CHARGING BULLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22402, 24 April 1936, Page 14

CHARGING BULLS

IMPKOMPTU EODEO ANIMALS BREAK LOOSE THRILLING CHASE BY DROVERS INGLEWOOD'S CROWDED HOUR [BY telegraph —OWN correspondent] NEW PLYMOUTH, Thursday Inglewood witnessed a rodeo yesterday when two excited bulls on the way to the saleyards practically took charge of that part of the town on the eastern side of the railway. Excellent horsemanship was seen when the bulls decided to make a breakaway, a drover riding at full gallop alongside one infuriated beast and endeavouring to turn it. Time and again the bulls were chased round the block. Hedges and fences were no obstacle to the bulls: if they could not go over, they went straight through. Bicycle Tossed in Air The bulls made rushes at the horses, men and dogs. People ran in every direction, and the alacrity with which they clifibed fences and opened gates was amazing. A bicycle in the path of one charging animal was thrown high into the air. The skill of the horsemen was wonderful, but cautious. With heads lowered, the bulls attacked anything, and one horse was ripped by a horn in an endeavour by the rider to head the animal off.

When the last animal was finally persuaded to go. near the saleyards, he was caught between cars parked there and a wire was hooked through the ring in his nose. Drover's Daring Great daring was shown by the drover, who then handled the beast on about 12ft. of fencing wire. The bull was pulled out from between the cars and it immediately made a rush at the drover, who nimbly stepped aside and then punished the bull by jerking the wire. Each rush by the bull brought him closer to the pens, and finally a last rush saw him safely inside. The time taken to get the bulls from the railway line to the saleyards was one and aquarter hours. Cemetery Invaded The cemetery was invaded by one bull, but he was fortunately persuaded to leave before he did any t more serious damage than walking through the macrocarpa hedge and leaving heavy footprints on the lawns. The bulls took possession of Mr. James' property for fully 15 minutes, and finally rushed through a thick laurel hedge. A bull with its hindquarters in a hedge, frothing at the mouth and throwing dirt into the air by pawing the ground, and with its head lowered, made each horseman cautious, but, nevertheless, the way in which they handled their steeds when they had the bull on the run was a great exhibition.