A CASE OF RINGING-IN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 51

A CASE OF RINGING-IN.

An amusing case of ringing-in occurred down near Wilcannia, N.S.W., many years ago. A big Darling River shearer, well known from one end of the river to the othei for the speed of his "pick-ups " and his ability as a rough-and-tumble fighter, turned up at a little wayside meeting with two horses and two alleged jockeys. One horse was a famous performe. about Bourke and Brewarrina, and was fully entitled to 10.7 among the down-the-river "crocks." The other wap a maiden The shearer entered both horses for all the races, and the good one got top weight, the maiden bottom weight, but he ran the performer as the maiden, and the latter as the performer, and, of course, won all before him. Everybody knew of the change, but the burly owner stifled comment early in the proceedings by violently knocking clown the proprietor of the course— the local publican, who was getting off his " annual "' — when that gentleman started to object before the first race. When the horse came in first, the burly "wool worrier" fiercely ordered the meek storekeeper who acted as clerk of the scales to -neigh him in, and then threatened the judge with corporal punishment if he refused to declare him the winner. Thu3 a big man with a big reputation ran the meeting to his own satisfaction by sheer muscle and cheek, and after drawing his winnings (?) at night and " shouting " for all hands, he packed up and disappeared into a deep bend, to^ no doubt, chuckle over the day's work. Needless to mention, this was prior to the registration days, when roadside races were "run under elastic rules that could be stretched to meet the exigencies of any case. — Melbourne Sportsman.