SPORTING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4031, 6 February 1892, Page 2

SPORTING.

Dlswallflcatloa .of Tuhltarata.

In a letter to the Weekly Jfrees, Mr W. E. Bidwill, referring to the incident at the recent Wairarapa Race meeting, says, infer alia The Ste.wards called the owner and jockey of Comet (2nd horse) also the trainer and jockey of the tbird horse, both interested in seeing the first horse disqualified. Ono ol the. Stewards volunteered evidence that he saw a jostle as he was riding up the straight some distance behind the horses. Another Steward repeated some words to the rider of Tuhitarata as he was weighing in, viz,, "They had me yesterday, I liad them to-day," or words to that effeot. It was on this latter evidence that the stewards mostly relied in giving their verdict; this was all the evidence oilled. .Neither Wi Hutana, owner of Tuhitarata, or any outside witnesses, who were on the inside of the course and oould see what distance Comet was from the rails, were called; neither was the rider of Tuhitarata re* palled to explain his words to the stewards, ao that thecaae really meant all the witnesses or the plaintiffs side and none on the defendant's, The stewards upheld the protest and awarded tbe stakes to the second horse, After another race had been run they had the rider of Tuhitarata up and disqualified him for one month, With the whole of this decision I entirely disagreed, as I considered if, even after a most searching enquiry a jostle had ken proved, it would have been quite sufjfeient to have diaqualifind the jockey, as nine people out of ten on tho course could testify that Comet was beaten before the alleged jostle took place, and that Tuhitarata wbb comparatively speaking full of; running, In my opinion the verdict seemed sg unfair and unjust that I considered I had no other way of showingmy entire disapproval thau by resigning, after discussing the matter over with a fellow steward, From the reports sent out by one individual to the Press, it appeared as if I had harangued and abused my fellow stewards, at)d incited the crowd on to violence, whereaß I am sure the aotion J. took alone saved the stewards from unpleasantness, as right through the meeting the public were getting more and more incensed at the "crooked" piping, and -it culminated in their giving full vonji to thejr feelings when they saw with their own eyes what took place in the Coinet-Tuhitarata case, I maintain, without foar of contradiction, that the majority of the backers of Compt were as muoh in., .censed as the other si,de j ip fact, it was a case of general disapproval at the verdict, and a more indignant orowd I never wish to witness again if) tlje Wairarapa. >