From - Fri Aug  2 14:32:17 1996
From: Paul Abraham <pabra@ntms.bt.co.uk>
Newsgroups: uk.transport,alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Using Bull-bars
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 12:43:52 +0100
Organization: BT Labs, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, UK

Ralph Jones wrote:
> 
> Martin Gilbert <m.gilbert@ucl.ac.uk> wrote:
> >
> >>Slightly off-topic, but I have heard from members of the constabulary,
> >>that some of the more devious members of the travelling community will
> >>drag dead (from natural causes) horses onto the road at night and
> >>waiting for some poor soul to hit the corpse. They then claim (en mass)
> >>that the horse was a potential Derby winner and worth thousands and
> >>demand compensation.
> >>
> In the 19th century, farmers were said to tether live cows on railroad
> tracks with the same aim.

Much has been written of the legendary Derby winning cattle of the 19th Century.
This was, of course, before the introduction of new safety rules introduced new
weight limits and banned the use of horns thus clearing the way for the new
lighter horses. Their achievements in National Hunt racing are less commonly
recognised - but what a sight it must have been first time round at Beechers
Brook in the 1830's!

Paul