The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-09-11
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''Yes. I earn good deal Of mossy
every season, but / have to work bard
for it. and I think am deserving Of all
I get A jockey, in order to be sue
cessfnl. must constantly subject himself
to q rigorous course of training. and,
although people who are not posted on
such matters would hardly think it. the
best riders in the country-men who
earn from 5000 to $40, 900 every sum-
mer-frequently 60 to bed hungry every
night for weeks"
''Why is that p
''Well, it is this way: The scale of
weights in this country is very light as
compared with that in England. and so
it is always the case that by the time
Jockey becomes a man in years he has
grown to such q size that his natural
bodily weight is far above that which
the racing rules prescribe shall be car
ried in all the more important events
for 2 and 8 year old runners. Of course
this scale of weights must be adhered
to, and it is for this reason that every
jockey is weighed before each race be-
gins in order that none of them may be
either over or under the weight which
the rules fix for that particular event.
In winter, for instance. my weight is
about 1S5 pounds, yet drring the racing
season ! must be prepared to ride at a
moments notice any race where but ITO
pounds is allowed to be carried. This
means that have got to take off by ar
tificial means about fifteen pounds of
surplus flesh and You can have NO ides
of how hard it is to do that, and then to
keep my weight down to the proper
figures"
''How is this accomplished"
''By sweating. In spite of all the care
which can be taken as to what is eaten
a jockey finds that he is con-
stantly getting four or five
pounds heavier than he should be.
and this means that each morning of
the day he is to ride a race he must get
up early, put on q number of sweaters,
and over these place heavy clothes.
Then comes stiff walk of four or five
miles, the pace being fast enough 50
that perspiratiOn will be freely induced;
and by dint of hard walking and eating
little or nothing during the fore part of
the day he finds that by afternoon he is
down to the proper weight and can ride.
Of course this sort of life weakens
man. If it were only done for a week
or so it would not make so much differ
erence, but where one has to keep con-
stantly reducing his flesh by artificial
means from the LIST of May until the LIST
of October it is a tremendous strain on
the mental and nervous system as well
as the physical. There is a constant
feeling of weakness and sickness which
never leaves one except during Sleep"
What does q jockey eat during the
racing season."
''Well, don't know how other men
but find that fruit is about
the only thing can eat without causing
my weight to run up beyond proper linn
its. Of course there is not much
in that sort of diet, and have
to supplement it with meat once in a
while, but even then l can only have a
small piece of very rare steak, and this
with little toast is quite a feast for a
jockey who is in active training"
$50 you are hungry good deal of
the time?"
YES" said Murphy, with a curious
smile. as he looked up into the face Of
his questioner, the high cheek bones
with the skin drawn tightly over them
telling their own story of self-imposed
1--WE don't know what it is
to feel that we have eaten enough from
the day the racing season begins until it
is over. And then the work is hard and
of kind which makes q man want
food. You get Oh the back
of big, active thoroughbred race-horse
that is full of life and ambition, and
sometimes is vicious besides, and you
are expected to control him and ride
him in such a manner that his best speed
will be obtained for long distance, and
all the time you are actually weak for
want of food" -Ch,cago Tribune.