The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-18


for jockeys. The marvellous success Of
Tod Sloane and the Reiff boys In Eng
land has awakened the desire among
thousands OF poor laGs 10 become
skilled Jockeys for whom fortunes are
waiting, and this eccentric Irishman Is
now flooded with requests from would
be apprentices. He is recognized as
the adept pre-eminent in teaching boys
how to ride.
His reputation in this respect is of
long standing. He ii was who mace
jimmy Mclaughlin. for many years the
premier jockey of America and the
greatest rider of 2-year-olds this
couaEry has produced. Edward (Snap-
Defo Garrison, too, was pupil OF
your Uncle William" and now comes
little Winnie O'Connor, who will prob
ably head the list Of winning jockeys
this year. though but II years old, and
ga youthful looking that he might wen
be wearing kits. Then there is Wine
Palmer, Johnny and Jimmy Lamley,
Dummy Maher. ]. Slack and another
child. little Brennan, who, Pa Bill says,
VIII make Americas greatest jockey
with q little more training.
As these boys graduate from the
DAILY school they are in demand at the
big racing stables, for every horse
owner knows that Daily pupil has
been Sc thoroughly and acutely trained
in the business that he is capable -
ride the most important races So they
come year after year 10 Cocey Island,
where the winter quarters are, and any
day you may see these embryo famous
jockeys tearing along the cycle path,
bundled up in heavy clothes with the
psrspiration oozing out of every pore
ana followed. perhaps, by Sn admiring
crowd of school boys. Tie young jock
eys are striving TO keep down flesh.
so that they can ride at the smallest
weight possible.
Every one is urged on by the thought
of making perhaps s1G0,000 a year and
winning world wide fame, and, incl
dentally by their temporary fatcer. who
is known TO be quite active at e.mes
with a big stick, the hickory withe
which comes around a bundle of hay.
Mr.. DAILY gets his boys from different
places. Some are taken from orphan
homes and poor families who are only
too glad TO have child taken care of.
Others have run away and drift
to the ..gaffer-in-chief'' who does not
take any chances, however, and
requires each boz to be properly
vouched for and indentured TO him for
a period of five years. Legal papers
are drawn up and signed by the boys
parents or guardians. Then the lad
becomes Pa Bills property, and if he
runs off may be arrested and returned
to the school. MI. Daly gives no
money. either to the boy or his rela-
tives. He simply contracts to make
Jockey out Of the youth and take care
cof him until he is graduated. In this
way Pa Bill accrueS considerable
wealth. for his coys get s25 for every
race they win and $40 for a losing race.
10 say nothing of the large gifts from
the owners. Yet the price is not too
high for the training received.
Training For Jockey.
In the first place. a boy must have a
natural aptitude for handling a horse.
Pa Bill can tell the minute a boy takes
"a mount whether he is of the right
sort. If the boy shows any signs of
fear il generally settles his case. There
are exceptions, however" observed Mr..
DAILY to the. writer Nov, that boy
Slack, for instance, is a little skeery,
yet he will make a good boy. I got
him from a trainer down in Kentucky,
and the lad was half starved. He
trained him wrong by putting him first
on powerful horse that he could not
hold
s Pa Bill makes no mistakes like this.
He gives the boy an easy mount at the
start and then trains him by riding
alongside in a little pneumatic tired
sGAnSs III Which, Ills nOISCS can lIOI OF
gallon. at Will. From there he calls
out instructions to the tyro, and the
only thing that he requires is that the
boy obey on the instant every COM
mand and show no signs of fear. When
he has taught him the correct position
and the practical details the apprentice
is given chance on try out" That
Is preliminary race to test the horse
that is entered for an event. The head
Jockey rides the horse that is to race,
and the head apprentice takes a mount
on the trial horse. If he shows himself
capable in this he is later on honored
with a mount in real race.
& Pretty Hard Life.
To school him for that occasion, the
master introduces the scholar into
many mystery and art of the bust
ness. and first of all impresses him with
the Importance of getting off at the
post" This is an axiom fairly scared
on the memory OF a DAILY boy 1t means
that, instead of waiting for the others |
TO get off in the van. as do the English
jockeys. the rider is to dash to the
front and get the best position possible.
seven or eight lengths ahead of the 9TH |
ers, and then resi- there. Our Jockeys
have been successful in England by
practicing this. The riders there are
accustomed to hold back until near the |
finish and then trust to a fierce sprint
to win.
Pa Bits methods are rather severe at |
times. If a boy shows a yellow streak
he is apt TO be punished, and many
complaints have been heard from time
TO time, but there is no gainsaying
that he turns out jockeys. Another |
point which he irnpresses forcibly upon
his pupils is the necessity of forcing |
ones way in between two horses ahead. |
This requires the greatest pluck and !
endurance.
Winnie O'Connor, who by the way, is
a 7ephew OF Pa Bill, has made his rep |
utation thereby.
: When a dozen horses are coming on |
at the finish you viii hear the little fei- I
lows calling all sorts of things to one |
another. Your horse is PLAYED out."
says one Let me pass"
Make an opening there" Screams an I
other. with an oath MY horse is |
fresA!' = is at a time like this when |
thousands of dollars depend on acting !
with the rapidity of thought If boy
is behind a bunch of horses his only
CHI aces Of getting ahead are either to I
two Others. To execute the former ma
newer a horse must be in magnificent
form. with wind to spare, for he is al /
most sure 10 break his pace. and this
invites defeat. To plunge in between
means that a boys legs chance terrible
punishment and the horse risks a fall.
but that is what Pa Bill requires his
boys 10 do. Get off at the post" are
his last instructions, .'or Tip The
boy gets off.
Mr.. Daily gives his pupils all the ben
eft of a iifetime's experience on the
track. and it was through his tutelage
that Snapper Garrison won The Great