The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-10
JOHN REIFF
GOT LICENSE
He Will Ride This Year for
Ed. Corrigan
HIS RIDING INDICATED
American Horsemen Believe
He Was Unfairly Treated

The Western Jockey club has granted
the request of Johnny Reiff for license
and the former Wichita boy has agreed
to ride this season for Ed Corrigan.
This is a vindication of John Reif and
shows that the horsemen of this country
think that Johnny was unfairly treated
in France. Reif is now at Louisville.
KY, and the Courier Journal gives him
a great write-up. 1t is pretty good
story with the exception that it states
that Johnny was born in California,
where his parents now live, when in fact
he was born in Missouri and was brought
by his parents to Wichita when he was
years of age and lived here until he
was u years of age, since which time he
has only been here occasionally. The
Courier-Journal says:
"Reiff is a dapper youugster. with a
fresh boyish face and none OF the tough
ness that many Jockeys affect.
- am certainly glad 10 be off the
ground once more he said. The past
seven months have been longer than any
two years of my life. l now feel that l
have been fully indicated. having won
a law suit against the papers that orig
inally made charges against me, and hav-
ing this proof that on this side of the
water horsemen still believe in my hon
esty. 1 don't know whether / viii be
able to ride up TO my best form at first
or not. / have never had long lay-on
before, and don't know how it affects me.
l will ride for Mr.. Corrigan, though
have not yet signed any contract My
brother Lester, who is now in Chicago,
attends TO all my business, and 1 ex-
pect Mr.. Corrigan wants to see me ride
bit before he decides as to what he is
willing to pay. l can hardly straighten
out my left arm, the muscles being knot
ted up for some reason or other. A lit
tie work in the saddle will put me on
edge
Reif is now but eighteen years of age,
though he is known by name in every
part of the United States. England and
France. He was born at San Jose, Cal,
where his mother and father now live.
His brother Lester, who is nearly ten
years his senior, became a Jockey, and
when Johnny was but twelve years old
he went with Enoch Wishard. who is now
training for John A. Drake, and who
then operated a racing stable of his own.
Lester was riding for Wishard at the
time. Johnny was then but a mite of a
boy, weighing less than seventy-five
pounds. Wishard looked at the boy when
the little fellow arrived and then took
him over to a box stall, where a thor
oughbred mare was standing quietly. and
said:
Johnny, this is Mary Black. She is
going to teach you how to ride. When
put you on her try to do nothing but
sit still and keep her head up. She knows
more about how a race should be ridden
than 1, and more than any of these
jockeys around here. When you learn all
Mary knows you will be great jockey"
THE boy was put TO exercising horses
and in the course of time was sent to the
post on Mary Black. He followed Wish
ards instructions and let the mare do
her own jockeying at the post. She was
an artist at the business OF getting away
and knew we'll how to whirl suddenly and
spoil a start when 1t was apparent that
some other horse was about to get away
flying. When the flag finally fell little
best of the start and though the mare
didn't win that day she made a gallant
effort with no assistance from her dimin-
utive rider. who tried only 10 keep Der
head up and hold her straight. Every
time Mary Black was started after that
Wishard lifted Johnny on her back and
finally one day Mary got off in front as
usual and held her advantage TO the end
and Johnny Reif had ridden his first
winner. He and Mary came under the
wire first many times after that, and
though Johnny was then riding other
horses he never tried TO teach Mary
Black anything at the post and the mare
always attended 10 the headwork as well
as the footwork when she raced. High
Ho was another Of wishard's horses
which Reif rode frequently. In a short
time he was recognized as a coming
jockey and was sought after for light
weight mounts
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