The evening world., 1889-06-17
VICTO RS.
Jockey "Bily" DOnOhue Relates Some
Of His Many Falls.
He Has Broken More Bones than
Any Other Jockey.
TraInpled On by a Horse in a New
Orleans Race.

BILLY" Donohue. one Of the best-hearted
and best.natured Knights of the Pigskin, has
probably had more bones broken than any
other living Jockey to-day. All the breaks
resulted from falls when riding, and he is
very fortunate in being alive TO tell of it.
His has been n terrible experience. and
enough to make a less game man quit the
business.
Billy" has no idea OF quitting. though,
and says he never feels the least bit afraid in
a race.
He rode his first horse in Canada twenty
years ago. He had n natural love for horses
end the exciting life Of IL jockey. and he has
ridden many good ones TO victory.
Ills experiences. as told to an EVENING
WORLD reporter, are very interesting. Here
they are
I've had more exciting races, if you
count fails and tumbleS for anything, than
any other mnn on the turf.
| GUESS nearly every lone IN my body
hns been broken ut some time or another,
But here | am to-day as well and happy,
save for n reminding twinGe once in awhile,
as | ever was.
Like Billy Hayward, / think the old horse
Monarch;st was the best horse / ever rode.
he won ten straight races, from one 10 three
miles, ana WON tUpDl WIN TIC greatest ease.
/ don't know that I've heen III many excit-
ing races save for the tumbles.
How many falls have / had? Oh, |
couldn't tell you ali of them. The worst |
ever had Mas Mt New Orleans, On April "a,
1852.
1 had the mount on John Mayors chestnut
gelding Warrington in the Cottrill Stakes,
for three-year-olds, Mt a mile and a half
Ellie IL. was in that race, and she got away
in trent. Before we had gone an eighth of a
mila ahn stumbled and nvar WARRINGTON
was thrown a dozen feet. 1 guess, and
thought l WAS out of harms way. But
Anglia. another one of the horses, came
busting along and planted one of his hoofs
in my groin. md another on my chest,
breaking two ribs.
All l remember when I fell was seeing a
crowd of horses III a heap and n thick cloud
of dust.
Then everything wns n blank and three
days afterwards l awoke 10 find myself in the
Hotel Drew, with two Sisters of Charity
nursing me.
| was sort of paralyzed, l w6s kept in bed
two weeks and then got up feeling first rate.
Warrington didn't have a show in the race
anyhow, SO the fall didn't make much differ
ence to the owners.
I had a leg broken in 1887 ut the Broaklvn
Jockey Club track. 1t was no fault of Mine.
however, but the carelessness of a brother
jock.
If 1 remember right, I was up on Santa
Claus Tint day and had a good chance to pull
OFF the stakes.
l got OFF we'll and held a good position
throughout. l was second into the stretch
and next to the rails. There one of the boys
crowded me, and of course l couldn't give
way.
| was iammed against the rails and then
Santa Claus stumbled and fell, turning Il
complete somersault and landing me ten
feet away.
/ didn't lose consclousness but my. how
that leg did pain. broke my other leg when
n boy.
Tie Club took care OF me and nursed m
throughout my sickness, which lasted nine
months.
Another fall I had was with old Wandering
in in Y, 1885.
Wander NJ was a tricky horse and a hard
one to handle. In this race he was regarded
as having a veritnble - moral, " and when ]
went " the post the odds were s 10 4 on.
At tho post the old horse commenced &c
buck and tried hard to shake Inc off. ! laid
well back when We finally got OF and was tC
come away in the stretch.
On the far turn, just as | was going to come
through on my mount, Greenland, with
Martin in the saddle, fell. Old Compensa
ton went down on top of him. and over
went on top OF the heap.
l got of very lucky. though. and only
sustained several Commissions. as we'll as {
beautiful black eye. Take it all in all In
a very lucky man, and l Thank my stars In
alive to-day"
Donohue is not riding for any particular
stable thisyear. hut his services are alwayi
in demand ty those who want a good man tC
guide their horses.