The Garden City Telegram
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Slow and steady wins the race
Published 7/27/2009 in Local News
By STEPHANIE FARLEY
DEERFIELD — Kristina Bridgeman, who ran Saturday's turtle races for the Deerfield Days and Summer Celebration, feels the day-long celebration is a good way to bring the community together.
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Stephanie Farley/Telegram — A participant prepares his turtles for the big race Saturday during Deerfield Days and Summer Celebration. The turtle races were held in Deerfield's Firehouse Park.
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Stephanie Farley/Telegram — Kristina Bridgeman, left, marks off turtles and participants on her clipboard before the turtle races started Saturday during the Deerfield Days and Summer Celebration. More than 40 turtles participated in the races. Stephanie Farley/Telegram A participant prepares his turtles for the big race Saturday during the Deerfield Days and Summer Celebration. The races were held in Firehouse Park in Deerfield.
People originally from Deerfield but who have moved away can come back during the event, she said, adding the celebration is a great way of expressing community pride.
On Saturday, Bridgeman saw a lot of community participation in her event, the turtle races — seven heats of seven turtles each.
"So you're looking at 49 turtles," she said after the competition finished, adding that's the most turtles she has seen in a while for the event. Typically, there are 20 to 25 turtles racing, she said.
Kayden Christiansen, 7, took the event with his championship turtle. Kayden hadn't gotten around to naming the turtle yet, he said after the competition.
"We'd talked about one-eyed Willy, didn't we?" Kayden's mom, Krissie Christiansen, told him.
Kayden found his turtle at Beymer Park in Lakin and tried his reptile at the Kearny County Fair. The pair didn't do too well in the first competition, Kayden said of the fair.
"Losing last time was bad," he said.
So Kayden and his turtle found themselves at the Deerfield Days celebration this weekend with everything coming together for them. Kayden's dad, Jim Christiansen, thought Kayden spending a lot of time with his turtle helped the two out during competition, familiarizing the reptile with people so he wouldn't be afraid to cross the white, spray-painted outer rim of the winner's circle.
The way the races work is the turtles are placed in a smaller circle with a barrier around it to prevent the turtles from false starting. When the race starts, the barrier is removed and the first two turtles that make it to the outer edge of the bigger circle — marked by the white, spray-painted line — win their heat. The winners then go on to the finals, where they're narrowed down further, and the top specimens compete in a championship round.
Kayden stood by the smaller circle on Saturday, holding his turtle, ready to put him down in the circle. He kept asking his parents if he could place the turtle in the circle — not yet, they would tell him.
Meanwhile, the turtle kept wriggling around.
"It's heavy," Kayden told them.
"You're fine," his mother replied.
"Kayden, face his head this way," Jim Christiansen told his son as Kayden placed the reptile in the circle.
The competition came down to Kayden and Evan Smith, who took second with his turtle.
"These are the fastest turtles we've got, right here," Bridgeman said of the reptiles moving around in the smaller circle, warming up for their journey across the grassy floor of Firehouse Park in Deerfield.
Deerfield Days included more than the turtle races — there was the toad beauty pageant, Lee Richardson Zoo animal shows, fun run and walk, silent auction, breakfast, music, a parade, motorcycle run, fire truck rides, food and more.
But about 11 a.m. Saturday, turtles and winning were the only things on the mind of 11-year-old Mercedez Showers, Deerfield. Her grandfather found her turtle — the turtle races are something she "pretty much" participates in every year.
Her strategy for the races: "Just let 'em go," she said of the turtles.
"I think it's gonna go pretty fast," she said of her turtle.
Jescie Bribiesca, 6, Holcomb, discovered her turtle near a barn in the country. She thought he'd do well, being as he wasn't enjoying the clear, plastic box he was trying to escape from Saturday.
"He likes to get out of here," she pointed to the turtle, named Myrtle.
"How are we gonna make him run?" Connie Braun, Deerfield, asked her granddaughter.
Jescie's cousin, Sarah Dillinger, 10, said the turtle was feisty enough he'd take off right away during the race.
But will he go fast, the group asked themselves.
"Hopefully," Jescie said.
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