A GREAT BUCKING HORSE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 95, 8 May 1937, Page 13

A GREAT BUCKING HORSE

And a Great Horseman

This is the story of the greatest bucking horse that ever lived in Australia. His name was Bobs He had never been ridden, although nearly every rider of the day had tried to, and in the process several had lost their lives and many others had been smashed up, some permanently crippled. Thus writes Eobert La Velle, in the Australasian. A real outlaw horse is like a maneating tiger. Once he • kills he develops a liking for it. Bobs's reputation as a killer was widespread throughout Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, Martini, then at the height of his fame as a showman, bought Bobs as an added attraetion for his show in the Hippodrome, Sydney. With the show were many good riders from all parts of Australia, but the rule about Bobs was that no man was asked to ride him more than once a month; except one man, a wonder at landing on his feet and getting away from him9 safely. And no rider with the show had stayed: with him more than two seconds. Strangely, - there was one rider in Queensland who had never tried to ride Bobs. His name was'Joe Atldnson. None of the other riders could mateh Joe Atkinson for daring or skill. He was undoubtedly the greatest balance rider in Australia. For reasons of his own Martini had never brought him and the horse together. But it had to happen. You can't keep the best rider in the world away from the worst horse in the world for ever. The meeting took place in Toowoomba, Queensland. Here is the story of the ride witnessed by me as one of the riders travelling with the show. When Martini said to Joe Atkinson, "Joe, I like a game man and I like a game horse, and Bobs is the gamest horse now living in Australia," Joe ,answered, "You don't think he's going to hurt me, do you, Mart " ,

Martini said, "Joe, Bobs has nov*# been ridden for more than two jump* by any man but one, and that ma* rode him for only eight seconds." Joe roped, saddled, and mounted Bobs. Did he buckt There was no Vhistlo blowing at the end of ten seconds. Tha ringside men who were always in readrf iness with ropes to. catch Bobs and keep him off his man, stood open* mouthed and pale, dumbfounded witk the display. It was horse or man, wa could see that. The outlaw bucked around the.ring for 22 minutes; bucked as only Bobs, of all the horses I hava known, could buek. He swapped cnds, looped the loop, flew the kite, whirl* winded, in fact did everything " but turn himself inside out. . It seemed he never would stop. Butj he did. He came to. a dead standstill* We all called out, "Get off, Joe." But Joe could not hear. He was deaf and blind. He could not nnderstand anything He told us afterwards that ha dimly heard Martini saying, "Get off,, Joe," but he thought Bobs was only sulking, and ready to go off again at any time. We dragged him out'of tho saddle and to the hospital. He wa* laid up for three weeks. ; . Bobs was never seen again after that night. He did not leave the ring alive. In his effort to get rid of Atkinson he killed himself. I have seen and ridden many bucking horses in shows, as a horse-breaker and as a rough-rider all over Australia and America, but I never saw a bucker liko Bobs. The nearest appToach to him was Lance Skewthorp's Snips. But we are still turning out the horsemem Some of the younger riders to-day aro wonderful. Australia 's best at present is McConville, who lately returned from America, where he won tho i world 's ehampionship.