Rustic Cycling.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 100, 2 May 1904, Page 4

Rustic Cycling.

AN DP-COUNTRY RACE. "Freewheel," the cycling writer in the Stratford Post, has his bump of originality and humour largely developed, and in his notes manages to squeeze more fun than any other cycling scribe we know of. Describing an up-country race, alleged to have been held in Taranaki not a hundred years ago, he writes "Hello," ! I said to my friend, "where is the racing track ?" "That's it in front of you." "What, that ditch, why, it looks like a tunnel with the top ott." On closer inspection I found it had been excavated, thus leaving the track .with a steep bank about two feet high on each side, from which hung dry cocksfoot grass, covering the best and the only part of the track fit to ride on. One rider,when complaining bitterly of the pain caused by the dry ends of the grass hitting his shins, said, " Why, 1 could have won, only I thought that someone was throwing stones at nit'." The bell to summou riders to their marks was not answered promptly, as the competitors refused to start until all dogs were secured. This step was quite justified, as I can assure you there were four times more i dogs than Maoris. If a rider were to I cast his eyes heavenwards, when riding round the track, it was to ga/.e into the eyes of a Maori dog, who, with protruding 9nout, stood on the bank scrutinising everything with a devouring look When all dogs had been fastened up, the grounds presented an amazing appearance. Here Stood a Maori woman with three dogs tied to her waist with flax, her waist measuring about three laps to the mile. Further on a dusky child had a huge mongrel tied to ft perambulator, in which peacefully reposed several copper-coloured children. The starter stood majestically on the bank, with a look which plainly said, "'I shall do my duty or die/ 4 -directly behind the three dogs Which were using the old lady for an -anchor. When the whistle sounded "All ready," he raised a cumbersome weapon in mid-air and lired. Never was a louder report, or confusion worse confounded in New Zealand, since Tarawera blew up. With one accord the three dogs leaped skywards, taking the anchor with them, and fell through what should havo been the top of the tunnel on to the track. Several riders immediately charged into the seething mass of dogs, flax, and wahine, and to add to the commotion a pram was seen advancing at a furious pace, with dog attached, straight for the scene of action ; a sigh of relief was heard when one of the piccanlnies was observed to emerge from its perilous position and scat itself gently on the grass, but the others were borne onward, without any Intermediate station, and hurled remorselessly into the fray. At this stage of the catastrophe, my nerve gave way. I fainted, but I had it on good authority that the starter had been disarmed when just on the point of firing on the combatants. The heat was eventually started, again, but owing no doubt to the absence of several officials, who were discussing dog fights in the refreshment room, the competitors were allowed to ride several miles further than

jthey should have done, in fact they intended to ride until darkness intervened, had not someone shouted out for them to sprint. The second fceat was then got oil successfully,aitee which all concerned, except the placed men in the first heat, wanted it run again, as the officials bad unjustly awarded pride of place to the first three men at the end of three and a half miles, whereas the race was a two-mile one. For two solid hours an argument ensued ; the placed men refused to start if the race was run over again, and threatened to sue the promoters for uutold thousands. The officials brought the local doctor to argue with the competitors, hut he only made matters worse ; then they tried the local lawyer, but his decision .was upset by a well-known racing cyclist. Then everybody gave liis own opinion, free gratis, and for nothing*. Eventually on the advice of an old rider, the entrance fees were refunded and the race declared off. Thus ended a never-! o-be-forgolten cycling race of two miles, the first prize of which was twenty pounds.