What makes this sport so entertaining, though, is that ostriches are not nearly as easy to ride or control as other animals: they will shake, jump, and try to get rid of their riders, which often end up falling off and leaving the ostrich to complete the run by themselves.įun fact: in Chandler’s Ostrich Festival, ostriches are conducted in a style known as “featherback”, and jockeys do their best to hold tight to their birds as they run at high speeds of 30 miles per hour (!). The rules are simple: contenders climb on the back of their bird, grab them by their feathers and ride themacross the track. Sometimes chariots, saddles or wagons are used to ride the ostrich. Ostrich racing is a sport in which jockeys compete against each other while riding on the back of ostriches. Ostrich racing at Canterbury Park, Minnesota.