CULT OF THE HORSE.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15184, 9 March 1923, Page 2

CULT OF THE HORSE.

ROME AND RANDWICK.

RACING ANCIENT AND MODERN. Horse-racing lias, our moralists declare. become an obsession among Australians (states a writer in the Sydney Sun). But has any punter yet carried about with him a golden statue of Eurythmic? Or covered him with luxurious blankets dyed in , imperial pimple.? Or garnished his oats nuts and raisins? Or bought an allotment in Hie heart of the city on which to build him a gorgeous tomb.

These are only a few of the honors paid to famous champions by Ihose unequalled devotees of racing, the Romans.

The marks of favour mentioned above were conferred by the Emperor Lucius Verus on Volucer (that is, The Flyer), one of the many famous horses mentioned by the Roman historians. The Emperor Caligula carried his enthusiasm for the horse Incitatus to the point of appointing him consul! And on the days when he was to appear cohorts of legionaries were ordered out to parade Ihe streets and proclaim silence, so that Ineitatus might rest before his performance. But then, Caligula wag^mad. A wealthy Randwick owner, who amuses himself by running two ponies regardless of expense)' often exasperates his. trainer by giving Ihe animals ripe apples and milk chocolates. This is well on the way to nuts and raisins. And in spite of all prophecies to the contrary, one of the pampered ponies has a couple of-wins to its credit. Racing, both as we know it and in the more thrilling form of the chariot teams, was a popular passion among the Romans. Racing syndicates were known from their colours as the “Greens” and “Blues,” the “Reds” and the “Whites.” Volurer carried the Green colours, and, according to the sober philosopher Epictetus, when he fell behind on one occasion a punter who had regarded his as a “sure thing” fainted /on his marble seat. When, the champion won his friends had to revive the backer in order to alldw him to collect his winnings. Gate of 200,000. As the frenzy of the factions often led to riots, the excitement at the Circus Maximus must have been keener than at Randwick. To begin with, the crowd qumbered nearly 200,000, and the roar of cheering that greeted the turn into the straight travelled far beyond the Seven Hills. As the horses emerged on to the course they were roused to do their utmost by enormous orchestras of flutes, trumpets and other instruments, while coloured ribbons and fla&s were waved in front of them .When the races were held at night torches were whirled at the barrier.

As with Australians, the form and prices of famous horses rivalled the weather as a staple topic of conversation among the Romans. Young men about,town loitered at the huge stables and were delighted if allowed to fill the mangers. The Emperor Vitellius, famous for his » dish of nightingales’ tongues, was absurdly pleased when a head trainer allowed him to go over a favoured racer with the ourrycomb. The best racing years of the horses were from three to five. After extensive experimenting the Romans found that the best horses were obtained from Spanish strains. ’ bred on the sandy plains of Northern Africa. This--recalls the fact that most of the modern English thoroughbreds are the descendants of two African horses, the Godoiphin Arabian N and the Dariey Arabian, imported into England in the 181 h century. The Romans had enormous studs in Sicily, Cappadocia and elsewhere. At these, as to-day, victorious horses were in great demand as sires, and they earned probably as much in fees as such modern thoroughbreds as Persimmon, King Edward’s horse, whose fees amounted to (£126,900. For the. racing life and endurance of the ancient horses seem amazingly long. The iiames of many are preserved who qualified for the special harness given after 100 wins. , Pensions for Champions. Among the names of horses who were urged to victory by the cheers of 200.000 are those of Passerinus, Tigris, Tuscius, and Victor. Monuments to some of them, and to the famous fo-al Andraemon, are still extant. Often a horse who had won the favour of the crowd received a pension on retiring. The Romans enjoyed racing in more varied forms than we know. Such a champion as Passerinus might be ridden by a jockey or might be trained to race without a rider. One of the historians mentions an incident in which a racehorse whose jockey had fallen finished without a rider, evidently imagining that the committee had exercised its right to alter the programme without notice. On other days Passerinus would make one of a team of four in a chariot race. His place would he the left on the outside, as on his speed and intelligence would depend the charioteer’s success in making the perilous turn at each end of the course. They would be required, too. for such manoeuvres as that described in “Ben Hur,” where a wheel of the leading chariot is cut off. Our moralists who deplore that racing in Australia has so many hangerson may take comfort in ihe thought that we have no parallel to the enormous staffs of the Roman st.ables, which employed, (to mention a few), jockeys, charioteers, wheelwrights, grooms, trainers, carpenters, veterinary surgeons, and artists.

The feuds of the factions were carried on for 600 years, and culminated in 332 A.D., at Constantinople, where a riot in the circus developed into a battle. On the city legions being called out it became a massacre, and before order was restored 30,000 perished. Somehow racing seems to have lost its pep!