The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-30
JOCKEYS WHO GET RICH.
LADS UNDER TwENTY-ONE WITH
LARGE INCOMES.

Some OF Them Are Paid over 100000
Year-The school Is n Hard One,
But Ii Brings Quick Wealth to the
Capable PupiIs-The Essentials
of Successful Rider-GeOrge
OdOm Is the Star of This Season.
His Life Is Very Happy one-A
Plain, Laughing, Fun-LOving Boy.
Father Days Training of His
Jocks.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
When a youth of l6 has an earning Ca
pacity of $4,000 year he becomes a per-
son of consequence from that fact. There
are about four of them in this country.
They are jockeys. A few days ago the
announcement was made that w. c. Whit
ney had offered George NJ. Odom $4,000
year to ride for him two years. One year
ago this boy was not even known to fol-
lowers of the race tracks. To-day many
experts say he is the best of the light
weight jockeys, which means he is the
foremost of them all.
This sum is practically for first call up
on his services-simply retainer, in fact
He can ride for other owners al Mr.. Whit
ney's discretion. He receives in addition
the regular jockey club fee of $25 FOR win
ming mounts and $40 for losing ones, and
as much more for signal victories as the
man for whom he rides chooses to give
him. Very often a jockey is given $500 for
winning one race, and much larger sums
have been given by enthusiastic and gen.
| erous owners. Every good jockey counts
upon winning as much again as the sum
paid 10 him by the stable for which he
rides to retain his services.
The mere fact that a jockey can make
such n large income says the New York
World is equivalent to saying that there
are very few first-cass riders of race
horses Hundreds of boys are working 10
get mounts.
The most extraordinary thing about the
frst-class jockey of to-day is his extreme
youth The most successful are from 10
| to 20 years old. 1t has become an axiom
on the turf that when a jockey passes his
majority he begins TO deteriorate.
Odom IS &c. ClaWson and O'Connor be-
| tween II and IS, Maher between Is and IL.
| There is no jockey in the first division on
| the American turf to-day who IS more
! than rs. although some past that age who
won fame and large sums in the past are
! stll riding. In England jockeys ride 50
long as they can make the weight There
| are riders over 40 over there who are &C
| counted tirst-class jockeys.
| There are two reasons for jockeys gong
backward after they are past q. Ihey
take on flesh and they lose their courage.
| Every round under 100 pounds of jock
ey is worth its weight in gold. When
! Jockey reaches the age of discretion ne
| refuses ito take a chance" TO use the Ia
nnlliar expires sion. A jockey who will not
| take chances cannot win many races
There is ore shining exception 10 this
rule-Tod Sloan. Ii was he who revolution
lied the method of riding race-horses.
| There are various opinions about Sloan 5
| personality. but there is no doubt that ne
is the greatest jockey that ever threw a
leg over a horse. The last year he rode IN
this country Tod Sioan's income was be-
| tween $4,000 to $1,000
What makes really great jockey? He
| must have judgment, good hands ana
| good seat. He must have something more
| intangible, uneXplainable yet understand
| able 1t is that something which makes
! him the real jockey. He must be equal TO
every emergency, and even, While taxing
the most reckless chances, never lose his
skin and cunning. And, above all, he must
be downright honest, always above sus-
Ii would naturally be supposed that a
| mature Jockey would be the better judge
because of his experience and ripened
] Judgment.
Look az the men like Taral, Doggett,
Sims and Hamilton-able jockeys who were
in the first division and who are still rid
ing. but who are no longer placed in the
first division.
The Jockey is to other men as the race
horse is to the work horse In many re-
spects. He is small, .ong of leg and arm,
sinewy. quick, absolutely game. His career
as a Jockey lasts about as long as that
of a horse on the turf. The first essential
in a jockey is physique. Odom, Clawson,
OConnor and Maher are built upon the
same plan. Each has long, thin legs,
long arms powerful hands and small
trunk. They are sinewy, but not mus
cular They have endurance rather than
strength The old-sty.e of riding required
great power on the part of the rider. The
new style depends upon skill.
The development of a jockey is very
curious There is at least one regular
school for them. Father Biz DAILY has
turned out more first-class jockeys than
anv other man in America, and he has
made more money through them than his
horses have won for him. In the majority
OF cases the boys are regularly appren-
ticed to the horse owners The number
varies with the size of the stable, except
in The case of Father BIZ Daily afore-
said who takes as many as he has accom-
modations for. In the first place the boy
must be small-boned and understood for
his years. If he Is 10 years old, weighs
100 hounds. and has never learned 10 ride,
there is small chance of his ever becoming
a Jockey In near.y every instance the
boy is from to 10 years old, and weighs
sixty to seventy pounds. 1t is obvious that
he is the son Of poor people or an or
phan
His master agrees to feed, clothe, edu-
cate ard teach him the business of riding
horses until he is q years old. In return
| he is entitled 10 all the earning of the boy
up to that age. These youngsters are as
a rule admirably cared for. They are well
fed and well clothed. Theirs is a healthy
life The work is never hard.
As a rule, they sleep in the stable first,
because they want to, and, second. because
it is desired to make them as much a part
of the horse as possible.
For a long time they are permitted 10
lead very gentle horses only. Until they
can be trusted to this extent with thor
oughbred trey fetch and carry. In the
meantime they are compelled to go 10