WORTHINGTON – For a moment at Saturday’s Great Gobbler Gallop, a turkey could fly – and using the prevailing winds to its advantage, Worthington’s Paycheck took flight, crossing the finish line in 1 minute 11.58 seconds to win a victory over Cuero, Texas, rival Ruby Begonia.
“We got off to a slow start,” said Paycheck coach Doug Tate. “Until we decided it was time to get past Ruby. He was airlifted, flew 20 feet and we knew we would be the winners.”
Paycheck indeed got off to a slow start, hesitating near the start line as Ruby quickly took the lead. However, she slowed down at the Third Avenue intersection, looking confused, and Paycheck started to catch up, helped by Tate, Captain Terri Odell and managers Genny McCuen and Kelly Eggers. The turkeys were neck and neck near the Thompson Hotel building when Paycheck took the lead. Although Ruby Begonia was late, she still clocked 1 minute 34.6 seconds.
“She ran straight down the track; it just wasn’t fast enough – but it’s not over until October,” Cuero racing team coach James Rath said. “She ran like we wanted. The only thing was when Paycheck came back a bit, she stuttered a couple of times. We were ahead that far.”
While substantial, Paycheck’s lead is not insurmountable, as the two turkeys will face off again at Cuero Turkeyfest on October 9. –and the right for his city to be named the world capital of Turkey. The second-place turkey wins the Consumed Commission Circulating Consolation Cup.
Neither Paycheck nor Ruby incurred penalties in the Worthington stage of the Great Gobbler Gallop on 10th Street, perhaps more aware of the need to run a clean race after the 2020 race was canceled due to COVID -19.
“Paycheck just waited until he saw a hole and then flew off,†McCuen said. “This bird has gone mad.”
