8 February 2007

The Mowtivator!

Last Saturday we visited the Berry Show with Lana's parents. berry is about an hour's drive away over the mountains and along some very winding roads. Despite the gate guards not wanting to give us any type of family discount, unlike most other country shows, we enjoyed ourselves. The children and Lana won many prizes in the pavilion again, although Lana was beaten in most of the Cross stitch categories by her mum!
After wandering around the showgrounds, visiting the pavilion and traders and avoiding the overpriced rides(*), we watched the entertainment in the main grounds.
This photo is of the racers racing their hardest. The ride-on lawnmowers had names such as "The Mowtivator", "Mowna Lisa", "Mownaro" and so on. If you look carefully, you may be surprised that the rider on the left has no steering wheel. The bolts holding it on sheared off during the race but the fellow kept going using the pedals and the steering rod to turn the tight corners.
I interviewed him afterwards at his tent.
"Normally losing a steering wheel in a race would be considered a handicap, but you still won. How did you steer the thing?"
"I just know my vehicle really well," he replied with a straight face and twinkle in his eye. I waited patiently.
"Actually when the wheel came off I grabbed the post and used that with my feet on the pedals."

(*)"You can pay $6 for a ride if you want. From your money." The children thought about it and figured that four rides equals one cowboy hat. "No. We'll get a cowboy hat instead."

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