Sports from the past week.

Past sports article for the week of 11/6/05

Youngsters Dream of Melbourne Cup Glory
By, Grey Sports

The winning of the Melbourne Cup by Australian mare Makybe Diva has been a monumental boost to the entire nation’s pride. Everyone in Australia feels as if they own a piece of this record-breaking horse, and some want a piece of the dream any way they can.
While physical souvenirs from the horse are presently limited to hair and manure – anything else will have to wait until the horse dies of a natural death so the flesh can be sold to Chinese restaurants. Even then there would be very few willing to harm their latest icon.
Instead children are making every effort possible to obtain a piece of this sporting dream.
While rugby and cricket clubs remain filled to capacity it is due mostly to the physical requirements of being jockeys. For once it is the undersized children that are being given most of the advantages.
As this is Australia the disappointment at not becoming a jockey is short-lived when the consolation is becoming an expert in one of the most physically brutal sports in the world and developing a neck three-hat sizes bigger than your head.
However some of the bulkier children have taken innovative steps towards increasing their chances of participating in the Melbourne Cup.
Courses that lead to veterinary services, horse training and even leatherwork for saddles have seen a dramatic rise in applications.
While unexpected, this move is not unwelcome as most of the courses operate at the community level or promote a wide degree of services or handicrafts applicable outside of horse racing.
What is more disturbing is the newfound desire among several youngsters to become horses.
Undeterred by the physical impossibility of this many Australian youngsters are practicing gallops on two legs, hoping to develop some sort of four legged system in the future, possibly involving surgical options if need be.
Most children are loath to simply grab a friend and don a horse costume, partially because of dignity issues, also because these individuals are incredibly competitive, and are unwilling to share the limelight, especially with someone who might let you down at the last minute.
As some put it, that they would have to carry a jockey would be bad enough, to carry someone who thinks a mere One hundred and thirty percent is enough to win is too much.
Also drawing these youngsters is the notion that with a little practice and a few years of intensive work they can retire young to a life of leisure and breeding.
This has disgusted community leaders who are demanding counseling and lifetime expulsions from pet stores for all these individuals.
Animal lovers rights activists have attempted to step in to promote their “lifestyle options with partners of choice”, only to be beaten to bloody pulp by animal lovers who are not as extreme in their practices.