Coins We'd Like to See: Snail Racing

The Olympics are known for displaying the pinnacle of human endeavour, effort and determination. However, there have been questions recently about what credit should go to the animals involved. It has even been suggested that Big Star, the horse that Nick Skelton rode to victory in the showjumping event, should be given his own golden postbox, since the Royal Mail is painting a postbox gold for every Team GB gold medal winner.

Where will this all lead? Will dog assault courses or falconry events be introduced? Well let's hope so because that means that the noble sport of snail racing could be in the next Olympics!

"But Matthew, what is snail racing?" I hear you say. I'm glad you asked. You'd never guess it, but it's a race involving snails! Each competing snail has its shell painted with a number. All the snails are then placed at the starting line and then it is a sprint to the finish.

Molluscs are notoriously bad at moving in straight lines, however, and so the race course is not like the human 100m, with lanes and such, but is set in a circle. The starting line is around the centre and the first snail to reach the edge of the circle is the winner.

The radius of the circle is generally 13 or 14 inches and the fastest recorded time was set at a lightning 2 minutes by a speedy snail called Archie in 1995.

My coin design for this sport features two snails in a photo finish as they are both streaming towards the line. I think it reflects the pace and excitement of the event perfectly!