ALL FELL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1041, 4 August 1930, Page 12

ALL FELL

COMEDY IN LAWFORD STEEPLES FOUR HORSES REMOUNTED Special to THE SIX CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. For unsurpassed comedy and incident, the L.awford Steeplechase at the Christchurch Hunt Club's meeting at Riccarton today provided one of the greatest r?e*-s ever witnessed on the course. The rare spectacle was seen of all five contestants falling; with an ensuing race among the dismounted horsemen. There was no delay at the start, and the first fence was overcome without difficulty. Peterette led at this stage from Kulrange, Wairio and Illuminator, and it was the last who set the ball rolling by crashing heavily at the second fence ip front of the birdcage ‘enclosure. His rider, T. remained on the ground for some time leceiving first-aid attention. All went well with the remaining four candidates during the next mile, by -which time they were approaching the brush obstacle, perhaps one of the most deceptive fences on the Riccarton course. Here Kulrange assumed command, but it was short-lived, for catching the top of the brush with his hind legs he came into sudden contact with terra firma. Immediately following him vas Peterette, who became entangled also. Before either could regain its feet Wairio, the favourite, took the fence, and liis progress too was impeded. In the meantime Seaboy had been whipping-in, hopelessly out of the race 100yds behind. On reaching the fence a clear path was before him. but apparently engrossed in the doings of his rivals he, too, met with disaster. Then there was a general rush from all sides on the part of spectators in an endeavour to intercept the riderless horses, while the jockeys staged an impromptu race themselves in the effort to be the first to mount again. Ruckily Seaboy had little time to gather pace, and was soon brought to a standstill. Remounting, Jockev J. Sharkey set off for the last fence. Seaboy rose, then stumbled on landing, but recovered dexterous!?*, to win one of the most amazing races seen in the Dominion for some years. Willing hands soon stopped Wairio’s flight, and with his pilot seated again he claimed second honours, only, however, after Peterette had fallen a second time. On this occasion a spectator was in the saddle, and in his fall he tore the bridle from the head of the horse. Not to be denied, the amateur took his seat as the horse began to extricate itself from its predicament. Then developed a duel for third money, and despite the efforts of Peterette's rider in swinging the bridle about bis mount’s head, Kulrange got a narrow decision amid shouts of encouragement from the crowd. That was not the finale to Petorotto's adventures, for. under no control, he careered round past Cutt’s fence and wound up in the training Sportsmen did not forget to show their appreciation of the remarkable feats of horsemanship, and the return of each candidate to the enclosure was the signal for spontaneous cheering intermingled with laughter and shouts of derision. Thus closed a race which will go down in the annals of the Christchurch Hunt Club as one of the most spectacular and amusing since the club’s inception.