The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-11
THE "eYMKHANA.u

Medley of Outdoor Games INDUCED in
by English Oflcers in India.
A ''gymkhana. Well what is it2
The word in itself is a compound Hin
dostanee term, meaning the "home OF
games, /" and with many another Indian
phrase has been incorporated into the
sporting vocabulary of the sport loving
Anglo Saxon race. To put it tersely,
lit is medley of games. To enhven
the monotony of garrison life In the
many stations in India the officers
from time to time get up steeplechases
and athletic sports for the men. After
the conquest of the Puniaub men
learnt new games that were imme-
diatcly dubbed ''good." Tent pegglng,
lemon cutting, and last but not least,
"polo," were at once adopted by the
English. All these sports were 'incor-
porated into the programme and added
q new zest.
An animal race always forms part OF
a ''gymkhana." Here each competitor
brings to the starting post some quad
ruped or biped Pigs dogs fowls, cats,
rats, rabbits, the gentle tortoise, all are
eligible, and if some strange animal or
bird can be procured the fun is all the
merrier. Eacff animal or bird must be
held by string, but it is not advisable
for the harmony of the race to place
the dog next in line to the cat, or the
latter in juxtaposition to the rat. The
writer, when in Africa, saw o race In
which q secretary bird was entered with
every chance of winning. Next it was
a rlt. The bird espied the rodent few
moments before the start, and with one
rhump of its foot killed it. The next
second the rat had been swallowed.
The secretary bird was ruled out of the
race
An obstacle race is indispensable.
This is race for men, and it must be
left to the ingenuity of the stewards to
devise the obstacles. \ race the writer
remembers began with some fairly stiff
hurdles; beyond these an entangle-
ment, easily made with stout stakes and
wire run in every direction around
them. Beyond that was wide water
trench and then a tarpaulin, riveted in
the ground, under which the competi-
tors had to crawl. Next table, with
q good old dry bun for each, which had
to be eaten, and then large bottle OF
effervescing ginger beer. Flour bar
rels with both ends knocked out and
suspended from q scaffold, improved
the appearance of the men when they
Owed through them, and last climb
over palisades, built close together,
was about as much as most men cared
to go through in an obstacle race.
4 blindfold wheelbarrow race is
amusing, especially when the pusher
makes straight for one of the adjoining
bitches. For the horsemen, pretty
and excellent competition is tent peg
ging." An ordinary tent peg is firmly
fixed in the ground. Each competitor,
at full gallop, with his lance tries to
strike the peg and carry it off on the
tip OF the lance. These lances are al
ways made of bamboo and tipped with
steel. The rider carries the lance in his
right hand, with the elbow of the arm
bent well outward If the peg is square
ly struck, the lucky rider brings it home
on the point of his lance. AS rule,
however, lie comes to the finish with
only few scraps of mother earth.
Another capital race is riding tan
dem race Each man rides one pony
while he drives the. leader, and every
one must carry tandem whip. a cigar
race causes a good deal of fun. The
competitors start on bareback stecds,
and, on reaching one limit, jump OFF,
saddle their ponies, light a cigar and
make the best time to the winning post.
The cigar must be alight when the judge
is reached.
Local industries may be used in aid
ing the programme. A race for soldiers
in full marching order adds to the in
terest of the sports, and the small boys
of the village will gladly join in potato
race. In this a certain number of po-
tatoes are placed in line, and each
youths task is to run and pick them
up, che by one, and return them to a
basket. New York Tribune.