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Milk sours but cow of a race keeps town on track
9 Feb 2004
There are fewer dairy cow herds now around Mount Compass in South Australia, as prices have fallen and dairy farmers sold up, but the cow still provides a financial backbone to the community. For 31 years, cows have raced in the world's only known cow race, the Compass Cup. The race draws as many as 6,000 local and international tourists to the small town and for the last 25 years it has been a major fundraiser. Over that time, the race committee has injected $125,000 into community organisations, infrastructure and sporting venues.
Five years ago the average dairy farm in the area had between 70 and 100 cows, but now farmers have to either get big or get out. Most farms now run between 400 and 1,000 cows.
This year the heat kept spectator numbers at the Compass Cup down to 4,000. After a series of heats, the final race featured six cows, each with a jockey and three handlers, one on either side and one at the back to push the beast. The race went for 100m and stopped as soon as three cows crossed the finish line. The winner was jockey Jay Perkins on a cow coached by the Andamooka Roo Boys team.
The Australian, 9/2/04, page 3.
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