our friendship blossomed. Over the years, I rehomed many more horses for Max and Steve through the SAQ Adoption Program. Maxine was always one of our strongest advocates—passionately encouraging other harness racing participants to rehome their horses through our program once they retired from racing. She truly believed in giving every Standardbred a life beyond the track.
Her dedication to SAQ was second to none. Maxine held multiple roles over the years—Vice President, Treasurer, Canteen Coordinator, and General Committee Member. She gave so many hours behind the scenes to help keep the Association going, always stepping up where she was needed, and always willing to share her knowledge and lend a hand. We were stronger as a group because of her commitment and passion.
Some of my favourite memories of Maxine are from our days together at Marburg Race Days. We spent a lot of time manning our SAQ stall—selling merchandise like hats, stubby coolers, and shirts, whilst also selling raffle tickets for the Marburg Pacing Association. Now, let me tell you—Maxine could sell anything to anyone! She had a natural charm and this incredible gift of persuasion. While I was still warming up to my first sale, she’d already sold several hats and stubby coolers and half a book of tickets. I once asked her how she did it, and she just grinned and said, “Melissa, you’ve got to tell them they need it—even if they don’t know it yet!”
She taught me a thing or two about sales and confidence, even if she didn’t know it at the time. Her ability to connect with people, to make them feel seen and welcome—that was one of her many gifts. And we shared so many laughs over who could out-sell who. I never won that contest.
We also attended several retraining clinics together, continuing to learn and grow, always with the horses at the centre of it all. Maxine showed up with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a deep love for the animals she cared so much about.
She wasn’t just a volunteer—she was a cornerstone of our community. Loyal, passionate, generous, and full of that unique spark that made everything around her feel a little lighter, a little better.
To Steve Towns, David, Peter, and the rest of her family—thank you for sharing Maxine with us. Her presence, her work, and her spirit will always be a part of SAQ and in the hearts of everyone she touched.
Rest easy, Maxine. You gave so much, and you will always be remembered with love, laughter, and deep gratitude.
