The sun., 1908-05-03
PRECOCITY on THE PIGSKIN.
Instances Of jockeys VINO Won Races At
an Early Age.

Many instances can be found Of noted
Jockeys who began their career at an early
age. There are few cases Of unparalleled
precocity Undoubtedly one Of the most
remarkable Of these is that Of George
Thompson. the noted English gentleman
rider. From boy he had an almost in
tuitive knowledge Of riding and at the
age Of accompanied his father across
country on a spirited pony and was always
among the leaders While he was still a
mere child says "Thormanby,7 his father
made a match 10 run a pony called Maid
Of Skelgate against hack at catch weights
the distance 90 be half mile and each
owner to ride his own animal
On going down 10 start, Thompson, ST.
discovered that a crack boy who had won
several races was on his opponents horse.
Against this he protested, but he vas shown
a flaw in the bargain by which his rival
had the best Of it, as Thompson then weighed
i5I pounds. and the jockey boy something
like ninety-seven pounds. Thereupon
Thompson rode on to his carriage where
his wife and family we're seated and he
said to her, Hand me out George; I'm
too heavy And the next moment a little
dark eyed fellow in a blue cloth frOck orna-
mented witb>gilt buttons was put out and
mounted on Maid Of Skelgate, As he
cantered with his father down to the post,
without boots or breeches, showing his
little red legs and trousers. he was loudly
cheered.
What am to do. papdi' he asked
Hold your reins tight, and directly they
say CO. come home as fast as you can
He obeyed these instructions 10 the
letter and won in a canter. after which he
was put back in the carriage. At that time
he weighed Al pounds.
One Of the lightest professional jockeys
who ever appeared in public was Little
Kitchener, Lord George Bentinck's famous
featherweight, who rode at 40 pounds. In
his early days George Fordham was lighter.
as he tipped the beam at a pounds. He
made his first mark by winning the Cam
bridgeshire Of 1852 on Little David against
a field Of thirty-nine, riding at the extraor-
binary light weight Of 81 pounds Little
David stood at SO TO and carried 80 pounds,
but there we're not few keen eyed sports
men looking on who were 80 taken with
the boys riding that they backed him to
win. And he not only won but Little David
ran right away with him into the town
before he could be stopped.
Il was great triumph for the youngster,
but his master thought II was sufficiently
rewarded by a present Of a Bible and q
gold headed whip. On the whip was en-
orayed the motto Honesty is the best
policy" and to that motto Fordham kept
sternly true all through his long and splendid
career as a jockey, Two years later, In
1854. Fordbam won the Chester Cup on
Capt Douglas Lanes Epaminondas, against
a field OF twenty-five starters, and his weight
then was 50 pounds.
The late Fred Archer rode to hounds at
the age Of and he won long steeple-
chase at Bangor when the Was 49, He
never rode lighter than seventy-seven
pounds, at which figure he won the Cesare-
witch OF 1872 on Salvanos. Frank Buckle
IA said to have ridden under fifty-six pounds,
and Sam Chifney once rode at fifty-hve
pounds when he was q lad.
For preoocity in horsemanship the present
Lord Lonsdale would be hard 10 beat, ,
for he hunted 'on his own hook" when he
was 5 years OF age And the famous Capt
John White, one OF the finest horsemen Of
his day. either with the hounds or on the
fat. commenced his career in the saddle
about the same age. His first mount was
40 small, 20 use his own words, with saddle
on he could walk under a leaping bar at
home" He afterward galoped over II.
Charles James Apperley the noted writer
on sporting subjects, under the pssudonym
of sNimrod,' has said that he rode TO hounds
"in full hunting fg'-velvet cap and scarlet
coat-before he was l2, and drove a coach
and four when he was but q year older.
Scarcely less precoaious was the great