OSTRICHES IN "RACES"

Shannon News, 14 January 1927, Page 4

OSTRICHES IN "RACES"

ATTEMPT IN MELBOURNE. SYDNEY, Dec. 16. | Early this year an attempt was made to make ostrich-racing popular in* Adelaide, but, Avith the birds ridden or driven by smalt boys, it proved a failure, the 'ostriches refusing to race. About a month ago the trainer of the birds descended upon Melbourne, and after a few weeks' further training and broadcasting of publicity, he introduced the "sport" to the Victorian capital last Saturday. The result was a complete and cruel fiasco. The birds, bewildered and terrified by the crowd and lost in their unusual surroundings, either refused to run, or when they did, scattered and ran round the course in opposite directions amid the laughter and, in some cases, the strongly expressed disapprobation of the spectators. A team of 14 ostriches was brought from South Australia. Instead of boys, "dummies" weighing a pound or two, were fixed on the backs of the birds by means of straps in front and behind the wings. Where the birds were driven in trotting sulkies their harness consisted of a light and thicklypadded collar and a small saddle, the whole weighing 31b. to 41b. No bridle was used, the reins being attached to the collar which came to the base of the neck, and the drivers had little or no control. Six birds were run in the. first race, and were mounted by "dummy" riders. When the hoods were slipped from their heads In the pen an extraordinary scene occurred. The panel from the pen to the"course was opened and the birds rushed through, fand although an attempt was made to turn them all the one way, half turned to the right and half turned to the left.

The spectacle was greeted with roars of laughter by the spectators and the birds became confused. Some stood still, others fled round the course, and, meeting 1 those coming in the opposite direction pursued by sheep-dogs, turned and ran backwards. One bird endeavoured to break through the fence in front of the grandstand. The others rushed. to and fro, and tti some instances tripped and fell. Finally they were all shepherded back to the pen. In the second attempt, two birds harnessed to trotting sulkies and two with "dummy" jockeys were turned on to the course. This attempt proved a greater fiasco than that which preceded it. The two sulkies and one "dummy" turned to the left, and the other rushed the right track. The birds in the sulkies, over which the drivers had no control, scarcely moved out of a fast walk. Again the laughter and shouting of the crowd seemed to stupify the birds, which either stopped or ran aimlessly aobut. Then the bird which had turned to the right came down the course «imong the other three and completed the rout. One of the Kulkies swung round and made off at great followed by a bird with a "dummy." and the bird jumped on the sulky and caught a \o>: in a wheel, bringing the two birds and the sulk v. with its driver, down in a heap. The driver wns kicked on a leg and a hand and badly bruised and the leg of one bird was cut. A third attempt to make the birds race was equally unsuccessful. The attempted racing brought a strong protest from the Victorian branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The secretary of this body witnessed the racing and described it as "disgraceful, degrading and disgusting." He stated that if the performance was repeated, the society would take action pr-nin the people responsible.