The 24th Annual Chandler Ostrich Festival starts

Friday at Tumbleweed Park. And of course the leading

attraction will be the ostriches.

Steve Boger brought in eight birds from Kansas to the

festival.

So what do you do with that many ostriches? Race

them!

“Well, you just get on their back and you turn them loose

and take off,” Boger said. “It also helps if the people

getting

on the back aren’t quite as intelligent as the ostrich,

and well, ostriches aren’t that bright to begin will so

you have a hard time doing that.”

Boger has raised ostriches on his farm for over 15 years.

He takes the birds all around the country, and races them,

either bareback or with chariots. It can be a wild ride

either way.

“They don’t really buck. They just run really fast, and

you don’t really know if they are going to turn or stop,

or just run over the top of you,” Gober said.

The festival will see eight races over the next three

days.

Chandler used to be home to several ostrich farmers, but

now those farms are long gone. That still hasn’t stopped

the festival from happen, which makes Steve and his family

happy.

“It’s going to be fun,” says Gober. “Don’t blink, or

you’ll miss the race.”

For more on what’s going on at the festival, go to

www.ostrichfestival.com