RACING UNDER ARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 22 January 1916, Page 13

RACING UNDER ARMS.

* A TALE OF OLD PATEA. MEMORY OF THE DAYS OF COBB AND CO. SPORTING PIONEERS. (By W. K. HOWITT, Stanley Bay) The paragraph in a recent "Star" referring to the old coaching days, when Cobb and Co.'s coaches were the only nieans of communication throughout New Zealand,"and giving special credit to Messrs. Shepherd and Young for their coach 6ervice between Wellington and Wangantii and subsequently on to New Plymouth after the Maori war, was to many of us like a breath from a bygone age! There are not many now living who remembered the time, 4S years ago, when the service was extended from Wanganui as far as Patea. The firet coach whs piloted through by Mr. Shepherd himself, one of the gamest and Jargest-hearted of men, and a sportsman in every sense of the word. The journey up had to be done mostly along the sea coast, and although he left Wanganui in the early morning, it took him the whole day to do the journey of forty miles, for the last dangerous stage of the journey—crossing the l J atea River at the Heads—was accomplished just at nightfall. The coach did not run through to Hawcra till some time afterwards, nnd it was at Hawera that later Mr. shepherd established his home. He bought a small hotel there, and while Mm. Shepherd managed this he still continued to drive the coach till he met his death trying to cross a. flooded river with some urgent mail matter he had on board KEEN SPORTSMEN. There is one little incident in connection with old Patca in which Mr. Shepherd was a central figure that shows the love of sport the pioneers had, even in the face of the greatest dangers. It was towards the end of 1867 or beginning of '08 that the first race meeting was held at Patea. the outposts of civilisation. The ola township at the Headj was then in existence, and military rule was the order of the day. Scouts were sent out, and a suitable course wae found on the present site of the Patea township. The trouble was to get fast enough horses to make the meeting interesting, and it is said that it was through Mr. Shepherd's efforts in bringing one or'two good horses from Wanganui that tlie success of the racing was dv?. The winning post was fixed at a point where a natural grandstand in the shape of a big mound was situated. From this spot a good view of the course, which was a pretty big one, could be ■had. It was also chosen for the reason that the natives were troublesome at the time, and sentries Avtere.posted"reverjv" where to give warning to the onlookers in case an attack was made.

it .;..«.< t."- , , that to enable more of the soldiere to see the racing a number of dummy men were put up at poets ■ of > .'vantage so that the natives might thinka really good look-out was being kept. The Maoris' love of sport is well known. They got wind of the race meeting, and, rolling up in great numbers under cover of the sandhills, watched, it ■is thought, the whole meeting. A RIDER SHOT. This wae proved by a very sad incident towards the close of the day. A rider, whose name is probably long ago forgotten, was coming in an easy winner on one of the horses that Mr. Shepherd Tiad bought up the coast to take part in the racing, and the animal sinking rather deeply into the soft ground in front ot the grandstand, stumbled and threw hie rider. The horse soon recovered itself, but frightened no doubt by the cheering of the crowd as the second horse passed the winning post, he cleared away up past the spot where, it was proved afterwards, the Maoris were in hiding, and his rider, not wishing to lose his steed, followed. The man was warned of the lisk he was running, but took no heed of danger. From what was learned afterwards it was found that the natives saw him coming, let him go past and get his horse, and then shot the poor fellow when he was riding back. They stripped him and left him lying on the spot. A Maori, wearing his shirt, was afterwards seen down at Waitotara, and this same native wae eventually shot in a ekirmish with the whites. The rescued horse'must have been of a good type, for long yeare afterwards he was- the favourite riding horse of Pa tea's second Mayor, and when the faithful animal died it was said that he was 30 years of age. There were about 300 people- present at Patea's first race meeting, mostly military settlers and soldiere, but many of these men had their wives and- families on the ground. As I,hinted at the commencement, "all the older, people that were present on that great day, for it. was a great day, will have long ago reached the last winning post ■ themselves, for 48 years is a long period. If kindness of heart, courage under depressing circumetancee, and absolute fearlessness count for anything in the great life Beyond, these old coloniste will have a very high place, and ban we wonder at the boys of the present generation doing so well on the battlefield when we remember the blood that flows in their veins t