Hooked on THEfish race
Hooked on THEfish race
Fish Race Demonstration was the rather unlikely event announced on the programme
of the recently held Chertsey Agricultural Show. Nicholas Spurling discovered what
it was all about.
Whatever could a "Fish Race Demonstration" be? Was it some strange piscatorial sport involving fish dashing across some enormous glass tank?
All was revealed when into the ring of the Chertsey Show came, not a large tank of fish but two teams of heavy horses pulling carts. This, explained the commentator, was to give us an idea of what the Fish Race was all about.
La Route du Poisson or Fish Run takes place every two years between Boulogne and Paris recreating the time in the mid-19th century when fish was transported from the port to the restaurants of the French capital.
Members of the British Heavy Horse Driving Trials Club are taking part this year for the second time. 10 teams with 20 horses plus back-up vehicles and crew will cross the Channel for the race at the end of September. Each horse will have an export licence, passport and health certificate.
One of the teams will be farmer Robert Sampson and his sons Fred and Harry who will be taking along their two Percherons, Mac and Flower. Roberts family have been at Harbridge Farm near Ringwood in the beautiful Hampshire Avon valley since 1882. Horses have always played a big part on the farm even since the arrival of mechanisation.
"All through the 50s and 60s Dad never got rid of them and then when I left school there was a revival of interest in working horses," said Robert who uses them as much as he can for ploughing, spraying and chain harrowing.
* Percherons
He also runs training courses in driving, forestry and farm work. Percherons are the favourite breed and he now has 17. "Theyre nimble, docile and economic to look after," said Robert who also has the added bonus of being able to look after their shoeing requirements, learning the skill from his father.
La Route du Poisson is a marathon relay for both horses and drivers covering as it does 306km (190 miles) in 24 hrs. Sixteen teams with 320 horses from France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland as well as Britain will be taking part.
There are 20 stages from 10-19km in length and each stage has to be completed in a set time. Penalties are incurred for arriving too early to too late.
The pairs of horses are changed as quickly as possible (seconds can make the difference between winning or losing a section) and their condition carefully checked. If they are seen to be over-tired penalties are again imposed. Each pair is rested for at least seven stages before being allowed to compete again.
The route passes along relatively quiet roads through mainly small towns and villages. In each a large enthusiastic crowd of supporters is guaranteed.
Robert, who was team farrier on the last race in 1999, said, "It was quite amazing to arrive at 3 oclock in the morning in some tiny little place to find the whole population, including the local band, had turned out to greet us."
Roberts skills as a blacksmith also drew quite a bit of attention. It seems that on the continent either the owner of a horse holds it while its being shoed or its put in a crush.
As well as the race itself, which runs non-stop through the night, there are all sorts of parades and special stages taking place before and afterwards including a "boat pull" on the beach at Boulogne.
"Believe me you are pretty shattered by the time you finish. But its a great privilege to be taking part with so many different nationalities all with the common goal of promotion and use of draft horses," said Robert whose sister Rowena McDermott as chef dequipe is in charge of the British team.
"I only hope we dont get delayed on the way back. Last time there was storm in the Channel and we had to wait a week before they let the horses across and Ive got some beans to harvest."
What, with horses? "No, combine this time," he says.
• La Route du Poisson takes place from Boulogne – Paris, Sept 28-30.