A CHINESE TOD SLOAN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1001, 16 December 1910, Page 7

A CHINESE TOD SLOAN.

It is a new ray of light shed upon the Chinese character to learn that he is capable of. riding, and of riding, that is quite equal to : any. exhibition that has been given of. Australian buck-jumping or American- cowboy riding ih this' coun'fi'- A letter comes from a resident in the East, telling 'of tho visit of a party of Australian buokjumpers.' to that- part the worid. ■ It was quite a genuine aftair, and tlie riding was quife up to tho requirements, .the .writer says. The usual invitation to local talent to ride pno of the 'show horses was given, , and only brought out two Europeans. One escaped without a buck, but the other struck the very hard ground with the' usual dull thud accompanying such manoeuvres, and possibly in quicker time than etiquette demands. The invitation to rule the mule brought. forth a number of budding Tod. .Sloanes from tho Malay syces present, but they were hopelessly, outbid in the . race for fame by a Chinaman, resplendent in silk jacket and jockey, cap, but wearing the usual Chinese white- trousers,; one leg of which was tucked well, up above the knee, according to Chinese anticipations of strenuous endeavour. His foresight was "remark- • • -For first time the wonderful versatility of the mule was fully exercised man intelligent manner. Five times tho rider bit the ground in fire different places, illustrating, five different ways of arrival and 'transit, but he would not be denied, and;, came i back .lor more, the mule showed 6igns of flagging energies aud mental strain, the Chineso rider was paid to go away, and he hied forth tho hero of the hour. The closing event was tho riding of a buttock by one of the company. The bullock (a young healthy specimen of the Indian hump-backed variety) announced his arrival in the ring by trying to poled everything in. sight, and as tha railing was very slight, he broke quite a lot of it down. Inside two minutes he had nil the. front-scaters waving chairs and umbrellas at him to keep him from:venturing upon undue liberties. After a brief but exciting interlude, he was lassoed and hobbled until.the surcingle was adjusted and the rider mounted. Once loosed, the jiudienco thought, it must have been transported to Tophet. Nothing could bo seen of the ring except a cloud of du«t from which came forth yells, and now and then a hoarse bellow, both indicative of the utmost depths of.agonv, and occasionally glimpses of furiously gyrating figures.. .After a.period of suspense tho dust settled, and tho nian was seen astride; the brute. Both seemed to have aged visibly, nnd were 6omewhat breathless. By taking advantage of tho momentarily languid animal, the rope'? wero once more adjusted, and the rider enabled to beat/a retreat from his unwill ! ne steed, which after two. or three moro frontal assaults . upon various positions was induced, to leave ,the ring bv the per! suasive endearments of a stockwhip guiding it through the proper exit. .