Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1903-11-15
JOCKEYS IN>TRAINING
KEEPING THE WEIGHT DOWN Is NOT
A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

Fattening Foods Are Avoided, and
Judicious Exercise Is Courted-As
a Rule, Riders Last a Dozen Years
and as a Class Are Not Saving.
'It is a popular belief" well known
trainer said to a reporter recently,
''that a jockey has to resort to all sorts
of injurious practices in order to keep
his weight within required limits. The
idea. however, is a far stretched one.
OF course q. jockey has to go through
certain exercises each day and has to
be very much more careful regarding
what he puts in his stomach than most
people in order to keep his weight down
and from acquiring superhulty or
flesh. but he certainly does not starye
himself, as. is generally supposed. Ii
he did so he would break down entirely
in a very short time. A jockey must
also be In the best possible physical
trim and have his wits about him be-
fore a race. and to attain that he must
be careful how he uses his constitution.
"There are two very important things
a Jockey has to consider in studying his
dietary. He must see to 1T that his food
is of the best quality and that it con-
tains practically no flesh forming prop
critics. All such fattening foods as, for
Instance, soups, beef, pork, potatoes,
buildings and pastries a jockey must
DENY himself. Coffee, tea or other
drinks are only taken very moderately,
as all LIQUIDS help more or less in put
ting on flesh.
"Although a jockey has to eschew
such foods, there are many other var1e-
| ties which he gets just as much pleas
ure in eating and which at the same
| time are equally as good and strength
enfng for his constitution. A few days
| before a race a jockey WAC has
mount in it will not stint himself-pro-
| vided he has no fear Of overlapping
his proper weight for the race-in any
| thing which he thinks will not inter-
fere with@his digestive apparatus.
"Some jockeys, of. course, take on
and lose flesh quicker than others. l
have known one or two who were par
| ticularly anxious. to ride in certain
races, but for which they were perhaps
as much as eight or nine pounds too
| heavy, who reduced that weight in the
same number of days. To accomplish
| that, however, they have to resort prac-
| ticalIy to q starving diet leaving as
little as the strain on the vitality will
permit without breaking down and try
| ing to reduce their overweight by GER
| tain sweating exercises. 1t is needless
to say that no jockey could stand too
frequent repetitions of such severe
| measures to subtract from his weight
without danger of permanently injur-
ing his health and even sacrificing his
life; still, many willingly resort to such
| get light weight quick methods where
| they see good opportunities of making
a name or a pile of money for them
selves.
ct must be remembered that by ma
ture Jockeys as a whole are not Of sub
stantial physique or imposing in height,
although they are as tough as whip
cord If they We're, therefore, to in
dulge every day in the heavy~bill of
fare that the average business sr.worlz-
| ing man partakes of it is not probable
| that they would increase much ia
weight or height. You often see jock
eys in the big hotels and restaurants
at the various racing sections after a
race tucking in big and expensive din
ners with a gusto and relish that
would give . chronic dyspeptie an ap-
| petite for hard tack.
s'W &R&ng PaaHing, cycling, PEn clssag
the bag and hurdle Jumping are favor
lite exercises among jockeys to keep
their weight down. On going out for
walk or run they wrap themselves in
the thickest of wooden sweaters and
other heavy clothing, no matter how
high the temperature may be, and the
exercise is kept up for a distance per-
| haps Of eight or nine miles, or, as we
say, until you are drowned in sweat
| Turkish baths are also frequently in
| dulged in by many, and they must
wear excessively warm clothing after,
, and also when going for a gallop, no
| matter If the weather be boiling hot
81 should say that ten or twelve
| years IS the average or jockeys ac-
tive turf life. The length Of his career,
however, depends a great deal on his
riding ability and luck.
Jockeys are not Of a saving class,
and with but few exceptions l know
of none who has ever managed to put
enough money away to keep him in
even half decent comfort after'retiring
from the turf. The majority, however,
succeed in scraping up bank roll Of
| sufficient dimensions to start in some
| business. Like retired pugiHsts, they
have a fondness for the liquor bust
ness, and / know a few one time jock
eys who are prospecting in that trade il
| different parts Of the country. Others,
again, become 'bookies,' poelroom keep
ers and enter into such businesses as
enable them to crafty their tnveterate
! Iox,o fow rra