Ostrich racing with driver in cart

Ostrich racing with driver in cart

Ostrich racing with the driver in the cart Believe it or not, ostrich racing is an ancient sport that still has an avid following today, yet few know much about this bizarre competition. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, ostrich racing was extremely common in America, especially in Florida, where this photo was most likely taken. Ostrich farms and racetracks first appeared there in the late 1800s. Back then, any visitor had the opportunity to ride the lanky African birds. All you had to do was shell out 50 cents and weigh less than 150 pounds. Curious as to how one would mount an ostrich? The May 1920 issue of Popular Science explains: "When you mount an ostrich a sock is pulled over its head - it feels safer in the dark. When the sock is pulled off, it leaps forward. You grab the feathers and hang on while the ostrich races around the track with you. It can easily beat a horse in a long-distance race." If mounting an ostrich sounded too dangerous to you, you could always have it pull you in a small carriage instead.