Susan Hoyt, Williamsport, is this year’s champion swine fitter. Gaik Snyder, New Tripoli, took champion honors in sheep fitting. Horsepowers fight to finish at Strasburg STRASBURG - In terested In watching a race between a four-legged horse and an iron one? Horsemen and locomotive enthusiasts will be out in droves to watch horseflesh pitted against steam power in a great race between the Strasburg engine and a stagecoach. According to Don Denlinger, of Strasburg, the event to be held on May 10 at 2:30 p.m., will be a re enactment of a similar race that took place 190 years ago. “If you miss this one,” he said, “you’ll have to wait another 50 years to see it again.” Denlinger explained that 150 years ago, people did not believe that a steam engine, or a ‘tea kettle on four wheels’ could pull itself, let alone passengers and freight. But, he added, a locomotive called the Friend of Charleston, was gaining the reputation of breaking all speed records at an in credible 35 mph. This new era in tran sportation threatened the stage coaches the only method of mass-transit at the time. And in 1830, a challenge for a race was heralded from the horseman to the boiler-makers. The steam engine ‘John Bull’ didn’t fair too well in the original race, noted Denlinger. “The belt blew off the blower so there was nothing to keep the draft on the fire and the engine lost its pressure.” The horses won the first race, but that was the only one, Denlinger said. After its defeat, the steam engine was Circle M Ranch’s Tom Ricks, right, and horse-trainer Fred Germer will be driving the stagecoach in the great race between horseflesh add the Strasburg locomotive on May 10th. Putting on the finishing touches. Little I (Continued from Page A 24) champion swine fitter; Jeanne Bucher, Ridley Park, reserve champion fitter; Martha Gregory, Lititz, champion horse showman; Janet Kaufman, Harrisburg, reserve champion horse showman; Linda Shafer, Bath, champion horse fitter; and Eileen Mera. Bethlehem, reserve champion horse fitter. Jeff Bylerly, a junior dairy production major and member of the Block and Bridle Club, received this year’s Glenn R. Kean Award for leadership. ' revamped converted to chain drive. This turned the tables in the rematch, giving victory to the iron horse. The May 10 race will be for a quarter mile between a stagecoach driven by Circle M Ranch’s Tom Ricks and Fred Germer and the Strasburg steam engine. The winner will go on to race the Stanley Steamers. Denlinger said Dale Rains cleaned up the honors in the beef division, capturing the cham pionships tor fitting and showmanship. some looking to find a stagecoach for the race. “People who had the stagecoaches didn’t want us to hook horses to them. Mitchell Hill Carriage Museum finally located one in North Carolina. “It was actually manufactured in Concord, New Hampshire. We had to completely restore the coach put on a new tongue, it took Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 3,1980—A25 Robert Herr, jn, , p j Jge „ year’s Little I, consults with the other species judges, Glen Klippenstein, beef; Mike States, swine; and Nancy Kadwill, horses. straighten the un dercarriage.” In the original race, the that Circle M will be driving coach was pulled by one are Hanover Downs harness horse as depicted in a photo race horses. “We tried them drawing that Oenlinger had out last week and they didn’t on hand. But, this time, there like the screaming whistle, will be two horses pulling the They were up on their hind coach, and there will be four feet ... hopefully by passengers women from Saturday’s race they will be the Mary Faree Society, down on all fours.”-SM Sheep and lamb sale slated MERCER The County Sheep and Wool Growers Associations of Northwest Pennsylvania will be holding their sixth annual sheep and lamb sale on Saturday, May 10. Over 400 lots will be consigned at the Mercer County 4-H Park. The sale is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Thirty-six lots of registered yearling ewes are entered for the sale, con sisting of Hampshire, Suf folk, Merino, Rambouillet, Southdown, Oxford, Corriedale, Shropshire, Dorset and Polled Dorset sheep. NEED MORE ROOM? <^nl ßead The Classified <•*“ Y»u OVJYt, . M*V« *V«t/ Real Estate Ads y y -sf tv 'C {M Paradise, wearing costumes from the period. Denlinger said the horses There will be eighteen lots of non-registered yearling ewes. Sixty-six of the lots offered for sale will be registered ewe lambs, with seventy three lots of non-registered lambs. Over SO yearling and lamb rams will be offered for sale, along with more than 130 wethers. Auctioneer for the sale will be Lloyd Brabam, Grove City. For more information, contact Raymond Tait, R 4 Mercer, 412/475-2136.
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