Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-07-31
|BARBARIC PUEBLO SPORT
CONTEST IN WHICH INDIANS AND
HORSES ARE OFTEN KILLED.

rhe Cruel Pastime is Called Chicken
Buried Fowl is Torn to Shreds by the
Mounted Contestants - Brutal Play.
Whenever the Pueblo Indians wish
20 celebrate u day, writes Socorro
New Mexico) correspondent of the
New York World, they arrange for
yarions religious observances, athletic
contests and dances, always ending
the day with chicken race. Such u
celebration occurred last week at the
settlement of San Juan. This event,
which was Witnessed by, perhaps,
1000 Americans and MeXicans, many
of whom had travelled several miles in
order to be present, combines cruelty
and bnrbarity in degree satisfying to
the most bloodthirsty and an element
Of danger that makes it particularly
attractive to the mind of an Indian.
When all was ready live rooster
was buried in the ground. The head
aud few inches of the neck of the
fowl were left protruding from the
ground, which covered the body and
etfectually prevented the poor thing
from moving. More than 100 Indians
who were to take part in the race were
seated on their horses about 100 yards
away. When all was in readiness the
word was given, and with rush that
raised cloud of dust the braves dashed
toward the imprisoned rooster.
As they urged their ponies forward
The Indians crowded close together in
an effort to be the first to reach the
chicken. Two ponies were thrown
and the rest of the riders rode over
them and their former riders. How
these two unfortunates escaped death
was seeming miracle, but it Glanced
That neither of them was seriously
hurt, and they soon mounted their
ponies again and took part in the chase.
The first Indian to reach the chicken
leaned far over the side of his pony
pud tried to grasp the chickens head.
He missed it, and a brave further be-
hind dashed up, leaned over and
jerked the futteriug body from the
ground Away he dashed with his
trophy high iu air. Hardly had he
gone a dozen rods, whirling the fowl
above his head, when comrade
seized one of the chickens legs and
gave it tremendous jerk. The first
Indian held on tightly and the neck OF
the chicken was torn in two, and with
q fierce yell the Indian who had Sc
cured the chicken urged his horse
forward and became the pursued.
He went perhaps quarter of mile
before he was surrounded. Another
comrade grabbed the other leg of the
deal fowl. Then the carcass was torn
in two, both men being splattered with
the blood of their victim. Occasion
ally pony would fall, and sometimes
two or three would come together in n
collision, the shock of which would
throw both riders to the ground.
The wild race lasted for nearly an
hour, during which time two men SUI
rercd broken arms aud another had
his thigh bone broken. The others
paid no attention to the wounded men,
but continued the awful sport, leaving
the squaws and braves who had not
taken part i'll the race to care for
them. The race did not end until the
chicken had been torn into shrcds.
Three horses died from exhaustion,
having been urged on by their riders
MS long as they could move. During
the race the Indians seemed to be the
victims of o sort Of mania. They
howled fercely all the time and seemed
to glory in smearing the blood Of the
fowl OH their bodies.
The chicken races occur periodi-
cally among the various tribes of Pue-
bio Indians that live in New Mexico
and Arizona. Occasionally one or two
Indians are killed outright or so bad
Iy injured that they die, but these
fatalities do not seem to make the
ghastly sport any less popular.