European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Agazine Robert Duck holds up a Duck Lor a closer look Al his Basque farm Home South of Albuquerque . He trains ducks to compete in races. Anything for a fast Duck by Tom Coyne. Associated press. I n Robert Duck s championship racing stable Al Bosque farms my am Birds with names Lisco Michael  and Mora s George be.  another 61 Buck s lock Pride of the 62nd Aimy band won the 1988 race in late August with a Lime of ,1,08 seconds shattering Oliver South s record Duck s 28 entries won sue of eight places in the finals and All three top positions in he final race. Duck s ducks have won in seven of the eight years they be competed. Duck racing has nourished in Dimmg since it started As an Alvernoon gathering in 1980. Several Hundred ducks from several Stales competed this year and were cheered on by several thousand spectators. The original idea was .10 gel maybe 50 ducks out to the Park maybe 150 people or so have a Barbecue a Good time and go Home Duck says. Then the National news Madia picked it up and in has absolutely gone bonkers  several trainers show up with 20 or More ducks at �10 an entry. Rivalries have blossomed among the trainers Wilh everyone shooting Lor Duck. We d Lovo to boat him there s nothing Friendly. About in says Everett Hassman of Deming s Hassman racing team. I d give anything to beat him. Duck says he first entered the race because of his last name and go serious about in because of the. Money. The 38-year-old president of an Albuquerque based wholesale jewelry company says he has earned Moro than $30,000 racing ducks taking Home 13,450 this year alone.  but once you re on lop of the Hill and especially when your Namo is Duck and you re winning Duck races in s More than the Money he says. It s the fun mrs Tho  also has appeared an the tonight show and has been featured in several National magazines his office is lined Wilh framed copies of newspaper articles detailing his i Rumphs ". He says he s Noi just a Lucky Duck the secret to winning he says is trying diff fent training techniques. Duck racing is such a new sport it does t have. Hundreds of years of history like horse racing where there s seen tried and proven techniques of training he says. You just have  very  Duck one year tried tilling Socka with Sand and Graval and lying them to his racers legs with shoestrings to strengthen the Muscles he abandoned the idea however when the socks Kepi getting caught on things the next year he attached weights to their legs sunday. Novembers 1988 using velcro strips bul the ducks just pulled Ihm of. He even tried a tread Miu one year bul it scraped the pads of the ducks get. ,. Since then i Hayo developed some training methods Tor building up the Muscles which i am going to Slop Short of revealing he says adding i would never do anything illegal. I would never do anything to hurl the  he starts his training routine six weeks before race Day working with the ducks every evening. Every Day they re run through that track so alter sin weeks 61 this they know what it s All about when they Gat Down Shete he says y. The whole routine is based on the simple premise hat ducks Don t like to be held. He shakes the ducks up a bit before each run to Ruhle heir feathers and give them added incentive to gel away the know it they run fast enough i won t Pich the up end make them do it again he says. The ducks keep a computerized spread Shell on. Each Facer s nightly performance to help decide which. 25 ducks will head South Lor the races. Before each race Duck whispers words of encouragement that would make Knutie Rockne proud " to a Winner or be  he tells people he feeds his ducks Groon cd before a race and  bul admits their main meal is a mixture i grains he s constantly modifying Duck a former Champion dog obedience Trainer says his experience Wil dogs has helped. I have found lha if you have a knowledge of animal behaviour it will Grahsler irom one animal to another he says. So it you know How to train a dog you have a head Start on training  Duck s love of animals is evident in a stroll through the Back Yard of his Horrie in Bosque farms about 15 Miles South of Albuquerque. In addition to 60 ducks there Are two horses five dogs a Goose and acat., the stars and stripes Page 13