A little more than a week ago, the Night Owl covered some interesting footraces in which people dressed up in costume prior to their runs. (TNB) The Night Owl saved the best for last, however.
What’s better than a person dressing in a silly costume for a footrace? Two people dressing in a silly costume for a footrace!
This… is pantomime animal racing.
Now welcome to the Newcastle Racecourse in the UK, August 2015, and the Great North Gallop.
From Chronicle Live:
(It) was organised by veteran St Oswald’s Hospice fundraiser Paul Donaghy.
Paul, who has supported St Oswald’s for the past 25 years since his mother was looked after there, enlisted other good sports aged between seven and 77 from across the region to don the animal costumes and race half a furlong – 100m – along the Gosforth Park track in a bid to set the new world record and raise over £2,500.
The world record stood at 53 animals and 106 participants. But Newcastle racers topped that with 64 animals and 128 participants.
Included were the obvious horses and less-obvious animals including cows, sheep, llamas, donkeys, deer and camels. The only rule was that each pantomime animal needed to be performed by a two-person crew.
Thankfully, as opposed to the attempt which had generated the previous record, from 2013, this time there were no significant injuries. We at the Night Owl disapprove of having to “put down” pantomime animals.
Question of the night: Have you ever ridden a horse?
