THU NGATEA SHOW.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4535, 5 March 1923, Page 2

THU NGATEA SHOW.

(To the Editor.) . sir,—l would like a little space in your paper to say a few words in reference to your report criticising the jumping events at tiic Ngatea. show, which says : “The jumping events, however, were the prior attraction, the amusing failures of some of the competitors supplying a vein of levity .that made a strong appeal to the crowd. The fact was that most of the horses absolutely declined to face the hurdles, while many of the riders, though appearing to induce their mounts to take the jumps, also seemed to lie trusting that the horses would walk around them.” Now, I think that such an article is the most cowardly and uncalled-for statement that I have read in print. In the first place, did the writer of it ever see such jumps without wings in the hihiting field ? . If i he knew anything about hunting he would have seen for himself that the riders were not frightened to send their horses over the hurdles that were provided with wings, and, .what is more, such hurdles without wings should never be allowed in any show-ring. They are dangerous for both horses and riders, for most horses will go around the hurdles if they get a chance. It is very easy for the man on the fence to say, “keep therii straight on to the hurdle and thev will jump it,” but that is easier said than done with most hunters, for you can tell several yards away from the hurdles whether they are going to jump or not, and if they, attempt to go around it would only be madness to try and make them jump, for they would only crash through it and injure themselves, and perhaps their riders. The jumping events started with the maiden hungers, which seemed to amuse the public most. Some of the horses and riders travelled a long way to compete, and do you think they went to all that trouble and be pleased, as the writer tries to make people believe, to have their horses walk round the hurdles ? I would like the reporter to know that the prize was the large sum of one pound (£1), for which they were asked to risk their necks. A COMPETITOR. Kaihere.