Well, it was an interesting day at the races.
My polish bantam Magda, who had proved to be promising while training at home, would not go into the starting chute come race day. She threw a fit every time we hooked the chariot up & tried to place her in the starting gate.
Facing disqualification, we had 10 mins to get a bird loaded & ready to race.
We pulled Lucky, our 3 time champion out of retirement, & although she had not been training for racing this year, this was our only hope.
Lucky is 11 years old, overweight, her vision is failing, & by no means in racing form. We had brought her to PoultryFest to cheer on Magda, our young upstart entry into the challenging & gruelling sport of Chicken Chariot Racing.
This was the first time in the 7 years I've been involved in racing that I was nervous. There is some significant off track wagering that goes along with the Championship race. I was worried that Lucky might just keel over, do to lack of conditioning & training for a race of this caliber.
I seriously considering withdrawing from the race, but my friend told me I should race anyways, as many fans & spectators had come to the event, just to see the LittleChickenRacingTeam compete.
The crowd was cheering when they saw Lucky step into the starting gate.
LUCKY....LUCKY....LUCKY was reverberating through the grandstand. It brought a tear to me eye.
Before I give the results let's look at a few pics from the day....
A young woman & her silkie roo were a crowd favourite. Unfortunately they didn't make it to the finals.
The army cadets had their own rooster entered. He didn't make it to the finals either.
Some of the chariots on display at this years event. There are prizes for fastest bird & best dressed chariot.
Lucky & Magda in the racing pits.
The Official Track. 4 lanes wide & 50 feet long.
The crowd gathers.
Contestants are hooked up to their chariots & loaded into the starting gate.
This chook is ready to race.
This roo was more interested the pretty lady than listening to his owners instructions.
I think someone is going in the wrong direction.
Some racing pics.
Check out the crazy guy with the chicken hat filming the event. Oh wait that's me. LOL
This poor roo not only had to pull a pink chariot, but his toenails were painted pink as well.
These people are catching the chickens as they cross the finish line, so that the chariots can be removed & the chooks don't escape into the fairgrounds.
Sometimes a chicken is too fast for them to catch & escapes into the crowd. Just like Lucky did after winning her qualifier for the final championship race.
Psst...Lucky, I got a grape. Now hold still so I can catch you.
I will be uploading video of the final race shortly.....
There can be only 1 winner at PoultryFest, & this year your 2009 Chicken Chariot Race Champion is .....
LUCKY.......pulling the Lucky Bucket, & team owner LittleChickenRacingTeam
That's 4 championships & 1 second place finish in 7 years of racing, making us the most winning Chicken Chariot Racing Champion in the history of the sport in Southern Ontario, CANADA.
Me & my friend Donna & the Luckster show off our trophy. Notice I'm wearing my BYC topless chicks T-shirt
My polish bantam Magda, who had proved to be promising while training at home, would not go into the starting chute come race day. She threw a fit every time we hooked the chariot up & tried to place her in the starting gate.
Facing disqualification, we had 10 mins to get a bird loaded & ready to race.
We pulled Lucky, our 3 time champion out of retirement, & although she had not been training for racing this year, this was our only hope.
Lucky is 11 years old, overweight, her vision is failing, & by no means in racing form. We had brought her to PoultryFest to cheer on Magda, our young upstart entry into the challenging & gruelling sport of Chicken Chariot Racing.
This was the first time in the 7 years I've been involved in racing that I was nervous. There is some significant off track wagering that goes along with the Championship race. I was worried that Lucky might just keel over, do to lack of conditioning & training for a race of this caliber.
I seriously considering withdrawing from the race, but my friend told me I should race anyways, as many fans & spectators had come to the event, just to see the LittleChickenRacingTeam compete.
The crowd was cheering when they saw Lucky step into the starting gate.
LUCKY....LUCKY....LUCKY was reverberating through the grandstand. It brought a tear to me eye.
Before I give the results let's look at a few pics from the day....
A young woman & her silkie roo were a crowd favourite. Unfortunately they didn't make it to the finals.
The army cadets had their own rooster entered. He didn't make it to the finals either.
Some of the chariots on display at this years event. There are prizes for fastest bird & best dressed chariot.
Lucky & Magda in the racing pits.
The Official Track. 4 lanes wide & 50 feet long.
The crowd gathers.
Contestants are hooked up to their chariots & loaded into the starting gate.
This chook is ready to race.
This roo was more interested the pretty lady than listening to his owners instructions.
I think someone is going in the wrong direction.
Some racing pics.
Check out the crazy guy with the chicken hat filming the event. Oh wait that's me. LOL
This poor roo not only had to pull a pink chariot, but his toenails were painted pink as well.
These people are catching the chickens as they cross the finish line, so that the chariots can be removed & the chooks don't escape into the fairgrounds.
Sometimes a chicken is too fast for them to catch & escapes into the crowd. Just like Lucky did after winning her qualifier for the final championship race.
Psst...Lucky, I got a grape. Now hold still so I can catch you.
I will be uploading video of the final race shortly.....
There can be only 1 winner at PoultryFest, & this year your 2009 Chicken Chariot Race Champion is .....
LUCKY.......pulling the Lucky Bucket, & team owner LittleChickenRacingTeam
That's 4 championships & 1 second place finish in 7 years of racing, making us the most winning Chicken Chariot Racing Champion in the history of the sport in Southern Ontario, CANADA.
Me & my friend Donna & the Luckster show off our trophy. Notice I'm wearing my BYC topless chicks T-shirt
