OSTRICH RACING

Hokitika Guardian, 24 April 1926, Page 1

OSTRICH RACING

ADELAIDE EXPERIMENT. > I SYDNEY, April 9. An attempt was made in Adelaide, South Australia, last Saturday to introduce ostrich racing as a new Australian sport. This branch of the human weakness of pitting animals against each other in a speed contest has never before been witnessed in this country, although it is stated to be common in South Africa, California, and one oitwo other European countries. The event was organised by the Adelaide Trotting Club which sandwiched the novelty between items of' its liorsetrotting contests. The club tried to persuade the South Australian Agricultural Society to allow it to use the society’s commodious ground, but believing the race between the birds to he against the interests to which men have applied tho large birds, the society refused permission to use its ground. Undeterred, the club decided to stage the event on its own course. Heralded by a flood of publicity, the ostrich race attracted attention throughout Australia, and there was great play on the ostriches’ physical attributes in some of the newspaper headlines, of which a typical one was, “Won by a neck.” A sample of the publicity was this: “The birds are broken into saddle and harness in the same way as young horses. AVhile the eyes arc covered, the birds will not attempt to move and will stand until the covering is removed. Even when stampeding in a flock, ostriches do not follow one another, hut spread out abreast as if for a race. Their strength is enormous in a jink’or or small cart and one bird will pull two adults at about 20 miles an hour. With a small boy on its hack, till is speed can he greatly increased.” STAGE FRIGHT. No fewer than 15,000 people attended the trotting club’s ground, mainly to witness the ostrich contest. The club had had a hatch in training for several months, but unfortunately it had neglected to give them practice before crowds. The result was that the five birds which were lined up for the race were stricken with stage fright. As soon as the coverings were removed from their eyes, one bolted in the wrong direction, drawing forth cries of “Manfred!” from the crowd in memory of what that fine racehorse sometimes dues at tho harrier. Three of the birds were harnessed to jinkers, and the other two were ridden by small boys. The four which actually left tho mark did not travel far. They either fell or sat down, those which chose the latter course refusing to budge an inch. One looked like a sure winner, hut suddenly it sat down, and all the persuasion of its driver could not make it continue. Tho one that had raced in the wrong way was eventually guided in the right direction, hut when it seemed to he fairly on its way to Hie winning post, it too, sat down. Finally tho drivers of all the birds gave up in disgust and the birds were led hack to their “ stables.” Meanwhile, the judge yawned and dozed. He felt superfluous. 'Pile trotting club believes that the birds will do lietter at their next attempt. and it intends to repeat the contest to-morrow night. The birds will then bo all ridden. But it is safo to say that 15,000 people will not attend to wat-elj the event.