VALUABLE COLT KILLED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26672, 19 January 1948, Page 4

VALUABLE COLT KILLED

ACCIDENT TO MOTOR FLOAT P.A. ' WELLINGTON, Jan. 18. A valuable yearling colt by Foxbridge was killed and another by Gold Nib is not expected to recover from injuries received in an accident which occurred on Desert road, 20 miles from Waiouru, shortly after midnight on Friday. The yearlings, the property of A. T. Cooper, Puahue, Te Awamutu, were travelling to Trentham where they were to be auctioned on the third day of the national yearling sales on Wednesday. The surviving yearlings in the consignment have been withdrawn from the sale.

A motor float, driven by Colin Self, transport operator, Te Awamutu, left Cooper's farm about 5 p.m. on Friday, carrying six horses. Five of these were the property of Cooper. About midnight, when 20 miles from Waiouru in driving rain, the float came to grief through the softened pumice road subsiding under - the weight of the laden vehicle. One side of the float slipped about three feet over the edge of the., crumbling road and the float came to rest on its side against a bank. The loading side of the float fell against the bank and it was impossible to release the three yearlings travelling ir, the forward compartment. As the accident occurred about 20 miles from the nearest assistance, the unfortunate animals spent about seven hours trapped in the vehicle. The three travelling in the rear compartment were unloaded without much difficulty and they escaped with superficial abrasions. When assistance was obtained and the float was righted, it was discovered that the Foxbridge colt had been suffocated by his two companions in their struggles to release themselves.