JOCKEYS ARMED WITH DAGGERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2372, 17 August 1899, Page 36

JOCKEYS ARMED WITH DAGGERS.

A writer in Temple Bar gives an account of the famous race which tskes place every year at the old TuFcan town Siona. The course is an irregular oval, lying along the steep hillside, and as the curves often degenerate into corners, and parts- of the course are paved, accidents are to be expected. Siena is divided for municipial purposes into "wards," and ench ward enters a horse the evening before thp race. The horse and his jockey are es^orfpil with sfreat ceremony to the church of tho ward, where the two are solemnly blessed by the priest?. If the ar.inip] happen to be a mare, she wears a wl-ite cap during the ceremony of blessing. The men ride barebacked, and each carries a. blunt dagger, with which it is permissible to attack oilier jockeys or horses. Use of the weapons is practically confined to the start, when those who know they have no chance of winning devote themselves to the congenial work of attacking any horse that has, which is painful for the favourite, unless ho succeed in jumping away with the lead the moment the rope used as "starting gate " is lowered. Intense jealousy seems to be the most conspicuous feeling about the race ; the winning jockey slipped off his horse at the post and was immediately surrounded by a body of gendarmes, who escorted him away le3t the people of the defeated wards should try and. kill him I In the evening the

winner and-i jockey are escorted to the ward church to be blessed again. With this odor of sanctity about it, Siena -race should, be free from lust of gain, and fairly run afc least. Sad to say, this is far from being the case ; the jockeys are " doubly or trebly dyed traitors, who have sold themselves over and over again to pull and impede in this .or that interest." The only element of uncertainly in the race, which is said to be " arranged " by the ward authorities beforehand, is the dishonesty of the jockey, who, if bribed not to win, sometimes pockets the money and gives way to the temptation to catch the judge's eye and lets his horse out.