First Trotting Heat In Taranaki

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 396, 3 July 1928, Page 10

First Trotting Heat In Taranaki

OVER FIFTY YEARS AGC, A VETERAN'S STORY Mr. Adam Sergeant, of New PI,. 9 mouth, in an article in the Tan*. i aki "News" tells the following ;*. ■ teresting story of the first trot, f ting event held in the ‘butter' | district 50 years ago. The great event took place in P» le I in 1ST!!, which, says Mr. Sergeant. 1 in those days a lively little town as. | prosperous. "Everybody worked hard, early 1 late: no half-holiday, and no une®. 1 ployed. SUII. if anything special Wi , ' on, all turned out to see the fun. Xo» | trotters in those days were very f*» | although I could name about eight*] ten fairly good ones Mi. John Bourke. of Kik l.- mica. ta, I two nice mares. "Red 1-' ad and "Biay* j gess." John Iveys had a little blat, J horse called Fidget." Horsetail, fri® j the South Island, brought Darkie"n, I -Our Pony." There w ere others, in I numerous to particularise. A meeting was called of the sporli 1 and it was decided to have a s*«, j stake event handicap. The next thinj j seeing there was no course, it was de- i cided to have the rare on the ro»c j from the top of the Wlienuakur.l Hi j to the top of the Patea Hill, shot three miles. Nominations brought ::] entries. All started. Joe Chadwick in lha Fun Mr. Joseph Chadwick, who was a : the district at that time, was appoint*,; handicapper and starter. One hundrtc j and fifty yards was the limit from in. scratch horse. As stated previously. I look part a j the race. A baker in Patea. Decs: j Sullivan had a bis fchestnut hors* hi I had bought from Cobb and Co.s coat; j and having ridden it on several occasions. 1 reckoned 1 could beat any. dying on the road, trotting. 1 peisuaded Denny to enter him. which k» did. and. luckily, was given the lim: start. 1 knew if I could get him ansi I would go very near winning. Well, it was a fine afternoon an; everybody turned out to see the nr* Fully 300 horsemen lined each side o t the road to witness the event. First Out—First Homs \Vo were put on our marks, four - us being on the limit—Mr. Dan Williams. of Meremere, Jim Tett. Jim Mr Cor ton a horse of Otto Hasses), ant myself. Mi-. I-ittle. the blacksmith a Kakaramoa. bad a fast mare that va* in tiie contest. She was ridden by T.r, Troy, an identity who was well-know to ail the old hands. We were *r ready. Joe Chadw-ick was on the hi’ with his starting flag. He got the sign.-, readv. dropped the flag, and my hors left the mark like a shot and went his life. Every minute I expect* Mick urns, who was riding Red Lest to be up alongside of me The horse galloping on the side of the road helps my mount along. I had to sit ban arid hold him. and duly landed a got* winner. If there had been a lote nt the event, it is hard to say what !» would have paid. I omitted to state that the field wer* all straight-out trotters. Mr. Dent! Sullivan, the owner of the winnim horse, very generously banded me tn* stake of £lO. a very acceptable gif in those days.