RANGITIKEI RACING CLUB

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 50, 27 August 1921, Page 12

RANGITIKEI RACING CLUB

SOME BAKLY HISTORY.

By an Act of the Provincial Council of Wellington, passed, on 19th June, 1862, provision was made for the appropriation and management of certain lands for the purpose of forming- a, racecourse in the Rangitikei district This unique action on tho part of the Provincial Council was a graceful compliment to those worthy pioneers who fought and bled for tho safety of their 1; homes and families, and finally settled, down in- Rangitikoi

Notable amongst the early members of tho RaDgjtikoi Racing Club (culled from tile records prior to 1874) wero Majors Willis, Marshall,' Morsoj M'B&naett, and Gray; Captains Darnell, Pennington, Richa-rdscm, Trafford, Jardaji, Russell, and Prinpfle: Sir James Wilson, John Stevens, M.H.R., John M'Kelvie, sen/., James Bull,, sen:, David Scott,' Donald Fraser, and many others who did much to inako rachig history in New Zealand.

The programme . ; of • a meeting held on Hi© Rangitikei course onl?th March, 1870, makes interesting- reading-, and shows the etout class of horse catered for by the pioneers of' the- district. Nine races figure on the card, of which one was for trotting horses; two hurdle races, each--of a mile and a half over hurdles 3ft 9in, 6upplied the jumping sport The Produce Stakes, a weighfc-for-age race, "for horses that had never run for public money and which had been bred in tho colony," extended to a mile and a half. Then followed tho Stock Horse Race, "for horses the property of stock owners in the province, which had been regurlarly ridden after stock for at least twelve months previously to tho meeting." The distance was two and a half miles; The Ladies' Purse, one mile and a half; The Rangitikoi Flaxmill Plate (open), two miles; The Ranjritikei Stakes (open), two mile* and a half; and the Consolation Race, Qne mile\ and a distance, completed tho galloping- events. Tho trotting race was twice round tho course, "Catch weighte." The next year tho programme was the same, except \that the following rule was added: —"The rules of the late Wanganui Club will bo adhered to."

Rasing- flourished in Rangitikei when sport waned in other districts, the spirit of tho pioneers being reflected in their descendants right through Ranitikei'a long record of eixty-fivo years of racing.