Unusual Sports: Ferret Racing!
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The annual ferret racing event, which draws a large crowd, has been held at a Pub in the Yorkshire Dales in the North of England. This year, there was a record crowd of around 200 people.
The ferrets race, three at a time, through tubes, specially rigged up for the occasion, and the first to make it round the course is the winner.
Like other sporting events, bets are taken on the outcome of each race, and the proceeds go to a local charity, the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue.
The race has been held for the past ten years and competition amongst the owners of the racing ferrets is keen.
Ferrets are carnivores, with long slender bodies, and their closest ancestor is the European polecat. They can live up to twelve years.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
