The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-11-12
The Life of a Race Horse

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mare. He worshiped her. Never was
he contented to be out OF her sight.
He wanted to stroke her all day. and
the only reason he did not sleep ON
the straw beside her WAS that the
| trainer threatened to lick" him ii re
did.
Somehow the boy. who was called
cracked" by his associates. became
imbued with the idea that Imp went TO
sleep when she was racing, a:ri that
her fastest gait was reached When she
dreamed. For hours he would cX-
plain the theory. giving his reasons.
to anybody who would listen to him.
Use seen her do It," he would say.
And whenever the mare was Ill ..
big race the boy could hc seen ard
heard by all the thronss in the grand
stand. 1t was his custom to leap up
on the rail next to the track. Having
gin to shout. At first he would yell:
sturb your rest
Later. when the field" was we'll in
motion and until the horses had
dashed under the finish WIRE he would
keep en- crying to the jockey in voice
so deep that it could be heard above
tho din OF the crowd:
LET her sleep. there! Jes' let her
sleep!"
When Imp stepped racing TIC negro
vanished from the eastern race tracks.
Maybe he followed her to the farm.
Though it has been suggested at The
Bay that he Just went of aud died"
Though the jockeys DO nos often
display especial affection for any par
ticular horse. beyond. of course, thar
natural preference for and pride in i.
winner. there have been instances of
sentiment on the part of the riders.
Fred Taral. for instance. used to say
that he loved Domino better than he
did anybody with only two legs"
Hes better than any man l ever
saw" he would say More grit, more
courage. more sense! Why, one proc.
Of his sense is that he hates me-"
1t was q fact. Domino. usually gen.
tie. showed ferocious disposition ev-
cry time Taral approached him. NJ
sight OF the Jockey he would begin TO
kick and paw the ground and bit ut
everything within reach.
rs because I've Won on him go
many times" the rider used to explain.
You see. much as love him. I've
got to use the whip and spurs in Il
close finish. and lie don't like 'em.
I've heard tell that horse likes to
come first, that he enjoys his victory
as much as anybody; but I'm here to
tell YOU that don't believe Domino
would be willing to take one lick to
win the biggest race on earth"
Then. too, the owners of the horses
oftentimes feel a tenderness toward
their winners. The story has it that
James r. Keene. the champion owner,
gave way to tears when Sysonby
breathed his last. and exclaimed:
There lies what is left Of all that
was bravest and best in a horse"
Had Sysonby lived to old age. even
though he had proved disappointment |
at the. Mr.. Keene probably would |
have nourished him fondly, never for
getful OF the turf glories of the past.
Hundreds of old race horses find q re-
ward in their Old age for their cour-
ageous struggles of other times. Not
light carts through Central Park. All
a day passes but one might see them,
II he knew them by sight, drawing
over the country there are family pets
OF whose elsewhere forgotten tri-
umphs the children boast at home.
An instance is to be found in the
story OF Arab. the leetest and safest |
steeple-chase jumper of his day. His
owner was a gambler, but his fond
ness for Arab seemed to extend further
than the desire to make money out
of the efforts. When the jumper grew
old he was taken to the owners coun-
try home and became pet, with priv |
ileges even OF the front yard. A few
years ago he was still there, so gen.
tie that the children played around
him on the grass.
And there was Parole, champion |
OF more than twenty years ago. Grow
ing old. he was taken BY his owner,
Pierre Lorillard, to the New Jersey |
stock farm, known as Rancocas. Nor |
like other horses lot, however. was
that OF Parole. He was kept near the
house. where Mr.. Lorillard and any
visitor could always look at him, and
1t was his masters greatest pleasure
to recount the achievements of the
dignified old pets youth.
One hears these stories OF only the |
celebrated ones, but there are hun
dreds. maybe thousands, OF other hor-
SEES whose later years are made COM
Portable. The objects of such con-
sideration. naturally, are the good
tempered ones. In this connection 1t
may be mentioned that most OF the ia |
nous horses have been gentle. The
irritable and vicious champion is a
rarity. In commenting upon the pop
ular, though erroneous impression that
all great horses were more or less
dangerous. a trainer recently observed
that there was no reason for such to
be the fact.
Because" he said ut Is natural u
horse should be good-tempered IL he
is used to fine treatment all the time,
II every passer-by has kind word
or caress for him. All the best
horses get that sort Of deal. Few of
them are vicious. l can recall a few,
OF course. Ornament was one. He
always wanted to kill some one; but
he was an exception"
But, after all, there Is an army of
unfortunate race horses whose end is
as miserable as their beginning was
gorgeous. One wonders. sometimes,
what becomes OF them all-thousands
OF beautiful animals, whose names, af-
ter appearing on race track programs
for a year or two, disappear and are
not heard of again.
Some of them are working hard
work in front of drivers who never
heard the fancy names. who call them
Jerry" or "Jim," or what not, and
perhaps beat thes as they struggle
ahead OF heavy loads. Others are
dragging hansoms down Broadway.
Many. unfit to work, have been killed
as soon as their keep" became worth
more than their services.