THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY, THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1922. HORSEMANSHIP FORBIDDEN.

Wairarapa Age, 16 March 1922, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY, THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1922. HORSEMANSHIP FORBIDDEN.

The thousands of spectators who gathered at Solway showgrounds on Saturday felt that they had got their money’s worth if they had seen nothing beyond the very fine display of horsemanship which was given there. Probably no gatherings for years pas: has provided such a splendid exhib: tion of the noble art, which is now in danger of extinction by the steady invasion of mechanical transport. The district from the Wairarapa plain eastward to the coast is in a peculiar sense the home'of horsemen, and it would be a great pity if events like those seen at Solway on Saturday were to cease. Yet, if we are to believe the “Dannevhfce. News," that is quite likely to happen if the existing law is too rigidly enforced. There was a sports meet ing at W T aione last week, which is usually similar 1 in character to those at Homewood and Langdale, where some of the finest horsemanship in the Dominion to-day is to be witnessed. The local constable, acting no doubt in the execution of his duty, forbade the running of the thread-the-needle race be cause the horses gallop to the finishing post. Deferring to popular opinion, he permitted the medley to be run pro vided the gallop came first, the trot next, and the walk over the last stage to the finishing post. If the gallop came last he held it to be without the law. From the spectators’ point of view this utterly destroyed the interest of the event. A year or two ago the Minister of Internal Affairs explained to a deputation at Pongaroa that the restrictions were intended to prevent accidents at unregistered race meetings. It seems to have been the outcome of an agreement between the Hon. G. W. Russell and the Racing Conference for the suppression of unregistered meetings. Either explanation is ridiculous. Not only are regular race meetings out of the question in districts like the East Coast, but there are fewer accidents at such gath erings than at any registered race meeting in the Dominion. These districts are the nurseries of fine horsemen. Their sports meetings are annual gatherings of a special character where horsemanship of the highest class is seen, and it would be an unpardonable blunder to suppress them. If this is intended, then we agree with the *‘News’’ that the Government had better put every lad bred in the coun try in petticoats and tie him to its apron, strings.