Cheetah splashes way to
Races grand championship
By HEATHER BRYANT
P-I Staff Writer
Cheetahs are known as the fastest cats in Africa, but a fast cat of a different species
won the grand champion title in Saturday's Fish Fry Catfish Races on the Henry County
Courthouse lawn.
Feroza Freeland's fish Cheetah won the final heat against Rhea Reader, sponsored by Rhea
Library, and Pearly White, sponsored by McClain Orthodontics.
Cheetah said his training regimen consisted of eating plenty of Cheetos and
swimming laps under the McWherter Bridge.
"I'm honored to take the grand champion title," said Cheetah while
wiping orange Cheetos dust from his lips. "Feroza was so supportive during the race,
and Rhea Reader and Pearly White were tough competitors."
Cheetah's success garnered a trophy and a gift certificate from The Olive Pit for Feroza.
Sponsors whose fish won preliminary or semifinal heats won gift certificates to
local
restaurants.
Before the races began. Bill Williams, Post-Intelligencer editor emeritus, got the crowd
laughing after he said, "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that the meals are
the losers of the Catfish Races."
All entrants in the Catfish Races received their choice of a Catfish Races
T-shirt, hat or
booklet of past fish tales.
Entrants are invited to stretch their imaginations and write stories, or tall tales, about
their fish to be published in The P-I.
"We don't make up a single one of them," said Williams. "Every story is
from the entrants themselves."
The Best Tall Tale award went to Paris Plumbing and Electric Supply for Joe Snow's story
about a mechanical steam-powered catfish, Heron's Aeolphile.
Snow's original story won him a trophy and a certificate to Seaton's restaurant.
Gene Gulish of Henry County Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine won second place
for his tale about omeN and his return to the races this year after a fin injury during
last year's races. His creativity won him a Trolmger's gift
certificate.
A story by Rose Cunningham's fourth-grade class at Elementary School about Frenchy the
Fish and his adventureto get to the Catfish Races won a third-place tall tale award and
two buffets from Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant.
The five tall tale honorable mentions and their sponsors include: Rhea Reader, Rhea
Library; Bonehead, Blake Chandler and Michael Calfee of Bone & Joint Specialists; The
General Lee, Security Bank; Line Walker, Misty, Dan, Grace and Reece Hassell; and Tsunami,
McClain Orthodontics.
The Best Fish Name award was given to Jennifer Tio's, I Coulda Been a Cod-tender. She
received a plaque and a gift from Carmack's Fish Bam.
Jim's Discount Pharmacy took second place for best fish name with Chill Tonic 100, winning
a prize from Smokey's Grill. Becky Gate's fifth-grade class at PES won third place for
Eiffel Power, winning a gift from Kentucky Fried Chicken.
The Best Team Spirit award was given to McClain Orthodontics, whose supporters
shouted; clapped and jumped around their fish troughs. The group also wore yellow and blue
T-shirts printed especially for the occasion.
Other semifinalist in the Catfish Races and their sponsors include: Biqico Cat, Beasley's
Investment Management; Granddaddy, Bill Freeland; Line Walker, Misty Hassell; omeN, Henry
County Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine; Zachary Zephyr, Mahan Ford;
Somethin' Fishy, Jessica and Erin Stevens; Parisian Cat, Paris Magazine; The General Lee,
Security Bank; and Tsunami, McClain Orthodontics.
The P-I sponsors the annual Catfish Races during the Fish Fry, with all proceeds benefit-
ing the Henry County Literacy Council.
The 2006 Catfish Races raised about $1,350 for the Literacy Council. |
