The San Francisco call., 1908-05-24
Examples Show That Fighters
Deteriorafe With Rapidly
By z. A. Smyfh

nas.iross nractice is alone important
while in others high physical sonu,rsSH 60. r1rac-
is necessary A crack cr1cket piaSl
tices And Exercises but be does no.
train in the sense that nsnt5h. 5,s-
sprinter does and therein ies In Ino ,,enet
ference w. G. Grace, Enslahu - "a a.
famous cricketer, is 81 years Ola anu - -
still a factor in the national pasume VI
his country. o~s tbs
professionaI champion cyclist or Eng
land in the old high wheel DAYS, nae
TO meet constant and determined opPO.
sition and yet was able 10 hold MS o"N
with much younger riders: - Al
Cy Young. the Boston pitcher, Is
years old. For is years ne mas 49,
pitching in the big baseball leagues
and has always been one or tine ieao-
ing pitchers of the country.
James s. Mitchell, who held the cram
pionship at hammer throwing Tor many
years. has been in active compeuton
In the arts of horsemanship age
seems to play no part. John Osborne.
the famous English jockey, who won
the derby on j.. JohnsteRe's Pretender
in 1869. was in demand as a rlder ~
the classics of the turf when ne was %
(126 pounds) and did not have 70 re-
duce. that being his natural weiSht.
RIDES AT FIFTY
George Fordham was riding in the
Derby, ST. Leger and the OAKS wnen
he was so years old He headed the
list of winning jockeys for years. The
remarkabIe part Of his career was the
fact that he was out OF the sacdle .1or
10 years and then came back and
showed all his old time form He had
accumulated competency and IN
vested 1T in securities. which dropped
in value. During his retirenent ne
tice he secured In riding TO nounds
kept him In g, "a riding form; he
was undersized and mad no welgns 70
take on when necessity drove MN PACK
TO his former VOCATION.
John Nightingale of EPSON, whose
son, A. Nightingale. rode three winners
of the Liverpool grand national steeplH
chase. was himself riding at an adF
vanced age. Harry Custance, VINO rode
the winner of the Derby in 1859. IS
7 still riding to hounds. although he ts
more than so years of age.
Tom Cannon, the father OF Morning
ton Sannon; rode Ceyion 70 victory IA
the French classic was won by an Eng
lish horse. Tn recent years Cannon
was a prominent figure in the hunt
| ing field. Here physical training Is not
required, but a stout heart and other
qualities Of the champion athlete are
an absolute necessity. There are many
hundreds of men riding to. hounds who
have passed their SEVENTEEN birthday,
while there are instances of men of 80
| years who have not pulled rein az some
OF, the stiffest fences In the United
/ Kin gdom.
Equestrian polo. which ranks with
/ the most brilliant of field sports and
requires many qudAlncdtlOns WnlSH 30
/ to make the great athlete, Is followed
/ by many men who have passed the
| so year mark Frank j. Mackey, who
has played on practically every field
| from Raneleigh to Burlingame. is in
his fifty-sixth year. and he still ranks
with the best players. usually being Sc
lected as a member of the number one
| teams.
He is but one of an army of horse
men who follow the daring play OF
] the polo field and who have long since
4 N
journey. In California the majority OF
| the players have reached middle age
| II being the. exception to find mere
| youth on any Of the teams either in
/ the north or In the south.
/ Jake Gaudaur, the single sculler. was
on example of well preserved ath-
\ iete when he defeated j. Stanbury for
/ the worlds championship over the Putt.
/ ney to Mortlake course in September.
4 s96. He was at that time about IS
wears of age.