The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-04-19
Tie Wasting Process.

Many anecdotes have been printed of the
| feats which were formerly accomplished by
jockeys in order to reduce their weight.
These men knew ''Bauting" long before the
celebrated London uphol>tercr published his
pamphlet; but did not Systematically prac-
tice the art. Thomas EoIcroft, the drama
fist, author OF ''The Road to RUM who
was for short time jockey boy at New
market, has described the painful process Of
wasting" as it was practiced in his day
about 120 year ago--when the lads used to
walk about for hours envelopesl in heavy
horse-cloths, tryin. with all their might to
fine down their too, t, solid flesh" Jock
eys have told the writer that wasting" is
severe penance, and requires to be done
carefully. On occasions Of quick sweating
pains must be taken to prevent illness, as
if the process be too rapidly carried on, fe-
yer or death might result. 1t is known that
jockey, if not careful as to work and diet,
will increase from twenty to thirty pounds
during the winter season; but. by taking Wig
orous exercise, "buried in flannel" he can
come back to his proper weight in about ten
or twenty days When occasion required it,
as when {. jockey WAS anxious to ride Il fa-
vorite horse, cases have been known where
a reduction of half a stone was accomplished
within twenty-four hours. 1t is painful to
see some jockeys after they haze been en-
gagged in ''wasting;" they look as il all
their muscular strength had departed, land as
z A., Il tbo;v DaIo
the jockey, who rode Hermit in the Derby,
has been cast by nature in the mould of q
thirteen-stone man, and to keep himself at
the eight stone ten pounds, or bring his
weight to that figure when much beyond it,
must be an exhausting process. Many
clever jockey has gone to a premature grave
from over exertion in. wasting. Wasting reg
linen varies according to the taste or consti
tuition of the man. As some of them say,
'sWhat is meat and drink to one jockey is
poison to another" Frank Buffers usual
diet consisted CT a pins of champagne and u
slice of dry toast after each walk. while after
race he partook of a small portion of Cruel in
which was mixed little brandy. A York
shire jockey, called Jacques-it is not on rec
ord whether or not he was like Shakespeare's
hero, a melancholy man-once reduced his
weight no less than seventeen pounds in
twenty four hours.
Three times within that period he walked
from the grand stand at Newcastle to Cos
forth Hall, distance Of three miles-mak-
ing tour of eighteen miles in all. Jacques
hi 10 1sato
the occasion under notice was a little tea
with gin mixed with it, which caused him to
perspire freely; dry biscuit and a poached
egg served in vinegar was all the food he
took in twenty-four hours.
Sam Darling, another olden- time jockey,
walked on an average about five hundred
miles year III order to keep himself down
to racing weight. Some jockeys used long
ago to waste by means of hard riding, clad,
of course, in heavy wooden garments; 9th.
ers preferred to do their penance in their
walks from course to course, thus killing
the proyerbial two birds with one stone. Jno.
Osborne once relieved himself of seven
pounds of super1uous flesh in one of these
walks. Other horsemen have done the same.
Many of the jockeys of sixty years ago were
as good pedestrians as 'equestrians. 1t is es.
sential chat all jockeys should be careful
about being OF the proper weight, or when
they are over it, OF having the overweight
declared when going to ride, otherwise they
would lose the race if they should happen to
to be first at the winning-post.