RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34037, 29 December 1975, Page 19

RANDOM REMINDER

RINGMASTER

Most of us trudge through our dreary lives without ever having an opportunity to really distinguish ourselves, to live out our childhood fantasies of performing heroic deeds in the face of almost insuperable odds. A few are smiled on by fortune and so by their fellow-men. One of them, a Christchurch professional man, had his opportunity a week or two ago, and took it boldly. In one of the suburbs, a horse tossed its rider, and galloped on to a nearby golf course. Our hero, a member of the golf club, was well aware that if there are horses for courses, that means

race courses, and that flying hooves are not good for greens. So he immediately saddled up—safety belt — in his car and set off in pursuit. Another club member did likewise. Some skilful driving had this wild mustang cornered, and our intrepid hero alighted to capture it. It must have taken rare courage even to get close to this rogue horse, with its plunging hooves, its bared teeth, its wild eyes. But he did it. Moreover, he mounted it and rode it back in triumph to the car park. It was a magnificent performance,

and the story lost nothing j in the telling. But only until a few days later, when truth was out. The other motorist happened to have his camera in the car, and he took some shots. They were beautifully clear colour prints, i They disclosed that the ' runaway horse was hardly ■ a savage killer. It was ; nearly 12 hands, and ' looked half asleep. And the man who captured it stands about 6ft 3in. The horse’s lack of ; stature and the man’s ; length of leg were rather . at odds, and the picture ! of him riding it back i hinted he was trying to • use his knees for ear- i muffs. 1