Record turtle turnout at New Hamburg races

Two turtles named Leo and Raphael were not happy to be trapped in a plastic bucket.

But they weren't contained for long. It was minutes until the start of the annual turtle races at St. Lawrence's Picnic in New Hamburg, Missouri, and Noah and Caleb Vetter were giving their new pets a pep talk.

They were two of the 83 turtles entered in the event -- a record, according to race coordinator Terri Stuckey. Children with turtle carriers scrambled around the wooden racetrack, just wide enough to hold 10 turtles per heat.

This year there were eight heats, and the top two from each race advanced to the finals. Because of the large turnout, Stuckey decided to double the prize money, meaning six children received a cash payout if their turtles crossed the finish line the quickest.

The top winners were Ty Glastetter and Christian Riggin, who each won $10 for their speedy turtles. The second-place finishers won $7, and third received $5. Catching the turtle in the first place was the hardest part of this race, because each child was responsible for supplying his or her own racer.

Stuckey announced each of the contestants, knowing many of the children personally, and is close to the race itself, being part of the group that sets the turtles free into the wild afterward.

"My dad will probably let them go at his farm," Stuckey said while unloading turtles into a trailer. "It's funny, because in the past we used to use paint, but I use that washable kind you put on a car window. And it was funny, because some years from one year to another you'd find a turtle with a number already painted on it because we've been doing this for over 20 years."

There isn't an entry fee for the race, but each turtle had a unique name that fit its personality. With the large number of boys entering turtles, the probability of a racer being named after a Ninja Turtle was relatively high. But the names varied. From Sprite to Barbie to Danger to The Flash, turtles of every size and color lined up behind the starting gate to make that 5-foot dash to the finish line.

In addition to turtle racing, horseshoes, bingo, quilt raffles, a dinner, a variety of games and a children's tractor pull all were taking place in the grassy field.

The dinner began at 4 p.m., and by 7, when everyone was served, coordinator Pat Moore was sighing with relief at its success.

Moore had stayed up until midnight the day before and awoke at 5 a.m. the next morning, worrying over whether they would have enough food. But she said the Lord provided, and they did very well this year, serving 1,060 people.

"All we ran out of is green beans, but you can eat those at home," Moore said with a laugh. "My husband would never let me live it down if we ran out of food, so I think green beans are OK. We had plenty of dumplings [and] fried chicken and kettle beef. That kettle beef went over so well, it was so tender. ... Basically [we serve] the same food every year. We had homegrown tomatoes, and they lasted until 6 p.m., and I couldn't hardly believe that."

Moore and Stuckey agreed the weather played a vital role in the weekend's festivities. On Friday, the highlight was the washers tournament, which had a good turnout, and Saturday was horseshoes, which had a record 28 teams. The antique tractor and car show also was a hit, with 36 tractors and two antique cars.

Stuckey said the proceeds go back into the church to maintain its grounds and improve the parish.

She enjoys this time of year because it's a time for parishioners -- many of whom have lived in the area all their lives -- to come together again and share stories.

"The dinner is a big draw for a lot of people. Just coming back to the community, coming back to New Hamburg, you know the people -- where you grew up or they were your old classmates, I think that is a big reason why a lot of people come," Stuckey said.

smaue@semissourian.com

388-3644

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