Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 279, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1912 — WRESTLING IS ROUGH SPORT [ARTICLE]

WRESTLING IS ROUGH SPORT

Inhabitants of Iceland Fond of All Sorts of Outdoor Games—Horse Racing Is Popular. E. M. Newman, the traveler and lecturer, tells an interesting story about a wrestling bout that he witnessed in Iceland last summer. “The inhabitants, or rather the sporting fraternity in Iceland, are very much interested in'all sorts of outdoor sports,” said Mr. Newman. “They have developed a sort of catch-as-catch-can style of wrestling that is as unique as it is rough and is entirely different from the game as it is known in this country. “Each contestant has a strap firmly fixed about his loins. The wrestlers get their grips on this strap. Tripping and body holds are absolutely barred, the object being to raise the opposing contestant into the air by means of the strap and then to drop him on his back. It is a very rough sport, broken bones being the rule rather than the exception. Wrestling bouts are yery popular in Iceland. “Horse racing is also a popular sport'with this northern people. In Rekjavik, the capital of Iceland, there is a splendid race course where meets are held at regular intervals. The Iceland ponies hre very similar in appearance to Shetland ponies but they are sturdier and fleeter of foot. Great excitement prevails In the city while the races are on, the people coming from all parts of the island. ' "Betting is wide open, fast and furious. It is no unusual thing for a man, who has spent months on a whaling expedition, to wager his entire earnings and all his possessions on his favorite pony."