Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 18th, 1919 IMPORTING SPIRIT.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1919, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 18th, 1919 IMPORTING SPIRIT.

Somk of the sports of Westport hardly show that breadth of spirit usually associated with the life of a true sportsman. Westport, perhaps, is not improving bv reason of its unfortunate isolation. 'There must be some excuse for the good folk of the northern town, and what has just been written will (suffice. The nourishing success ol

sport at this end of the Coast seems to be looked upon very* jealously by our i northern friendly enemies, who have sought of late to sprag the wheel of sport hereabouts. Circumstances so : fel’ out that the Westland Racing ' i Club had the opportunity recently of returning to its original days of racing in the midsummer, and seized the op- ; portunity. The Reefton Club, which . had of late years raced ill juxtaposition j with Westport’s days of trotting, aban- ' doned the days, which Westland took. , Reefton is approximately 50 miles j from Westport, while Hokitika is 150, ! and there is not direct railway com- j munication. The journey is performed | by rail and motor, and while the jour- I ney between Reefton and Westport is a , forenoon or afternoon run, the Hold- ■ ti.ka-Westport journey, travelling by the regular means of locomotion, occupies a day and a- half. There is not therefore any close community of interests between the two towns. Nevertheless, opposition to the Westland racing days came on behalf of Westport to the Racing Conference, and had to be overcome. Then, wonderful t o be said, the Westport Trotting Club objected to the Westland Trotting Club holding its meeting three days after Westport trots. This objection had to be overcome. Now we have the W cstport “sports” objecting to trotting events appearing as usual on the Westland Racing Club’s programme! This year Westport will enjoy two trotting and two days racing whereat trotting events will be on the card. If Westport has its way, Hokitika may have one day’s trotting, and one day whereat trotting events may be included in the racing programme. There is not much of the live and let live spirit about this attitude. But it is fair to submit that it is not a matter of town or club interest which is paramount in the issue, but the welfare of the sport and the catering for owners to keep the sport going. If the trotting events arc excluded from the Hokitika programme at Christmas the trotting owners • will bo 'the particular people to he penalised, and the sport on the Coast will be discouraged to that extent. The Hokitika trotting events are not high class. They are of the standard suiting the purse of the people who cannot go to the expense of travelling afield to competo with the better class of horses attracted by the tighter events. The useful class of owner in any country district will find I his opportunity to earn a stake or two restricted and this must have a' detrimental effect on the sport. The Westport folk are not looking ahead or they would have more consideration for the average Coast owner and not seek to prohibit events to encourage the sport they are supposed to be l associated for the purpose of fostering . In one respect the Westport trotting ■ people are alert—they are protesting before they are in danger, for we learn the Westland programme is not even on the stocks yet.