FORBURY PARK TROTTING CLUB.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17713, 26 August 1919, Page 2

FORBURY PARK TROTTING CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Forburv Park Trotting Club was held last night, and was attended by 20 members. Mr G. Hodges (president) occupied the chair. The President, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, said that when they started racing at Forbury, some 10 years ago, the club gave in stakes £4250 or an average of £715 per day, while last year they save £9870, or £1645 per day The gato money for the samo period increased from £172 per day to £401 The club, up till last year, had not raced on a public holiday, but to show the advantage of a holiday he had to report that the autumn meeting, which was held on Anniversary Day and the previous Saturday proved the most successful in the history of the club, the amount invested on the totalisator and the gate receipts both being records. The speaker then quoted figures showing that the advance had been a gradual one. The progress was sufficient to convince anyone that the sport was gaining in favour at the Forbury. Mr T. Elliott (vice-president), in seconding tho motion, said the small attendance was an evidence that the members of the club were satisfied with the way the committee was conducting tho business. Mr Elliott then went on to refer to the hard battle the club had had since it bought Forbury Park. The club had gone forward not only as far as improving tho track and appointments was concerned, but in the matter of improving trotting. In this connection he would like to see hopples abolished. So long as they ha-d hopples there wonld be suspicions of crooked running ; it was- so easy to tighten up a strap on one side and throw the trotter off his balance. It was his (the speaker's) ambition to see that all horses trotted without gear, but not necessarily without boots, as these wore essential Ho thought the Forbury Club had taken the lead in encouraging the right class of trotting. Tho motion was adopted. The following officers were re-elected: — President, Mr G. Hodtjes; vice-president, Mr T. Mliott; committee—Messrs R. Grecnslade, T. T. Ritchie, R. Rutherford, and J. W. Thomson; auditor, Mr R. A. Crawshaw. The- re-elected officers present briefly returned thanks.