Falling Horse Wins Race at Dargaville

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 905, 24 February 1930, Page 12

Falling Horse Wins Race at Dargaville

DARGAVILLE, Sunday. Backers of Brampton In his second up at Dargaville on Dargaville on Saturday—and they had to lay odds —got a violent shock when the horse fell just before reaching the winning post; but their jolt was as nothing compared with the shock that the rider of the horse received. This was A. Parsons, the successful Ellerslie apprentice. He was in the Awakino Hack Handicap that a near tragedy for riders and backers was witnessed. Brampton, after his easy win early in the day, was again made a big favourite. This was not to be wondered at, for the opposition was very poor, and the price he returned, by a coincidence, was the same as in his earlier successful effort, was a fine one. In the early part of the contest for the Awakino Hack, Brampton was tailed off and half-a-mile from home he was a bad last. However, Parsons knew his mount and lie made a forward move crossing the top, to be within striking distance of the leaders as they swung into the straight. Below the distance the favourite had ranged alongside the pacemaker Orchus, and it was seen that he was going along very easily indeed. With less than a furlong to go, Parsons let his mount go and in a few’ strides Brampton had drawn clear. Fifty yards from home he lied an accommodating lead of three lengths and the race was all over bar the paying out, but “there is many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip.’ Just before coming to the judge the rider commenced to steady the favuorite, and just as lie made to do so the sensational incident occurred.

Five yards from the post Brampton crossed his legs, went forward another stride, and was actually falling when he went over the line of the judge's vision, turning a couple of somersaults.

And that was how a tumbling horse won the Awakino Hack, for the judge placed Brampton first. Turn second and Orchus third, the winning margin being a couple of lengths. But the incident did not end with the judge’s placings. Brampton careered away, after getting up, but his jockey, Parsons. lay on the ground. Finally the horse was caught by a spectator and placed in safe hands, to

Brampton’s Crash — Jockey Parsons Injured Special to THE SUN

be led back to the birdcage for weighing-in process. The ambulance staff was quicklv tending to the injured horseman Jul Hr. M. Greville Mas also on the In a couple ot minutes (in the mea* time the paying out was held udi ,s stipendiary steward. Mr. Angus Cn don. and the club stewards w. waiting for the ambulance to Parsons in to weigh in if he was ,kf to get on the Scales but the medica' report was to the effect that the w was too badly hurt to be put on scales. The injured rider was tai»n straight to the hospital. The stewards were then called te set her to consider the situation ara decided to pay out in accordance wit', the judge’s placings. The action taken by the judicial committee was in a cordance with Rule 12 i cover:- ~ weighing) of the Rules of Racing Th‘; rules reads as follows: When a race has been run every jockey shall i m mediately after pulling up ride his horse to the place of weighing and on being ordered to do so by the jud~e or steward dismount and be weigh’.' by the clerk of the scales to the satisfaction of the judge or a steward. The riders of the first four horses must weigh-in and any such rider failing to do so may be fined a sum not exceeding £SO, provided that if a jockey be prevented by accident or illness from riding to the place of weighing he may walk or be carried to the scales or bo exempted by the stewards from compliance with this rule.” The owner of the second horse Turn, was an interested party in tho discussions subsequent to the mishap and he did not pursue the matter when the rule quoted above was produced Obviously the medical officer’s report could not be overruled and the stewards were quite within their rights in exempting Parsons from weighing-in. It was an occurrence fortunately very rare in racing in this country; in short, it can bo said that Brampton commenced to fall about four yards from the winning post and landed about a yard past the post, so Brampton was actually in the act of falling at the psychological moment he won the race. At first sight Parsons appeared to bo very badly hurt, internal injuries being feared, but fortunately it was "later learned that the injuries were not quite so severe, although the boy*: spinal column was injured, so it was bad enough. Parsons, who is apprenticed to the Ellerslie trainer. .1. Buchanan, has been riding excellently this season and the setback occasioned through this mishap comes at a mos; inopportune time, when his services were in great demand.