An interesting ostrich racing took place on April 7, 2009 at Highgate Ostrich Show Farm in Western Cape, South Africa. (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

You might watch a horse race, either on the scene or on TV, but have you viewed a live ostrich racing? I'm afraid that most respondents might give a negative answer.

Here in Highgate Ostrich Show Farm in Western Cape of South Africa, the world's first, finest and most original ostrich show farm, an interesting ostrich racing took place on April 7 before Chinese visitors realized what it was!

As soon as three well-trained guides rode on ostriches, the huge birds kicked off a start in a flash. The spectators were so highly inspired that they successively stake in a bet on who would be the final winner. Since ostrich can run in a high speed between 60 and 70 kilometers per hour, the nonexpert-spectators couldn't help worrying about riders' safety. On this point, working staff with Highgate Ostrich Show Farm, Ben van der Merwe, explained that the professionals are always able to control the bird and also ensure the safety of those tourists who are brave enough to have a try.

　　

Ben van der Merwe, a guide with Highgate Ostrich Show Farm, pulls the ostrich neck to demonstrate how he tamed the largest living bird in the world on April 7, 2009.(Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

"Like a neck, if you pull it back, it stops. They can run very fast, but when our guests ride, we keep them in a small area then the bird can't run so fast. "

In our view, the capable runner-bird may escape from the mouth of almost all aggressive beasts if it lives in the wild. However, Ben van der Merwe pointed out there is one exception and meal-cat around the highgate farm is their only concern.

　　

A guide with Highgate Ostrich Show Farm shows the techniques to control the ostrich when he rides on it on April 7, 2009. (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

"The lions are the only ones who can catch them in the wild, because the lions don't fight one by one. They fight them in a pack. So should ostriches gain no chance against the lion. But in farms around here, they are fairly safe, because there is no lion. The only problem we've got is the meercat, the small animal, who kills the baby ones. This is the only problem the farm has got yet."