Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-29
LIFE OF A JOCKEY.
What One Must do to be n Successful
Rider

W nat One Must do 10 Dc n SuCCcssiui
Rider
The life OF a professional jockey Is
full OF the widest and most unre-
strained excitement. i doubt II It's
parallel can be found in any other vo-
cation. Watch even the casual spec
tator OF a horse race as he sits on the
grand stand calmly viewing the start,
and then see him as the horse speeds
around the track. the on locker be
comes interested more and more until,
by the time the winner has crossed the
line, he is standing in his chair, madly
waving his arms and cheering until his
breath Is gone
That Is the way closely contested
race affects even a passive spectator.
To what feyerish excitement then Is
the Jockey himself subjected, who,
next 10 the good mount under his sad
die, is the most active participant in
the contest? Yet amid It all the rider
must he as cool and clear-headed as II
he were simply taking a 'censtitu-
tIoRal,, morning canter on his fathers
/ favorite mare.
In order TO be successful as Jockey
one must necessarily tie careful IN his
habits, and must be In what we might
| call partial training all the time.
There IS no necessity for the rigorous
| diet and abstemiousness which Is con-
sIdered essential to those who engage
/ in athletic sports. but the most ex-
IRENE care is absolutely necessary, that
tie weight may be kept down to the
proper figure, and for that reason all
| food which has a tendency to increase
/ flesh must be avoided.
/ For my part 1 may say that have
always been temperate in my habits.
use tobacco to a small extent, but eat
almost anything 10 which 1 take a
/ fancy, although sometimes 1 am
obliged to pay the penalty. 1t Is my
purpose always to keep myself down To
about 1l2 pounds in weight. The
lowest weight ever had ever attained
was lU7 pounds, and the highest 15u
pounds, so, TO reduce myself TO the
right avoirdupoIs, l was once forced
10 knock OF just eighteen pounds OF
superfiuous fiesh, and 1t was no easy
undertaking.
/ When 1 find myself accumulating
weight too rapidly begin 10 take long
walks, wearing sweaters and the heav'
lest winter clothing, which Is not es-
pecially enjoyable in hot summer
weather. A walk of from eight to ten
miles, dressed in the condition de-
scribed, will usually dispose of from one
to two pounds of extra flesh These
walks are INDUCED in only when the
necessity requires, and are by no means
of daily occurrence, for which am
duly thankful.
The one all important requisite for a
successful jockey IS to keep cool head
I and to possess an unerrlng Judgment,
I for if he Loses one and falls OF having
| the other at a critical moment, he will
never overcome the many obstacles
that meet him with every turn of the
track, and never win a race unless he
is mounted upon a horse that viii carry
him through in spite OF himself There
is as mEch strategy and tnesse to be
exercised on the race course as on the
battlefield. One must know his enemy
thoroughly, and must be alive to take
instant advantage Of any errors his op-
ponents may make. He must endeavor
to make his rivals use up all their
strength before the critical moment
comes, and must reserve for himself
suriclent force TO carry him safely
through the inal struggle.
Blu. above all, he should be very in
timately acquainted with the capabil-
tiles Of his own horse, and must be
thoroughly couVersant with all its
points OF weakness, as well as Its ele-
ments OF strength, for the former may
often be taken adv antage OF II they are
not known to his opponents There
is a certain knack Of riding which IL is
difficult to explain, but which has a
substantial existence Just the same,
that enables one to almost lift his
horse along, especially in passing under
the wire. when a fortunate leap viii
carry YOU 10 the front by even a nose.
Many a lucky win of mine has been
made in this way, noticeably in the re-
cent race where Tea Tray and Tristan
were AT the fore. and Tristan won by so
small fraction that it is said that no
one on the track saw the true result.
excepting the judges. In that race,
which was one of the most exciting in
which have ever been engaged, i was
able to lift Tristan almost by main
strength, when felt that had surely
lost, Just enough 10 win.
The sensations which 4 Jockey eXpe-
riences in speeding around the track
are many and varied, and there is al
ways the utmost exhileration of mind.
and every muscle OF his body is drawn
TO a tension approaching the breaking
point he has little time 10 view the
landscape within the inclosuIe or to see
the mad crowd that is cheering him on
from the grand stand, or at the fences
close by the track, even If his eyes are
not blinded by the showers of mud oI
the clouds of dust with which the
enemy In front delight to greet him.
But he knows instinctively that the
landscape and the crowd are there, and
he hears the cheers of the mob family
above the Gathering of the horses
hoofs- These are quiet and subdued
sounds at the start, which are COM
pletely lost the moment the first turn
Is made, and then they cease altogether
until the homestretch is gained, wheI
the noise grows gradually louder, but
seldom becomes a good sized one fol
the Jockeys ears. 1t Is when the race
is over and the victory is won that the
jockey remembers all he has passed
through. The nervous exhaustion oc
cssioned by a record breaking mile /!
excessive, but bath and rub down
soon puts the jockey in healthy trim
for the next race.
French Extravaganza.