![]() The rules of ostrich racing are fairly simple. When it comes to the racing of ostriches, they are either ridden or else asked to pull a wagon in which a jockey will stand or sit and attempt to direct them with the use of reigns. It was certainly popularised in America, thanks to Jacksonville offering ostrich riding as a tourist attraction. In actual fact, it is likely that the practice began in Africa, but the exact knowledge of this isn’t clear. ![]() The history of racing ostriches dates back to 1890, when the practice was first carried out in Jacksonville in the US state of Florida. ![]() They run faster than horses, with only cheetahs able to run faster than them. Given the fact that they can reach speeds of 43 miles per hour and maintain that speed over distance, it was perhaps inevitable that someone would want to ride them at some point. For this reason, the birds tend to only be ridden by children, with South African ostrich farms putting a maximum weight limit of 75 kilograms in place on riders. Reaching as tall as 1.6 metres and weighing more than 130 kilometres, ostriches can take a maximum weight of around 86 kilograms. ![]() The fact that ostriches are the largest bird in the world to be successfully ridden demonstrates this need that some people have to compete with one another. The answer is that people are generally quite stupid and are happy to put themselves at risk if it means that they get to be competitive with each other. Given the propensity of ostriches to attack when they feel threatened, as well as the fact that they have claws that can disembowel a person, you might well wonder why, exactly, ostriches are used in racing. Most attacks tend to take place in South Africa, particularly in an area where ostrich farms are set next to areas of feral and wild ostriches. They boast long claws, which have the ability to disembowel a person with a single blow. If they feel that they need to defend their territories or their offspring then they will also turn violent. They tend to run away if they’re approached, but they can be aggressive if they are attacked. Somewhat unsurprisingly, common ostriches try to avoid humans in the wild, correctly identifying them as predators. Interestingly, the idea that ostriches bury their heads in the sand is a myth, likely started by Pliny the Elder. The farming is somewhat necessary, given the fact that the common ostrich population has declined markedly over the past 200 years. The skin of an ostrich can be used to make leather products, whilst its flesh is marketed commercially thanks to its lean quality. Ostriches are farmed around the world, mainly for its feathers, which are both decorative but are also used to make feather dusters. If an ostrich is threatened then it tends to either lie flat against the ground or else run away, with the latter being relevant to the racing of the bird, as we’ll discuss in more detail later on in the piece. They tends to live in nomadic groups of between five and 50 birds, mainly eating plant matter, small reptiles and invertebrates. Native to Africa, it is the largest bird species that is still living today and is part of the order Struthioniformes. About Ostrichesīefore we discuss the finer details of the racing of ostriches, it is worth looking at the birds themselves. The birds can reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour, so it is fair to say that it has the capacity to be quite a dangerous undertaking for those that would choose to physically ride on them. The sport originated in Africa and spread to other countries, with the United States of America being one of the most common. It is unlikely that the same can be said for Ostriches, which also differ from goats insomuch as they actually carry jockeys, rather than just have them run alongside them.Īs you might imagine, that is a controversial aspect of ostrich racing, so in many places the jockeys no longer ride on the animals and instead they are asked to pull something with a harness. In the case of goat racing, the animal in question was chosen because they were more affordable than horses, which were typically reserved for the island. It is an odd thing that started off as a way of raising money in Tobago before spreading around the world. Ostrich racing ( Darrell Miller / )Įlsewhere on this site you’ll be able to read about the curious world of goat racing.
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