Click photo to enlarge
The first pneumatic-tyred trotting sulky built in New
Zealand is displayed in George St, Dunedin, in 1893. Sam
Stedman, who manufactured the sulky is standing in the
doorway on the right. Photo from the Richard Stedman
Collection.
The beginning of harness racing at Tahuna Park in 1892,
coincided with the development of the recently invented
pneumatic tyre and the opening in Dunedin of a specialist
bicycle shop and factory by top Otago cyclist Sam Stedman.
Later that year, Stedman turned his business to producing the
first New Zealand-manufactured pneumatic-tyred trotting
sulky, combining the needs of trotting with the techniques of
bicycle manufacture.
In March 1893, he added to his advertising "the only builder
of the world-famous American style trotting sulky".
On June 8, 1893, The Otago Witness reported, "Mr Stedman has
taken an important step on the manufacture of a sulky.
The vehicle in which the winner of the Harness Trot at the
Tahuna Park meeting of the 25th [May 25] was driven, was
constructed in its entirety by Mr Stedman.
It is pneumatic-tyred and weighs only 48lb.
Should trotting continue to develop as this branch of sport
has developed in Otago during the past few years, the
manufacture of sulkies such as that which Mr Stedman has
turned out may become a flourishing industry."
Because of the success of the new sulky, there was a demand
for the sulkies and Sam Stedman went on to sell them
throughout New Zealand and exported them to Australia.
He even developed a single-wheeled model in an attempt to
further reduce the weight of the sulky.
It was obviously not a success.
The incorporation of bicycle building techniques even
extended to the use of a bicycle seat for the driver.
Harness racing moved from Tahuna Park to Forbury Park in
1909.
