WOMAN AS JOCKEY.

Kaikoura Star, Volume LIV, Issue 49, 25 June 1934, Page 4

WOMAN AS JOCKEY.

There was much surprise at the Taranaki Hunt Club’s Point-to-Point Meeting on the New Plymouth racecourse on Saturday when Miss E. Hicks weighed out to ride her own horse Ngareta in the event for first-class hunters.

All the other riders in the race were men, hut this did not worry M : .S3 Hicks one iota. There were many probably who thought that she was appearing rather foolish when Ngareta tailed the field very badly during the first circuit, but if this feeling did exist it was quickly changed to one of astf-nish-ment. soon after the final romil was commenced, as Miss Hicks sent her mount along and began gathering in die leaders. Without any apparent trouble Ngareta took charge haif a mile from home, and, running on so’b’ly. he held off all challenges and won by a length. If was a really splendid performance, and there was a big ovation awaiting the lady rider as she brought her hnr»e back to the birdcage. The winner is a fair sort of hunter, and he was successful in the Maiden Hunters’ Steeplechase at the Taranaki Hunt Meeting last September, beating among others Hauwai, who was second to Valpeen in the recent Great Northern.