cardigan bay was a new zealand harness racing pacer foaled 1 september 1956 .

affectionately known as " cardy " , he was the first standardbred to win us$ 1 million in prize money in north america .

he was the ninth horse worldwide to win one million dollars , ( the first eight were thoroughbreds ) .

cardigan bay won races in new zealand , australia , canada and the united states .

along with his arch-rival , american champion of the day , bret hanover , he has a legitimate claim of being one of the truly great standardbred racehorses .

cardigan bay became an overnight sensation in the united states , and appeared with dancer on the ed sullivan show as the " million dollar horse " .

cardigan bay ( horse )

beswick cardigan bay # 2340 -
the million dollar pa . . . beswick cardigan bay # 2340 -
the million dollar pa . . .
the club draws its name not simply from the fact that it is based geographically on cardigan bay , but in recognition of the horse , cardigan bay , the first standardbred to win $ 1million .
harness champion - cardigan bay archived 2008 - 12 - 03 at the wayback machine .
cardigan bay and war buoy are credited with the greatest number of consecutive wins - 10 .
cardigan bay the million dollar pacer archived october 16 , 2008 , at the wayback machine .
cardigan bay and war buoy are credited with the greatest number of consecutive wins – 10 .
islayj , vr owner at static caravan . mwnt , cardigan bay , responded to this review
in the backstretch , cardigan bay was tucked in behind overtrick . in the last 100 yards , he drew alongside of overtrick . with 50 yards to go vernon dancer , driving cardigan bay , went to the whip . the 8‐year‐old cardigan bay and the 4‐year‐old overtrick crossed the finish line together .
the world ' s first million dollar pacer , cardigan bay , wins the 1963 new zealand cup .
the new zealand post office issued a postage stamp in 1970 to recognise cardigan bay ' s achievements .
along with phar lap , cardigan bay is one of new zealand’s most famous racehorses . cardigan bay was a standardbred harness racer . in harness racing the horse pulls a two - wheeled cart , or sulky , which seats the driver . cardigan bay lived from 1956 to 1988 , and was the first standardbred horse to win more than us $ 1 million . his fame was commemorated in this 1970 new zealand stamp .
cardigan bay was foaled at mataura ( near gore ) in the south island of new zealand . as you drive into mataura from gore , there is a sign on the road proclaiming mataura as the birthplace of cardigan bay . he was a first crop foal by a leading sire , hal tryax ( usa ) , his dam colwyn bay was by josedale dictator ( usa ) . cardigan bay was a brother to thule bay and a half - brother to brides bay .
cardigan bay was a new zealand harness racing horse foaled 1 september 1956 . affectionately known as
cardy
, he was the first standardbred to win … | pinteres…
in 1964 , overtick and cardigan bay tangled in the dan patch pace and the dan patch encore . cardigan bay prevailed by the shortest of noses in the dan patch , but overtrick got his revenge in the encore .
cardigan bay was foaled at mataura ( near gore ) in the south island of new zealand . as you drive into mataura from gore , there is a sign on the road proclaiming mataura as the birthplace of cardigan bay .
that comment was prophetic . cardigan bay was indeed to become the world’s first pacer to win a million dollars .
cardigan bay appeared on television on ' ' the ed sullivan show ' ' before being flown to new zealand .
in 1964 , overtrick and cardigan bay engaged in two races : the dan patch pace and the dan patch encore . cardigan bay prevailed by the shortest of noses in the dan patch , and overtrick won the encore . overtrick also defeated cardigan bay in an earlier race in 1964 , prevailing by a neck in a mile and a half race .
cardigan bay was born in new zealand in 1956 and apart from his name , there is a loose welsh connection .
the new zealand post office issued a postage stamp in 1970 to recognise cardigan bay ' s achievements . [ 17 ]
cardigan bay was foaled at mataura in the southland region of the south island of new zealand . as you drive into mataura from gore , there is a sign on the road proclaiming mataura as the birthplace of cardigan bay . he was a first crop foal by a leading sire , hal tryax ( usa ) , his dam colwyn bay was by josedale dictator ( usa ) . cardigan bay was a brother to thule bay and a half - brother to brides bay . auckland pacing ( known in . nz as trotting ) cup was won in 1961 not 1962 .
on dec 17 , 1963 , on a blustery night at hutt park , wellington , cardigan bay raced a mile against the clock in 1 : 56 1 / 5 , the fastest ever in new zealand . a week later , stanley dancer called and asked , “what kind of a horse is this cardigan bay ? ”
the next night , a sunday , cardigan bay was a guest on the ed sullivan show , the first and only race horse to appear on that stage . under the agreement with audrey and mervyn dean , cardigan bay was shipped back to new zealand to finish his days in comfort on the land where he was foaled .
patterson did not quite agree .
sure , cardigan bay was getting to us , but what would you expect after my horse had cut out such a pace , especially the last half ?
every horse is different . cardigan bay was different because he did not believe he was a horse . i had no doubt that he had a calculating mind and the emotions of a champion . most importantly , he had a heart as big as catcher ' s mitt .
mr feelgood has something cardigan bay and lyell creek ( both geldings ) could not achieve – the opportunity to become a successful sire .
the winner of that one‐mile pace in the then track‐record time of 1 minute 58 1 / 5 seconds was cardigan bay , the greatest horse , harness or thoroughbred , from australia or new zealand . he was the first horse in harness racing to win $ 1‐million in purses .
' ' the two best horses fought it out . apmat proved his class when he went to yonkers and won the international series . i link caduceus with cardigan bay as the best pacers i ' ve seen . cardigan bay was a better stayer but caduceus more brilliant .
it ' s two straight for dancer and cardigan bay , harness racing ' s first $ 1 million earning horse . the victory allows cardigan bay to break bret hanover ' s record for career earnings . jesta hill is second , the highest finish in cup history by a mare and dancing david , original winner of the cup , is third .
cardigan bay became inter - dominion champion in 1963 but not before overcoming what was a horrific training accident in 1962 . so badly was cardigan bay injured that for a while it was touch and go for his life . he was in obvious pain and there were thoughts of putting him out of his misery . cardigan bay was nursed back to full fitness and the rest is history . what a great horse . cardy started from 24 yards and won from dusty miller and waitaki hanover .
dancer also was harness racing ' s first driver to earn more than $ 1 million in one season , in 1964 , and he drove the first horse to earn more than $ 1 million , cardigan bay . seven times his horses won horse of the year honors , another record .
here we see the late stanley dancer in the sulky behind cardigan bay , as they win the pace of the century at yonkers raceway in america .
his dam was called colwyn bay and cardigan bay ( or cardy ) and spent six months in quarantine at lord langford’s stables in bodrhyddan hall , north wales , while in transit from america to new zealand in the 1960s .
the lonely eminence of cardigan bay and bret hanover had become conspicuous before their first race , but part of the shock of that race was the revelation that bret had so formidable a companion up there . stanley dancer , who bought cardigan bay in new zealand and drove him to victory in that first meeting ( only the fourth defeat in bret ' s career ) , was asked how he would compare his horse with the great american pacers of the past .
i think bret is the greatest horse we ' ve ever produced in america ,
dancer said ,
and cardigan bay had to be good to beat him .
the result was a triumph for the southland sire hal tryax ( imp ) , who sired the first and second horses , cardigan bay and robin dundee . colwyn bay , the dam of cardigan bay , recently produced a filly foal , a full sister to the cup winner , and there is also an older filly of the same breeding . colwyn bay was a brilliant pacer herself , but unsoundness cut short her racing career . she is by josedale dictator ( imp ) from pleasure bay , by quite sure ( imp ) from helen ' s bay , by guy parrish ( imp ) from gold patch , by geo m patchen .
for every individual man who knew cardigan bay was coming , there are now 1000 who know he is leaving . old cardy could get to people real quick .
cardigan bay was an inaugural inductee into the new zealand trotting hall of fame with the immortals caduceus , harold logan , highland fling , johnny globe and ordeal .
cardigan bay was an inaugural inductee into the new zealand trotting hall of fame with the immortals caduceus , harold logan , highland fling , johnny globe and ordeal .
a month after he had reached the million dollar mark , the horse was honored at yonkers on cardigan bay day . the next evening he walked a long red carpet with dancer and made his appearance on the old popular ed sullivan tv show .
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cameron won three heats of the interdominions with him at melbourne , sydney and forbury park and also reined him to finish second to cardigan bay in the auckland cup .
from there , it was overtrick , a son of solicitor and overbid , showing the way to great credit , adora ' s dream and cardigan bay . cardigan bay , a recent purchase for $ 100 , 000 by an american syndicate , was second at the mile , which over‑ trick passed in 2 : 05 4 / 5 .
cardigan bay would be dominant in the u . s . a . for three years , beating the absolute best pacers in the country on a regular basis . he became the only horse to have defeated the three future hall of fame horses of that era—
cardigan bay , a pacer from new zealand who in 1968 became the first horse in harness racing history to win $ 1 million in purses , died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 31 last friday on puketutu island off auckland , new zealand .
by then it had become apparent that the race was to be between overtrick , the favorite , and cardigan bay , the second choice . parked out for five‐eighths of a mile , the down under pacer had to go some to catch the american horse .
foaled in 1956 in new zealand , the son of hal tryax and colwyn bay , this bay gelding rewrote the record books in his native land and australia . the pacer became the first horse to win the coveted inter - dominion championship and the two - mile new zealand cup in the same year . when news of cardigan bay ' s exploits reached america , the renowned trainer - driver stanley dancer journeyed
down under ,
finally acquiring the horse in early 1964 . cardigan bay quickly became a headliner in north america , winning thirty - seven races during a four - year span . the high point of his career was the
pace of the century
in 1966 , when he defeated three - time horse of the year bret hanover before a crowd of over 36 , 000 . cardigan bay became the first million dollar winner on september 14 , 1968 and was retired shortly thereafter . he died in 1988 in new zealand .
cardigan bay had finished his australasian racing with a score of 43 wins , nine seconds and three thirds from 67 starts worth £nz36 , 944 15s plus £a24 , 940 .
irving rudd is public relations director of the new york city off track betting corporation . he held a similar position at yonkers raceway in the glory days of cardigan bay .
cardigan bay is possibly the most well - known racehorse ever to come from new zealand . he won 80 races in all . much of his racing was done in the
his only blemish came last start at alexandra park when he finished third behind mach shard and spankem in the group one $ 100 , 000 young guns cardigan bay stakes .
save watch bay to get e - mail alerts and updates on your ebay feed .
horse foaled 1 september 1956 . affectionately known as
cardy
, he was the first
john patterson , who drove the victor , said the horse started and finished physically sound .
clwb cardigan bay was formed in april 2005 , to serve as an association of standardbred owners , trainers , drivers and enthusiasts of harness racing in ceredigion and the surrounding area .
he was so badly crippled that it was touch and go whether he should be destroyed . no one thought he would race again . an australian trainer named ted greig passionately believed that cardigan bay could be saved , and so the deans entrusted the horse to his care .
* the biggest stakewinner , galloper or harness horse , ever bred in nz or australia , with a total of $ 329 , 937 , which is computed in nz currency as approximately £116 , 000 . [ cardigan bay may now be slightly ahead on this total . ]
a chartered cargo plane , which he had all to himself , deposited cardigan bay on american soil on the first day of spring , 1964 . it was prophetic . for the next five years the great nz pacing horse was destined to be the evergreen of harness racing , the hardy perennial which not even advancing old age could keep pruned for long . in the september of his years cardigan bay planted springtime in the hearts of millions of racing fans .
p t wolfenden was driving his second nz cup winner in the last three years - he drove cardigan bay in 1963 when , incidentally , robin dundee was also second to him .
bred by d todd , mataura , under whom he did his early racing , cardigan bay is a five year - old bay gelding by hal tryax from a capable pacer in colwyn bay who had her racing career cut short by unsoundness . colwyn bay is a half sister by josedale dictator to scotch girl , snow jane ( dam of slick chick ) , toucher , scotch pleasure and dorstan . cardigan bay raced last season in the interest of mr a todd , mataura , and was purchased before the present season by mrs a d dean . he has been trained and driven for all his engagements this term by the pakuranga trainer , p t wolfenden . since he began racing as a three - year - old in the 1959 - 60 season cardigan bay has won 11 races and been placed twice for £5690 15s in stakes .
cardigan bay even won a major event at addington raceway in christchurch while the grandstand was on fire . a photo of this race is considered one of the great iconic images in the history of horse racing . he also won the inter dominion pacing championship final in adelaide , australia .
cardigan bay even won a major event at addington raceway in christchurch while the grandstand was on fire . a photo of this race is considered one of the great iconic images in the history of horse racing . he also won the inter dominion pacing championship final in adelaide , australia .
listen to a commentary of cardigan bay’s triumphs in 1963 , when he won both the inter - dominion championship at adelaide , australia , and the new zealand cup at addington , christchurch .
a month after he reached the million dollar mark , it was , by formal proclamation ,
cardigan bay day
in yonkers , new york . the next evening cardigan bay walked down a long red carpet , which led into the living rooms of 20 million viewers , on the ed sullivan television show . no immigrant had ever
made it any bigger any faster
.
cardigan bay even won a major event at addington raceway in christchurch while the grandstand was on fire ( one photo of the race is considered one of the great iconic images in the history of horse racing ) . he also won the inter - dominion championship final in adelaide , australia .
the stake of the race is £3500 , but it will be possible for cardigan bay to win an additional £500 . this amount will be paid to the horse finishing in the first four and breaking false step ' s world record of 3 : 21 for a mile and five furlongs .
with peter wolfenden back in the sulky , the year 1963 was undoubtedly a most remarkable season for cardigan bay . he won the inter - dominions after four gruelling heats . in the first qualifying heat , which he won , a horse put a foot through his wheel that almost unseated wolfenden . cardigan bay also won the second qualifier easily but in the third he was unable to avoid a three - horse pile - up and somersaulted over the fallen horses . wolfenden was hurled from the sulky onto the track . even the final was not without incident . handicapped from 24 yards back , cardigan bay got up to the field but on the final turn was forced very wide by another pile up yet finished strongly enough to win setting a track record at adelaide , south australia .
correction : september 17 , 2005 , saturday an obituary on sept . 9 about stanley dancer , the harness racing champion , misstated the milestone reached in 1968 by the pacer cardigan bay . he was the first harness horse to win $ 1 million in a career , not in a year .
on the horse ' s death in 1988 , cardigan bay ' s driver stanley dancer , reflected on the gelding ' s last year of racing and said ,
at the end he was going on heart alone . . . . . what a mighty heart it must have been
.
new zealand bred pacer who was the first harness horse to win $ 1 million in north america .
april 1966 saw cardigan bay sweep all three legs of the international pacing series , the international pace , good time pace and national championship pace at yonkers raceway . it was the first time a horse had won all three legs . [ 9 ] perhaps his most famous encounter was with the great standardbred horse , bret hanover , in the pace of the century , in 1966 . cardigan bay , with stanley dancer driving , won that race in front of 45 , 000 spectators at yonkers raceway and became only one of two horses ( the other being adios vic ) up to that time to have beaten bret hanover . however , in their next encounter at roosevelt raceway , the
revenge pace ,
bret hanover reversed that result with cardigan bay third before a crowd of 37 , 000 . [ 10 ]
a record crowd of 45 , 788 watched at trainer - driver eric hurley set a swift pace with him . robin dundee ( who was checked ) and cardigan bay settled second - last and last .
and so it was in early 1962 at perth that cardigan bay , who was more of pet than a competitor for his owners , mervyn and audrey dean , came to grief in a near‐fatal accident .
in 1964 cardigan bay was sold to american interests for 100 , 000 dollars and in winning , in 1964 , two of the three international races proved to be the equal of the top american horses .
making his first appearance in free - for - all company , cardigan bay won his ninth consecutive race when he led practically throughout to win the nz free - for - all at addington on friday .
cardigan bay was bred was developed by the mataura trainer , d todd . he was raced by d todd ' s brother , mr a todd , of mataura , who sold him to mrs deans . mrs deans related how she had decided to buy a pacer and that she and her husband had followed closely the newspaper comments made on the form and performances of cardigan bay .
we were quite certain that cardigan bay would be the horse we would buy - we had never seen him - and when we read there were some northern inquiries for him , we decided there and then to buy him before anyone else did ,
she said . the champion cost mrs dean £2500 after contingencies had been met .
on the horse ' s death in 1988 , cardigan bay ' s driver stanley dancer , reflected on the gelding ' s last year of racing and said ,
at the end he was going on heart alone . . . . . what a mighty heart it must have been
. [ 16 ]
in 1970 the new zealand post office issued a postage stamp to recognize the achievements of cardinal bay .
minnesota vikings green bay packers 11 / 23 / 14 nfl game program . . . anth ony barr
victoria’s angelique and fosmar beat cardigan bay into third in the third round at 15 ½ furlongs , and was obvious the new zealand champion was no certainty in the 14 - furlong £15 , 000 grand final .
cardigan bay was out for four months and when he went back to light training his pronounced limp was easily visible . nevertheless , by the time the inter - dominions of 1963 rolled around in february , cardigan bay was ready . on hand at adelaide again was president martin tananbaum of yonkers raceway with a firm invitation to mrs dean to bring the horse to the 1963 international . on the first night of the inter - dominion championships tananbaum met mrs dean and her husband , merv , near cardigan bay ' s stall .
mr tananbaum ,
said mr dean ,
speaking for my wife , anyone can have the horse beginning right now for £25 , 000 sterling ( $ 70 , 000 american currency ) , i mean
continued the husband ,
starting tonight all the purse money goes to the man who buys him .
cardigan bay was stabled at a private track at suburban cannington . while jogging lightly , a steel stay of his jog cart broke loose and caused a wheel to lock . the groom handling him was catapulted from his seat and cardigan bay was frightened he took off and careened twice around the track while horsemen watching nearby tried to flag him down . cardigan by then dashed toward his stall , slipped and fell heavily on the concrete floor . he had fractured a bone in his right hind quarter and suffered nasty cuts around the fetlocks .
stanley dancer , taking delivery of cardigan bay when he landed in new york on 22 march 1964 , told reporters : ‘i got him cheap - $ 900 , 000 cheap . this one’s worth a million . ’
picking the highlight of cardigan bay ' s career is like trying to pick the greatest cricket catch of all time - if there were 10 people on a judging panel one would no doubt get 10 different opinions .
placed in the name of dean ' s wife audrey , cardigan bay came into wolfenden ' s life when he was 26 and at a time when the track was being remodelled . when the track became available again in the new season , cardigan bay
breezed
a half in 59 in work and led wolfenden to declare
driving something else and then him is like stepping from a morris minor into a jaguar .
realising what a drawcard cardigan bay would be , the wellington tc offered £600 to break the mile record , and on a cold and blustery night cardy scorched round the four and a half furlong track in 1 : 56 1 / 5 . wolfenden claimed that but for the windy conditions , cardigan bay would had threatened adios butler ' s world record of 1 : 54 3 / 5 set at the red mile on 1960 .
one of southland ' s best known trotting personalities mr a ( ' sandy ' ) todd , of mataura , who raced the first million dollar pacer , cardigan bay , died last week . he was 77 .
his performance was all the more meritorious as he paced a little roughly for the first two furlongs and then was challenged for the lead by smokeaway , whom he quickly shook off . when tackled by scottish command in the run home it momentarily appeared as though cardigan bay was going to be hard pressed to win but 30 yards from the post trainer - driver , p t wolfenden put his whip away and cardigan bay won comfortably .
along with his arch - rival , american champion of the day , bret hanover , he has a legitimate claim of being one of the truly great standardbred racehorses . [ 2 ] cardigan bay became an overnight sensation in the united states , and appeared with dancer on the ed sullivan show as the
million dollar horse
.
after winning at forbury park in april 1961 cardigan bay was sold to merv and audrey dean of auckland for £2500 . his record at that time was 12 starts for 5 wins and 2 second places . [ 3 ]
in 1967 cardigan bay won the second ever running of the provincial cup at windsor raceway which at the time was the richest harness race in canada . [ 11 ] he also won the washington park derby in chicago .
sir henry will probably be remembered best in harness racing for giving aucklander mrs audrey dean ' s champion pacer cardigan bay a luxurious retirement at his island paradise , puketutu , in the manukau harbour . from match 1970 until cardigan bay died aged 31 in march 1988 , sir henry doted over the internationally famous gelding , who attracted thousands of tourists from around the world to see in the flesh the first pacer to win a million dollars .
i think he must be the most photographed horse in the world ,
sir henry would often proudly say .
there is one great new zealand horse that has achieved it , and that is cardigan bay in the 1960s . he won the very top races in 3 different countries ( nz cup , auckland cup ) , and in australia ( interdominions ) , and then moved to north america at the age of 8 and over the next 4 years he beat the likes of bret hanover and overtrick , and was twice us pacer of the year – there’s plenty about “cardy” on the internet , just google cardigan bay and refresh you memories of this truly great campaigner !
cardigan bay ran the mile and a quarter in 2 : 34 . 6 , a 2 : 03 . 2 mile rate . he took 32 . 8sec for his first quarter , reached the first half mile in 63 . 2 , clocked 1 : 35 . 8 for the first six furlongs and paced his first mile in 2 : 06 . 8 . cardigan bay returned 58 . 4 for his final half mile , his last quarter being run in a sizzling 27 . 4sec . he received a rousing reception on his return to the birdcage . cardigan bay ' s success was his second in the race and he was second to lordship 12 months ago .
greig constructed special slings and other contrivances that shifted the horse ' s weight from his injured hip . after a month , the slings were removed and cardigan bay , wobbling and limping , was given light walking exercises . toward the end of march , he could apparently walk without pain . his right hip had actually dropped several inches .
today , cardigan bay , 18 years old come aug . 1 if you follow the new zealand breeding calendar , or 19 by united states rules , live in retirement on the 600‐acre island of puketutu just outside of auckland .
. he was the only horse to defeat the three u . s . hall of fame horses of that era :
negotiations had already been taking place to have cardigan bay competing in that year ' s yonkers international series , but it seemed his career could be over . placed in a sling and lovingly cared for by perth trainer ted greig , a month later cardigan bay was walking without pain , although with a noticable limp . four months after the disaster he was shipped home , and in september at alexandra park he successfully resumed from 36 yards over 13 furlongs .
for a payment of $ 125 , 000 , despite the fact he had only $ us137 , 000 in earnings . cardigan bay was also
down on the hip
from a severe injury he suffered earlier in new zealand .
a few weeks later cardigan bay won his last new zealand start , taking out the two - mile pezaro memorial from 60 yards by a length over frontmarker jay ar . on to the inter - dominions around the three - furlong melbourne showgrounds , and on - hand to see cardigan bay thread his way through 11 rivals from 36 yards to win on the first night was tananbaum again , but this time with a special guest - stanley dancer . needing no more prodding , dancer offered us $ 100 , 000 ( about £36 , 000 ) and agreed to return cardigan bay home at his own expense , while tananbaum threw in a $ 30 , 000 specially chartered flight to new york .
the judges studied the photo for five minutes before posting cardigan bay as the winner . the time was 1 : 58 1 / 5 , track record . they gave the winning margin as a nose . it was more like nostril .
a son of siring sensation hal tryax ( cardigan bay’s sire ) , tactile won five derby classics in the 1962 - 63 season , the nz and great northern editions , as well as the nsw , victorian and south australian derbies .
with the headline : overtrick wins $ 50 , 000 international pace by a neck over cardigan bay ; 7–10 shot shows no sign of injury ; 35 , 128 see overtrick take 1½‐mile race in 3 : 03⅘ at yonkers—country don 3d .
cardigan bay had not actually travelled well to addington and wolfenden was then against taking him all the way to perth for the inter - dominions , but dean had other ideas and placed him under the guidance of nsw horseman bill wilkins . handicapped on 12 yards with only the brilliant nsw horse james scott behind him in the championship , cardigan bay easily won on the first two nights as did james scott , and a clash in the two - mile third round heat and the final were eagerly anticipated . it was not to be though , as in a training mishap , cardigan bay crashed to the ground back at the stables and landed on a concrete curb , completely displacing his near - hind hip . about the same time , audrey dean went into hospital for an operation and received news of the death of a relative , and wolfenden was kicked in the face by a horse , requiring surgery that put him on the sidelines for several months .
from 48 yards at 12 ½ furlongs on the second night in melbourne , cardigan bay was forced over a lot of extra ground and could manage only fourth behind south australia’s minuteman , robin dundee and the new south wales representative little maori .
cardigan bay ' s fantastic time of 2 : 59 . 8 for the last mile and a half of the allan matson handicap at the addington raceway on wednesday night , november 20 , is not only 3 . 6sec inside the world race record ( unofficial of course ) for the distance held jointly by the american pacers stephan smith ( 1961 ) and royal rick ( 1962 ) - it is also the first time in world harness history that two - minute speed has been sustained by any horse beyond a mile and a quarter - and cardigan bay also ran his last mile in 2 : 00 flat .
registered in the name of merv ' s wife audrey , cardigan bay under wolfenden became a champion , his numerous wins including the auckland cups in 1961 and 1963 , the nz cup in 1963 and the inter - dominion grand final in adelaide the same year . cardigan bay went on to further fame and fortune in america , where under stanley dancer , he became , as a 12 - year - old in 1968 , the world ' s first pacer to win a million dollars .
club officials would have every reason to be jubilant when cardigan bay ' s name appeared among the acceptors for the allan matson handicap , principal event on the inaugural night of night trotting at addington raceway . his task from 54 yards over a mile and five furlongs should not be beyond him : the main question exercising the minds of trotting enthusiasts is whether anything in front of cardigan bay is capable of making him go fast enough to lower the world record for a mile and five furlongs .
overtrick held the world record for mile at 1 : 57 1 / 5 . he had the no . 8 post while cardigan bay was in no . 7 . overtrick led at the half‐mile in 58 seconds , so fast it was scary .
reta peta , a trotter , is the only horse to have beaten the pacers in the new zealand cup two years running .
when on the following saturday night cardigan bay threaded his way from a 36 - yard handicap through a 12 - horse field to win for fun by four lengths dancer was determined more than ever to acquire cardigan bay for his syndicate , which was headed by irving w berkemeyer who also owned another great gelding - the trotter su mac lad . negotiations began early the following sunday morning , dancer was scheduled to leave for the united states at 3pm . the deal appeared to be at a standstill at the $ 100 , 000 mark until dancer , remembering the many cups and trophies , and other momentos , back in mrs dean ' s living room in auckland , sensed the deep devotion and affection she had for cardigan bay , promised to ship the horse back to her at his own expense when the gelding ' s racing days were ended . a hurried , hand - written agreement was drawn up , signed and witnessed , and dancer was on the plane headed back to america with minutes to spare .
the saucer - like two and a half furlong wayville circuit did not suit cardigan bay ' s ambling action and there were incidents aplenty during the rounds of heats , one of which put wolfenden on the deck during the third night . but ironically in the final , cardigan bay had moved around the field from 24 yards and had a clear track starting the last lap when idle raider faltered and wiped out most of the field , and he went on to down dusty miller and waitaki hanover handsomely .
cardigan bay made his usual swift beginning though and bided his time at the tail of the big field until he commenced his run around the field from the 1200m - or about the point when the crescendo began . he forged to the lead in the backstraight , but he was being stalked by tactile , handy all the way and now tracking cardigan bay into line . tactile drew up , but cardy would not be denied and went on to win by half a length like the champion he was .
her normal brilliant final spring was not forthcoming , and she and cardigan bay were fifth and sixth as angelique , new zealand’s tactile ( driven by robert cameron ) and smoke cloud ( driven by jack watts for noel simpson ) chased minuteman to the wire .
taking delivery of cardigan bay when he landed in new york in march , 1964 , dancer told reporters :
i got him cheap - $ 900 , 000 cheap . this one ' s worth a million .
just how prophetic was that comment ?
a detached holiday bungalow with extensive sea views overlooking cardigan bay . comprising of modern furnishings throughout to the highest of specifications . features include full fronted glass patio doors opening onto enclosed decked area with patio furniture . open plan living area with fully . . .
cardigan bay showed up in the united states with just $ 158 , 212 in his pockets . when he had cooled out for the last time beneath the blue and gold blanket of the stanley dancer stable at freehold raceway on the late afternoon of september 14 , 1968 , he had accumulated earnings of $ 1 , 001 , 353 and so become the first millionaire horse in standardbred history .
to set the scene further , cardigan bay had joined peter wolfenden as a late 4 - year - old , having won three straight races and five in total for mataura trainer dave todd and his brother sandy . he had won twice at three , but failed to pay a dividend on five occasions - a good sale would have to wait until todd and his driver ken balloch had knocked the edges off . this was achieved in the next season when cardigan bay was racing with a hefty price tag of £2500 .
cardigan bay ' s nine wins on end equals the winning sequence of rupee , and the hal tryax pacer requires one more win at his next appearance to equal the winning run of war bouy who won 10 races in a row before tasting defeat . just how good cardigan bay might be is difficult to assess . he beat the best pacers in commission on friday pointlessly , and he appears to be a foolproof pacer . he is already being discussed as a racecourse ' certainty ' for the auckland cup next month .
after winning four races for don hayes , vanderford joined bourne ' s stable , and won six in succession at the start of his 4 - year - old campaign , notably the methven cup off 48yds , the laing handicap from rustic lad and flying blue , the flying stakes at ashburton from robin dundee and cardigan bay , and the hannon memorial . he was the beaten favourite in the nz cup won by cardigan bay . he was never so good at five , where his only win was at forbury park .
now cardigan bay was set for the 1964 melbourne interdominions – then , perhaps , a possible sale to american interests headed by new jersey horsemen stanley dancer , now keen to try his hand with the new zealand gelding , regardless of his age and hip problem .
out of luck in the inter - dom final won by minuteman in all - the - way fashion , cardigan bay departed these shores having won 43 races with nine seconds from 67 starts - £36 , 477 in new zealand and £24 , 940 in australia .
“anyone can have this horse right now , beginning at 25 , 000 australian pounds [ $ 70 , 000 in united states currency ] , ” he said . “i mean that starting tonight , all the money the horse wins goes to the man that buys him . ”
today , an observer can tour nz and literally meet hundreds of horsemen who claim that they could have bought cardigan bay but didn ' t act quickly enough to grasp the opportunity . it was ever thus . in most of his subsequent engagements , while owned by mrs dean , cardigan bay was trained and driven by peter wolfenden , one of the top reinsmen in nz . martin tananbaum , president of yonkers raceway , who pioneered the international pace in 1960 , first held discussions in perth about inviting the gelding to the international pace held annually at yonkers raceway . the inter - dominion grand finals were about three days off and it appeared certain that every attendance and betting record at gloucester park , perth , would be toppled when the exciting cardigan bay raced for the inter - dominion championships .
a bay horse by a nz derby stakes winner in gold chief from the jack potts mare , canister , rupee was bred by his owner , j grice , who trained him throughout his career . he was driven in practically all of his races by d townley .
from 54 yards in the cup , cardigan bay conceded favouritism to the alf bourne - trained and maurice holmes - driven 4 - year - old vanderford , a son of great evander , who had won seven of eight races that spring including the ashburton flying stakes and hannon . holmes had vanderford bowling along in front most of the way , but when cardigan bay received a good cart into the race by oreti over he last lap , he pounced and won easily by a couple of lengths over robin dundee and master alan .
a month later in a warm saturday night bath of spotlights at yonkers raceway he was officially disarmed , relinquishing his racing shoes and equipment amidst pomp and ceremony and the prime minister of nz . it had been , by formal proclamation , ' cardigan bay day ' in yonkers , new york . the next evening cardigan bay walked down a long red carpet , which lead into the living rooms of 20 - million viewers , on the ed sullivan television show . no immigrant had ever ' made it ' any bigger any faster .
the result was a triumph for the billy direct horse garrison hanover , as lady nugent , douce and compromise are all by the sire .
at cannington track , a training oval some six miles outside perth , cardigan bay was put through a light jogging session by a groom attached to the stable of billy wilkins , who was ' standing in ' for peter wolfenden as trainer - driver at the time . as the lad dismounted and held the reins lightly , one of the sulky wheels suddenly crumbled and collapsed , some say due to a flat tyre . the usually easy - going cardigan bay was startled and bolted from the grounds through an open gate dragging the damaged cart behind him . he headed , terror stricken , for his stall . before anyone could could flag the great animal down it was too late . he had crashed his right hip severely against one of the walls tearing his flesh open to the bone and it looked as though a merciful end , at the hands of a veterinarian , was the only future for cardigan bay . as a matter of fact , one story current at the time was that if cardigan bay had been insured , he would have been destroyed there and then .
four months after the accident , cardigan bay was shipped back to new zealand . soon he was jogging lightly and by september , in an all‐out workout , he paced a scorching final quartermile , in 28 3 / 5 seconds and wasn ' t even breathing hard .
on feb . 20 , 1964 , in melbourne , australia , stanley dancer , who was allowed only to “look—don ' t touch cardigan bay , ” watched him in a workout and said , “i will give mrs . dean $ 100 , 000 for him . ”
a month after he reached the million dollar mark , it was , by formal proclamation ,
cardigan bay day
in yonkers , new york . the next evening cardigan bay walked down a long red carpet , which led into the living rooms of 20 million viewers , on the ed sullivan television show . no immigrant had ever
made it any bigger any faster
. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] dancer immediately retired him , and he was returned to new zealand with great fanfare with thousands at harbour awaiting his arrival .
highlight of the chimes lodge history was the arrival of cardigan bay , bred and trained by dave todd , and raced by ' sandy ' until he won his way out of southland classes . cardigan bay was then sold to mrs m b dean , of auckland , and he later went to america where , he became the first $ 1 million stake winner in trotting history . he did more to promote trotting in nz than any standardbred before of since and his name was a house - hold word throughout nz , australia and america .
tananbaum included an offer , worth $ us30 , 000 , to fly cardigan bay via special charter to america at the expense of yonkers raceway , on the condition that he did not race anywhere else after the melbourne interdominions until the international series at his track in may .
merv dean , who died at his home in auckland just before christmas aged 67 after a long illness , will long be remembered as the man who bought the great cardigan bay from the todd brothers of mataura . but there was much more to merv than just that .
in 1965 cardigan bay won the american pacing classic at hollywood park and the national pacing derby and nassau pace both at roosevelt raceway . at hollywood park he led a race over 1 1 / 16 miles helping to establish a world record for the distance of 2 . 03 2 / 5 by the winner adios vic . cardigan bay finished second after leading through the first mile in 1 . 56 . he also had a win over adios vic in 1 . 57 2 / 5 which was his fastest time in a race . [ 3 ]
we wanted to stay in scenic cardigan bay mainly so my kids could see dolphins . we booked this lovely caravan as it was great value and in a quiet location . we arrived in the blazing sun with breathtakingly beautiful views greeting us . the caravan takes . . .
last year at windsor , ontario , for example , on march 8 , despite a 22 degree temperature , he broke all kinds of records in winning the provincial cup pace . other windsor track records racked up by cardigan bay were : 1 ) most money bet on a horse , 2 ) most money bet on a single race , 3 ) most money bet on a programme , and 4 ) record crowd .
again in 1966 , another young rival , the speediest pacer ever , bret hanover , was the opposition . in their first meeting , ' the pace of the century ' at yonkers raceway , a crowd of 36 , 795 , which bet a season ' s record handle for all tracks of $ 2 , 802 , 745 , saw cardigan bay beat the great bret by a length . bret came back to whip cardigan bay in subsequent races but it is that first meeting in ' the pace of the century ' that fans still talk about .
the saga of our cardigan bay began at chimes lodge , a training and breeding farm at mataura . davey todd , a veteran trainer , had a considerable reputation for having a knack with problem horses . with his brother sandy , todd runs chimes lodge . cardigan bay was gelded while a weanling , a common practice with the todd brothers . cardigan bay did not race as a 2 - year - old . he started only eight times as a 3 - year - old , winning twice and finishing second once . he was campaigned lightly again at four , and this was largely because he was laid aside for three months at the height of the season because of a cold . in four outings , he won three times and finished second on the other occasion . one of these races , incidentally , was in saddle on january 11 , 1960 . cardigan bay finished second . this was one of the last races in saddle in the harness sport in nz . at the conclusion of his 4 - year - old season he was sold for $ 5000 to mrs audrey d dean of auckland .


tyto pollens , also known as the andros island barn owl , bahamian barn owl , bahamian great owl , or chickcharney , is an extinct , 1 metre ( 3.3 ft ) tall , burrow-nesting , flightless barn owl that lived in the old-growth pineyards ( caribbean pine forests ) of andros island in the bahamas .

when the island was colonised by europeans and their slaves in the 16th century , the owls coexisted with them until the forests were felled .

the destruction of the original forests may have led to the extinction of the species .

tyto pollens

some think that they chickcharney could be a tyto pollens , a species of flightless barn owl that stood around the same height . this species is extinct now , but sightings of chickcharney are still continuing .
where the chickcharnie came from there really once was a creature like the chickcharnie on andros . it was a 2 - foot - tall owl called tyto pollens , a remote cousin of the smaller common barn - owl . tyto pollens was a large owl that could not fly and like most other owls it swivel its head . so that ' s probably where the chickcharnie legen came from . . . but who knows .
it has been theorized by scholars that chickcharney sightings and legends are rooted in reality . tyto pollens was a remote cousin of the smaller common barn - owl ( tyto alba ) : it was a 1 metre ( 3 . 3 ft ) tall , flightless species of barn owl native to andros , and closely fits eyewitness descriptions . it was rumored to survive until the 16th century , when settlers felled the eastern andros forests . however , since tyto pollens was flightless , it was unlikely to need trees for shelter , and may still exist on the western half of andros , explaining modern sightings .
the folklore of the chickcharney almost certainly originates in a type of flightless burrowing owl that used to live on andros . the species , known as tyto pollens , matches the overall description of a chickcharney and cohabited with settlers for many years until the forests were completely decimated by the newcomers . this supposedly sent tyto pollens into extinction sometime in the sixteenth century . but if the awesome coelacanth has taught us cryptid lovers anything , it’s that you should never discount an animal as extinct if people still report sightings .
the barn owl ( tyto alba ) is the most widely distributed species of owl , and one of the most widespread of all birds .
tyto pollens , also known as the andros island barn owl , bahamian barn owl , bahamian great owl , or chickcharney , is an extinct , tall , burrow - nesting , flightless barn owl that lived in the old - growth pineyards ( caribbean pine forests ) of andros island in the bahamas .
specimen count 1 record last modified 5 jul 2018 skeletal morphology appendicular element , distal tibiotarsus geological age cenozoic - quaternary - pleistocene - wisconsinan nmnh - paleobiology dept . taxonomy animalia chordata aves strigiformes tytonidae collector olson james grady meister see more items in paleogeneral birds aves caribbean paleobiology place bahamas collection date 11 aug 1978 type citation olson & hilgartner . 1982 . smithsonian contr . paleobiology . ( n . 48 ) : 36 - 37 . usnm number pal283287 published name tyto pollens wetmore
the genus tyto includes all barn owls ( family tytonidae ) except for the bay owls ( subfamily phodilinae , genus phodilus ) - that is , the true barn owls , the grass owls and the masked owls collectively making up the subfamily tytoninae .
tyto pollens , the bahaman barn owl , also known as the
chickcharny ,
was a metre tall barn owl found on andros island of the bahamas . . . it should not be confused with the extinct puerto rican t . puente . it went extinct during historical times , when the old pine forests of the bahamas were cut down . its memory inspired the legend of the
chickcharny ,
an exceptionally malicious and aggressive spirit or faerie that had three toes , glowing red eyes , and had the ability to rotate its head in any direction .
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holotype . left femur mcz 2262 . collected by vivienne knowles in 1937 . material examined . hendry cave , royal island , eleuthera , bahamas . — coracoid : incomplete right ( usnm 615825 ) . carpometacarpus : nearly complete right ( usnm 615826 ) . tarsometatarsus : incomplete left ( usnm 615827 , lacking fragments of midshaft ) . banana hole , new providence , bahamas . — femur : proximal right ( uf 41807 ) . tibiotarsus : distal half of left ( uf 41804 ) . tarsometatarsus : complete left ( uf 3196 ) , incomplete left ( uf 41808 , lacking proximal end and trochlea for digit iv ) . cueva de bellamar , municipality of matanzas , matanzas province , cuba . — tarsometatarsus : distal half of left ( dpuh 1252 , holotype of t . riveroi ) , proximal half of right ( czacc unnumbered ) , proximal end of right ( oa 3215 ) . there also exist specimens from andros , bahamas , in the florida museum of natural history ( d . w . steadman , pers . comm . ) .
chickcharney , chickcharnie or chickcharnee is a mythical creature resembling a bird . . .
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the chickcharney is considered to be a 3 foot tall , furry , feathered bird that usually resembles an owl ; it resides on andros island . legend says that if one comes across a chickcharney and treats it nicely , they will be rewarded with good luck ; however , if you mistreat the beast , you will get punished with bad luck .
this post marks the first in a new series on folklore . i’ll be exploring how local tales and regional legends fit into our understanding of the paranormal and cryptozoology . this is culture… at its weirdest and snarkiest .
on the bahaman island of andros creeps a creature so fearsome it can turn your head around . literally if the stories are to be believed . this equatorial beast , known as a chickcharney ( sometimes spelled chickcharnie or chickcharnee ) , is about three - feet tall and most closely resembles an owl—if owls were the size of dodo birds and super vindictive .
okay , not vindictive , per se . instead , chickcharnies prove to be rather mercurial creatures . legend has it if you meet one and you’re polite , it will be glad to grant you good fortune . if you’re rude , however , and poke fun at the chickcharney , then you’ll be doomed to bad luck . or as mentioned above , the chickcharney will turn your head all the way around . or possibly both . perhaps the bigger question here is why exactly someone who meets a giant mythic bird in the woods decides , “hey , let’s taunt this avian ! ” and starts pelting insults instead of , you know , running or at least feigning friendliness . but there are those ‘messing with bigfoot’ commercials , so apparently , mocking cryptids is a very real pastime for some .
maybe you aren’t buying the changeful chickcharney angle . i mean , really , are there any famous stories about such things ? you betcha . none other than neville chamberlain , former british prime minister , fell victim to the creature’s vendetta . at the turn of the twentieth century , chamberlain was commissioned to take over his father’s bahaman plantation and decided to do what every big city transplant does when he reaches the country : chop down all vegetation in sight . understandably , the chickcharnies , who are said to live at the top of any two trees that meet , were pretty angry at chamberlain . to exact their revenge , the creatures doomed the plantation , which within a few years was declared a total failure and a major financial loss for the family . as a real kicker , some argue that chamberlain’s inability to quell hitler from attacking england during world war ii was also due to his disrespect of the chickcharnies . that’s right . infuriate a chickcharney , and nazis might come after you . this is nothing to scoff at , people .
in addition to their three toes on each foot and three fingers on each hand , chickcharnies are described to have a prehensile tail , something from which honestly , every creature , including humans , could benefit . this dexterous tail helps chickcharnies hang from whatever they feel like and consequently freak out people loitering in the woods . they’re also said to rotate their own heads all the way around , lending credence to the idea that they’re just an extinct ( or super rare ) kind of owl . this could mean that chickcharnies are apt to swivel the heads of passersby simply because they don’t know any better . it’s just a chickcharney way of saying hello .
during the mid - twentieth century , chickcharnies practically became pop culture superstars with articles about the cryptid species appearing in time magazine and sports illustrated . though their popularity has waned somewhat in recent years , the chickcharney is still alive and well , at least in folklore . because i want good luck , i’m aiming to be nothing but polite here and want to extend all the best wishes in the world to this super cool cryptid . you never know if a chickcharney learned how to use wireless .
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frank alexander wetmore ( june 18 , 1886 – december 7 , 1978 ) was an american ornithologist and avian paleontologist .
andros island is an archipelago within the bahamas , the largest of the 26 inhabited bahamian islands .
animals are multicellular , eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom animalia ( also called metazoa ) .
the bahamian pineyards are a tropical and subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion in the bahamas and the turks and caicos islands , where they occur on an area of .
barn - owls ( family tytonidae ) are one of the two families of owls , the other being the true owls or typical owls , strigidae .
birds ( class aves ) are a group of endothermic vertebrates , characterised by feathers , a beak with no teeth , the laying of hard - shelled eggs , a high metabolic rate , a four - chambered heart , and a lightweight but strong skeleton .
the caribbean pine , pinus caribaea , is a hard pine , native to central america , cuba , the bahamas , and the turks and caicos islands .
chickcharney , chickcharnie or chickcharnee is a mythical and cryptozoological creature resembling a bird , specifically an owl , that is said to live in the forests of andros island in the bahama islands .
chordates are animals possessing a notochord , a hollow dorsal nerve cord , pharyngeal slits , an endostyle , and a post - anal tail for at least some period of their life cycles .
in biology and ecology , extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms ( taxon ) , normally a species .
prehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that have became extinct before recorded history , or more precisely , before they could be studied alive by ornithologists .
birds are generally believed to have evolved from certain feathered theropod dinosaurs , and there is no real dividing line between birds and dinosaurs , except of course that some of the former survived the cretaceous–paleogene extinction event while the latter did not .
since 1500 , over 190 species of birds have become extinct , and this rate of extinction seems to be increasing .
an old - growth forest ( also termed primary forest , virgin forest , primeval forest , late seral forest , or in britain , ancient woodland ) is a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance and thereby exhibits unique ecological features and might be classified as a climax community .
the cuban giant owl or giant cursorial owl ( ornimegalonyx ) is an extinct genus of giant owl that measured in height .
owls are birds from the order strigiformes , which includes about 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance , a large , broad head , binocular vision , binaural hearing and feathers adapted for silent flight .
the stilt - owls ( grallistrix ) are a genus of true owls which contains four species , all of which lived on the hawaiian islands but are now extinct .
the bahamas , officially the commonwealth of the bahamas , is an island country of the lucayan archipelago consisting of more than 700 islands , cays , and islets in the atlantic ocean ; north of cuba and hispaniola ( haiti and the dominican republic ) ; northwest of the turks and caicos islands ; southeast of the u . s . state of florida and east of the florida keys .
bahaman barn owl , bahaman barn - owl , bahaman barn owl , bahaman barn - owl .
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chickcharney , chickcharnie or chickcharnee is a mythical creature resembling a bird , specifically an owl , that is said to live on andros island of the bahamas .
according to some , it is furry , feathered , about 3 feet tall and is considered have three fingers , three toes , and red eyes . in common legend , if a traveler meets a chickcharney and treats it well , he / she will be rewarded with good luck . but , treating a chickcharney badly will result in bad luck and hard times . sightings have continued into modern day .
in the first part of this series , we covered the mysterious hidden animals of cuba . our next stop on our cryptid journey is the beautiful islands of the bahamas . the bahamas is a sovereign island nation located east of the florida keys and is comprised of around 700 islands , islets , and cays that are all part of a greater chain of islands shared with the turks and caicos islands . all of the islands in the bahamas are low and flat , with the highest elevation belonging to mt . alvernia on cat island , which stands at a height of 63 meters ( 207 feet ) . the bahamas also has some curious cryptozoological oddities .
among these myriad islands can be found the island of andros . the island is well known for its striking underwater vertical sinkholes and meandering undersea cave systems that form the mysterious and beautiful blue holes , as well as the mysterious , man - eating octopus - like creature known as the lusca , both of which i have discussed here at mysterious universe before .
the lusca is variously described as either a giant octopus , a sort of half shark - half octopoid abomination , or a squid - eel combination , and is said to lurk within the extensive underwater cave systems of the blue holes . the lusca is said to attack swimmers and even boats , sucking them down beneath the waves to be eaten within the dark caves . missing swimmers , underwater cave divers , and even flotsam of wrecked boats floating in the water have all been blamed on the lusca . purported victims of lusca attacks who survived their encounters have told of being grabbed by tentacles , and some have even reported welts reminiscent of sucker marks on their bodies after being attacked .
one of the hallmarks of a lusca attack , according to witnesses , is that the water will often bubble or roil beneath the victim just before they are sucked under . this unique detail has caused speculation that rather than a giant octopoid monster , the victims could be succumbing to spontaneous whirlpools that are created when rapid tidal changes draw water through the blue holes . such whirlpools would certainly resemble the phenomenon of boiling water just before an attack , and they would surely be capable of pulling people under . however , such whirlpools certainly would not account for the actual sightings of the the monstrous lusca itself , nor would it account for the mysterious sucker marks on victims . the lusca remains a curious mystery .
the island of andros holds mysteries on land as well as in the sea . stories have long circulated among the islanders here of a large mystery bird known locally as the chickcharney , which is only sighted within the ancient pine forests of andros island . the chickcharney is said to have an appearance very much like an owl , and is typically described as being around 3 feet tall and covered with fine feathers that resemble fur . the creature is said to have three fingers , three toes , and large , piercing red eyes situated on a head that allegedly has the ability to turn around nearly 360 degrees . there is also often mention of a prehensile tail that helps the arboreal birds to climb in the trees where they make their homes . chickcharney nests are reportedly composed of the tops of two pine trees tied together .
chickcharnies feature heavily in the folklore of andros , where they are said to be elfin humanoid creatures that merely resemble birds rather than actual birds . the creatures are known to be very mischievous and on occasion quite aggressive . it is said that if a traveler happens to come across a chickcharney , it would be wise to treat it kindly . those who treat the chickcharney well and show respect are said to be rewarded with good luck , while those who don’t , or even worse those who laugh at the creature , will meet with bad luck and hard times . if the chickcharney is especially offended , it is said that the creature will violently and forcibly twist the persons neck all the way around . andros islanders once were so wary of chickcharnies that they often carried brightly colored flowers or pieces of cloth in order to charm the creatures and dissuade them from attacking or causing trouble .
one legendary story of the wrath of chickcharnies involves a former prime minister of england , neville chamberlain . according to the tale , chamberlain took over his father’s plantation in the bahamas and upon arriving did a large amount of rampant land clearing . unfortunately for him , some of the decimated vegetation had been home to chickcharnies , which immediately sought revenge . the planation was a failure and financial disaster in the end , and locals have long attributed this misfortune to the vindictive chickcharnies wreaking havoc .
the bahamian island known as isabela is also home to a rather curious historical oddity . it seems that during his journey to the new world , christopher columbus himself killed a mysterious serpent here . columbus’s diary entry for october 21 , 1492 described how the explorer killed and later skinned a 5 foot long creature described as a “serpent , ” that he had seen in a lake on the island . the next day , a similar serpent was reportedly killed in another lake on the island by martin alonso pinzon , who was captain of one of the ships under columbus’s command .
sadly , both specimens were never properly preserved so it is impossible to know just what kind of animals were killed . further complicating matters is the rather loose definition of the word “serpent” in the vernacular of the era . in columbus’s day , the term “serpent” could be applied not only to large snakes , but to practically anything large and reptilian . crocodilians , lizards , and even mythical dragons were all equally known to be referred to as serpents . this muddies the waters a bit when searching for an answer to the mysterious diary entry because columbus could have killed an actual serpent by our understanding of the word , which is to say a giant snake , or it could have been a large type of lizard , a crocodile or alligator , or who knows what else . considering that the entry offers frustratingly few details , it is impossible to say .
an expedition led by florida state museum’s assistant curator , bill keegan , in 1987 uncovered the remains of an alligator in the ruins of a village on isleta believed to have been visited by columbus . it was suggested that the serpent described by columbus may have actually been an alligator , which were previously unknown to have ever inhabited the bahamas and so making it a rather interesting find in its own right . if alligators existed at one time n the bahamas , it could mean that they were merely imported from elsewhere , but could also represent an unknown population of the animal’s historical range or even a new species . however , the presence of alligator bones in a village that columbus just happened to have visited is far from concrete evidence to link the alligator remains to the diary entry , and so what exactly was killed on that day long ago remains a mystery .
columbus would later go on to log yet another mysterious sighting in the caribbean when in september 1494 , while sailing along the east coast of the dominican republic , he and his crew apparently sighted what was described as a gigantic turtle the size of a whale , with a long tail and fins on its sides . the enormous creature apparently was keeping its head out of the water . the dominican republic lies on the island of hispaniola , and giant turtles are not the only mysterious creatures that would call this place home . in fact , let’s make hispaniola our next stop on our cryptid caribbean cruise .
be sure to check out cryptids of the caribbean part 3 : hispaniola . coming soon !
brent swancer is an author and crypto expert living in japan . biology , nature , and cryptozoology still remain brent swancer’s first intellectual loves . he ' s written articles for mu and daily grail and has been a guest on coast to coast am and binnal of america .
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lusca is a mythical creature of bahamian folklore . half - shark , half - octopus , lusca lurks around in the underwater caves , tunnels and blue holes found all over the caribbean . however , it is believed that she lives mostly in the underwater caves and blue holes around the bahamas islands , especially around andros , the largest island in the bahamas .
she is mean spirited and some islanders believe that she likes to drown divers and explorers who are not careful . some even believe that if your boat is over a bluehole she could pull it in down into the dark waters .
the tidal currents of the inland blue holes are said to be the breath of lusca . as she breathes in , water pours into the caverns , in some cases forming a whirlpool , and when lusca breathes out , cold , clear water gushes up to the surface .
but lusca is not all bad because the tidal flow also brings food for the real creatures that live in the blue holes , such as grouper , lobster and reef sharks and other fish . so , lusca has long been thought of as the guardian of the dark blue holes because she makes sure the fish that live there are fed .
chickcharnies live in andros , the largest island in the bahamas . they are elfish , birdlike creatures with piercing red eyes . they have three fingers , three toes and a tail , which they use to hang upside down from trees .
chickcharnies live in the pine forests and build nests by joining two pine trees together at the top .
chickcharnies are peaceful but mischievous creatures and they like pretty colours . when you go sightseeing in andros carry flowers or wear bright colours to charm them . legend says if you see a chickcharnie and show it respect , you ' ll be blessed with good luck for the rest of your life . be careful not to sneer at it , however , or your head will turn completely around !
an old legend has it that a man named billy bowleg - the great seminole medicine man - was adopted and trained by the chickcharnies . they took him when he was 14 and kept him for five years . when he returned to this people his reputation as a healer spread throughout the bahamas .
anansi is a very popular figure in bahamian stories . he is a trickster , and is usually a spider - god , but in some stories he is human and in some stories he is part spider part human .
anansi is very rebellous and sometimes he likes to cause trouble . he can do almost anything . he can marry the kings daughter , create wmoney out of thin air ; he can trick the devil and even cheat death . even if anansi loses in one story , you know that he will win in the next . he is very intelligent and quick - witted . no matter what happens to him he usually comes out well in the end . . . often because he was able to trick some one .
many people believe that the ancient , sunken city of atlantis was in the bimini islands in the bahamas . huge , flat stones lying neatly about 20 feet under the clear waters of north bimini might be all that is left of the lost city of atlantis . they look like a road and are known as bimini road .