The deaths of Admire Rakti and Araldo after the running of the 2014 Melbourne Cup saw moirologists and Cimmerians standing in serried ranks mourning the loss of two good horses. Naturally, a call was sent out to ban horse racing because that ‘sport’ was laid on to make money and mistreat animals and provide a ‘picnic’ atmosphere which enabled people to eat and drink to excess.
If those are the rules we should also ban the bridge-to-bridge boat race because it has claimed two lives in two years. It is a shallow sport that merely grants the winners bragging rights and a cheap trophy.
Let’s ban water skiing.
Tragedy had struck at the Bridge to Bridge waterskiing race that was a memorial for Wellington water skier Sarah Teelow, who died while competing 12 months ago.
One man was killed and another seriously injured when the boat they were in veered out of control and flipped. The passenger, identified as Ian Baker, died at the scene while the driver, Daniel McMahon is reported to have suffered neck and shoulder injuries. Two water skiers who were being towed by the boat were uninjured.
