The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-03-13
TRIALS OF JOCKEYS.
UNDERGO HARDsHlPs IN ORDER
TO WIN SUCCESS.
Many English Riders Nearly starve
Themselves Through Most of the
Year in Order to Keep Their Weight
Down-Their Remuneration.

- AoSE 70 Aeep Ine1r We1ght
Down-Their Remuneration.
recent article in the English ell
Illustrated Magazine" gives a number
OF details concerning jockey life that
proves that no outsider can have any
idea of the fortunes which the heroes
OF the Epson Derby and of the
Prince Of Wales stake are Obliged to
infict upon themselves for the honor
of their profession.
Some put on five suits of clothing,
and run distance Of four miles, after
which they stimulate the Precipitation
Induced by their exercise by exposing
themselves for several hours to the
heat Of an immense fire.
Others prefer to abstain from food.
John Arunll, an English jockey, be-
ing obliged to get rid Of at any cost
Of an excess Of six pounds which would
have debarred him from taking part
In an important race, picked out eight
apples, and for the eight days preced-
ing the race lived upon absolutely not
a thing else.
Thanks to this regimen, which was
adhered to even to the exclusion Of
drinking pure water, he attained his
object.
Apart from the periods when excep-
tional fasts and various methods Of
artificial Precipitation are necessary,
the best means for jockey Of long
retaining his place on. the turf Is to
accustom himself from an early age
to eat and drink very sparingly. From
the month Of March until the end of
the autumn, John Crockers. another
well known jockey, adopts diet COM
posed Of a small piece Of bread and
butter and a cup Of tea for breakfast,
for dinner a very small piece Of fish,
and small one Of plum-pudding ia
ken without other beverage than the
inevitable cup Of tea, which is des-
tined to simplify the work Of diges-
tion-already only too simple it would
seem to the laity.
AS for supper. it is. during the rae
lux SCdSOA, 1AOu thc hAC VA
1.-The talent" Only during December,
January, February is 1t that the mod
ern Tantalus may listen to the prompt
ings of his stomach. At the very first
approach of spring the memorable ty-
ranny Of weighing resumes full sway
and heroic remedies are resorted to in
order to melt the too solid flesh ac-
quired during the winter.
A means Of livelihood which con-
dennis a man to starvation during the
greater part Of the year does not seem
calculated to attract many followers;
yet there Is no such crowded profess
sion as that of jockey. Every year
sees hundreds Of English boys Of about
~ soliciting any employment. however
humble, under the celebrated train
ers.
To counterbalance the hardships Of
Jockeys life, his pay Is extremely
remunerative. Indeed, scarcely any
other road to fortune is SO rapid. 1t
is not unusual for young man Of 20
to earn from four to five thousand
dollars a year. In ordinary races, the
winning Jockey receives $25 and the
others $15. The emOluments Of trial
race are only fifty francs, but all these
small sums accumulate rapidly In the
course of a year. Even q third or
fourth-rate man Is sure of ample
means of existence, and one who has
made a name for himself, and has the
luck to win three or four big races,
makes about $4,000 a year. without
counting the accessory gifts which al
most every celebrated jockey has show
cred upon him. The well known Fred
Archer. for instance, received In a sim
gle week three diamond scarf pins.
Daly. the Jockey Of Hermit, who one
year won the EPSON Derby. on that
occasion received $4,000 worth Of
bonuses Of various kinds. besides a
large quantity of jewelry from various
grateful women bettOrs. Nor Is the
wealth accumulated by jockeys nova
DAYS anything but fairly earned one,
according to the optimistic belief of
John Crockers, who furnished most OF
the information for the illustrated
Magazines article. 1.-THE days Of cor
ruption have passed." he says. land the
turf is to-day above reproach." He
admits that it was not always SO. and
that he has frequently known jockeys
to hold back horse. whilst seeming
TO ply him with the whip; the strokes
falling on the riders own boots-a
trick which. he says, it is impossible
To discover even by the use of the best
eo,d glasses. Nowadays, however. so