OLD WANGANUI.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7356, 8 July 1889, Page 2

OLD WANGANUI.

By Spectator.

It is four months since I had something to say about racing in the old days of Waneanui. A correspondent, whose notes appear in these columns, brings back recollections of the good old days of steeplechasing at Aramoho, and in Nelson, and being one of the old school of owners and riders, he should be qualified to judge of how steeplechase courses of to-day compare with those of from fifteen to twenty years ago. In my opinion the natural steeplechase country at Aramoho was par excellence the best laid out, if one of the stiffest, of all the then New Zealand crosscountry courses, and at the present time I know of none in the colony that could compare with it in that respect. Situated about two and a half miles from the town, on the banks of the Wanganui river, was Mr John, or, as he was better known then, Johnny Walker's Aramoho Hotel. Behind the hotel were commodious stables, and Aramoho was then the ohief training quarters in the North Island—or rather the chief in any part south of Auckland. Between racehorses and stud horses in the boxes, and brood maras and young blood stock in the paddocks, there was always something worth looking at; indeed Aramoho was to breeders on the West Coast of the North Island what Sylvia Park is now to breeeders in the Auckland districts. It was always pointed out as the one place to flnd quality in thoroughbreds, and where farmers could choose from a number of massive, symmetrically formed Clydesdale sires if breeding for the heavier duties of the field was desired; aye, and what sort were the ponies they turned out there? Old Tom Thumb, at one time in Bird's circus, was a wonder, and he left behind him a host of worthy representatives. But If Aramoho was celebrated as a stud and racing establishment it was famed as a rendezvous for sportsmen of all classes, and Mr Walker's collection of sporting dogs, birds (game and otherwise), pheasants, monkeys, &c, were not amongst the least of the attractions of the Elace, indeed, as an all round sporting ostelry the Aramoho was hard to beat: but if there were attractions more striking than others, they were the Aramoho race meetings, and particularly the periodical steeplechase meetings. For real downright enjoyment, Aramoho gatherings for many years held the cake, and there were indeed some jovial souls present,—men who thought nothing of putting their steeds over five-barred gates, or performing some dare-devil feats of horsemanship,—who thought as little of forming in a band and taking a straight away course for miles over country, as they would do of eating their breakfasts; in short, they were horsemen of a class who took their pleasures in the pigskin, and they were usually mounted on something that knew how to carry them. There was a large and select number of these gentlemen who were known as very devils to ride —many of the Yeomanry Cavalry men. These were theclassof horsemen to be met with at Aramoho. The professional element was wanting, but there were plenty of riders who could handle their horse well, and who were more at home when riding over big country than many of the riders of today, not that the latter are wanting in Elude, but with improved breeding we aye been gradually getting into a faster class of horses whose jumping powers are not so marked, and riders lack the experience of negotiating formidable fences. The class of horses which won steeplechases then ; Would not be "in it" with the nags we have now over the lighter country we now race over, and few indeed of the best horses we have would be found equal to the task of getting over the country of twenty years ago. Undoubtedly a class which it does not pay to race now wodld have had a' show then. The Aramoho steeplechase coarse "was so situated that it could be seen the entire journey from a hill in the back ground which formed a coign of vantage, m a natural grand stand it was, which often did duty for large numbers of spectators. The course was marked out by flags stack in tbe fences, in such a way as to give one the impression that choice of a fair banting country was a long way from the thought of the one who place them there.. Poms defined the coarse on tbe flat, and the invariable starting instructions to the riders was* " Between tbe flags on the fences and at the creek, and keep the flags on the poles in the paddock on your left." There were no other indications of the coarse such as we have now-a-days. Grass mowers were unknown, and well defined and laid down galloping ground was not looked for. If the horses had to gallop through wet pastures, or ploughed fields, or through docks standing in places, a foot or two above the ground, there were no murmurs of discontent. The riders were quite conten* to be weighed out meeting after meeting, year after year, on the same old set of steelyards, suspended from the limb of that well remembered old tree, just off the running ground at the top of the course under the shade of the hIU. The visitors were content to bavetheir oeer drawn from the spikle hole from a hogshead standing in one of the carts Improvised for the purpose. If there were no licenses to sell fermented and spirituous fluids there was no interference and no one quarrelsome enough to raise the question. The saddling paddock extended over some acres of land, and if it was not big enough to suit everyone the accommodation in the next might be found sufficient. Anyone who had any fault to find might race elsewhere. This was generally known. Any-

way there never were any and the whole business went on ta-Ufettost free and easy style from_flrst to .last. Sometimes it would occur W the Visitors that they had not had. enough to for their money, , and a afternoon's racing would be got up*t off the reel, and when they had had enough racing and wanted a change tilting in the ring,'*" pigeon shooting,*' u cock fighting, " foot racing," or " canoe racing, on that fine stretch of water the Wanganul river, was introduced for a wind up. If these forms of amusement did not suit, twentyfour hours' notice was quite sufficient to get all the jumpers together from miles round, and Johnny Walker or some of his sons would lay a paper trail. "Paper hunting" was then a favourite pastime as there were no hares and ho hounds. Yes, Wanganui has always been a sporting centre and if Aramobo has long since become a thing of the past, and time has changed the manner in which the sports of the day are conducted and enjoyed, those who have advanced in years with the place can look back to tha time when younger blood coursed through their veins, and while sighing for a return to those good old days, note with satisfaction, like a correspondent elsewhere, that raciug matters in their district are still in a healthy state, and largely controlled by tho breeders and not the gamblers of the turf.