The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-09-12

Tho Habits and Training of Successful
Rtdrrs.

'Yes, | earn n good deal Of money
every season, but | have to work hard
for 1t, and think | am deserving Of all
/ get. A jockey, in order to be sue.
%cessiul, must constantly subject himself
TO n rigorous our Of training, and,
although people who are not posted on
such matters would hardly think Il, the
best riders in the %country-men who
earn from 5000 to $4,000 every sum.
mer-frequentlyg 90 to bed hungry every
night for weeks"
''Why Is that pn
''Wcll, II is this way: The scale OF
weights In this country Is very light rs
compared with that In England. and SO
II Is always the ease that by the time a
jockey becomes a man In years he has
grown TO such n size that his natural
bodily weight is far above that which
the racing rules prescribe shall be car.
ried In all the morc important events
for 2 and 3 year old runners. OF course
this scale Of weights must be adhered
to. aud Il Is for this reason that every
jockey Is weighed before each n c be-.
gins in order that nom Of them may be
either over or under tho weight which
the rules fix for that particular event.
In winter. for instance. my weight i
about 1855 pounds, vet during the racing
season ! must be prepared to ride nj n
moments notice any race where but lie
pounds Is allowed to be carried. Thi.
means that have got To takeoff by ar.
tiiicial means about fifteen pounds Of
surplus flesh and you can have no idcr
OF how hard Il Is TO do that, aud then 10
keep my weight down to the proper
figures"
''How is this Accomplished"
by sweating. In spite Of all the care
which can be taken Ms to what i eaten
jockey finds that he Is cor.
stantly getting four or five
pounds heavier than he should be-.
and this means that each morning Of
the day he Is to ride q race he must 90,
up early, put on n number Of sweaters.
and over these place heavy clothes.
Then comes n stiff walk II four or i've
miles. the pace being fast enough ~
that perspiration will he freely inineed.
and by dint u hard walking and eating
little or nothing during the fore mart II
the day be finds that BY afternoon he |.
down to the proper weight and can ride.
VI course this sort Of life wcakeus a
man. II Il were only done for a week
or 80 II would not make so much differ.
erence. but where one has TO keep con.
stantly reducing his flesh by artificial
means from the lst Of Nav until The h,
Of October It i a tremendous strain ON
the mental and nervous system AZ well
~ the physical There Is a constant
feeling Of weakness and sickness which
never leaves n execp, during sleep."
what does : jockey eat during the
racing season."
well. don't know how other men
manage. but I find that fruit i abou,
the only thing can al without causing
my weight to run up beyond proper linn.
it,. OF course there Is not much
strength In that sort If diet. and | have
To supplement Il with meat once in a
while, but even then | can only have a
small piece Of very rarp steak and mi.
with a little toast is quite a feast for !
jockey who l. In active training
40 Jon are hungrya good deal Of
The times"
Yes" sail Murphy. with a curiou,
smile ss he locked up into the face q,
his quessioner. the high cheek boues
with the skin drawn tightly over them
telling their own story u self-impused
starvation. Eve don't know that Il /,
10 feel that W have eaten enough from
the day the racing season begins until
= over. And then the work IL hard and
Of : kind which makes q man want
nourishing food You get on the back
OF seix. sctive thoroughbred rzce-horss
that is full Of life and ambition. ant
s"rn~HFnss Il vicious beziaes. and ,on
sse expected 10 contrul him and ride
him in such = manner that his hesf speed
willie obtained for : lenx slsssnc<. and
~ the time yuu xre actually weak a.
mani nj ~ r-n-~- 49,