The Jasper news., 1908-01-30

career IUdhe lOOh IL. ~ 40 AiiN's
a day since he sat in a two-pound sad
die and felt the mighty sinews OF
trained thoroughbred under him, or
knew the fierce rush and strain OF a
hard-fought race.
But l remember him the beau ideal
of a medium.weight horseman, active
and fearless; and whenever j find my
self in the village where he is ending.
Iife's race l stop for chat. and to
listen to his memories of the brave
days Of long ago.
The little man receives me with the
easy, respectful manner that comes OF
association with the great ones of the
turf. AS he rises from the chair by
the fire his hand goes to the spot
where his forelock used to grow.
"Ay, sir, eight-thirteen as ! am" he
says in answer to my usual question
for be still clings to the old, daily
habit of going to scale, and 1T would
disappoint him were 1 to forget it.
But FIN gettin' a bit suspicious of the
scales over at the mill. It's worryin'
to think that, perhaps, they're few
ounces out. And to be weighed like a
sack of flour, too! Times have
changed"
/ watch his eyes go sadly to the
corner where. his. six-ounce riding
boots-very old. but newly polished
stand with the trees in them; then to
the worn racing saddle on its bracket,
and the "double-reined snaffle bride
that hangs below it. The leather is
. glossy with soft soap, the stirrup-
I; irons and bit as bright as new silver
The gear wouldn't be safe to ride in
after 20 years of disuse, but that never
occurs, to the old jockey. They get
their weekly attention in readiness for
the mount that will never come.
THE weather, tool" he goes on.
Here's the first July meeting comm.
on.and I'm covered up in fiannels as IL
l was going for sweat up the Lime
kilns! Seems strange to be sittin'
over the fire at midsummer and read
In of cold Ascot, don't it, sir?"
ga strange Ascot altogether, Tom,'
agree.
He purses his thin lips severely
"Ah, sir, you may well say that when
the gold cups took from under the
very eyes of the police and the stew
ards. Such thing couldn't have hap
pened in my time. The gold cup!" he
gasps. "I should have liked to see the
race for it, though. The horses seem
to have made good finish of it."
"And the riders" / suggest,
"Oh, the boys" he corrects. He al
ways speaks of present-day Jockeys as
boys. 81 don't know about them.
don't hold. and never shall, with a
stirrup-leather six inches too short
Yes, sir, ] know what you're goin' tc
say about Sloan and the rest; but they
had the pick of the mounts and would
have got winnin' brackets whether
they rode short or long Go anywhere
and watch a start, as l did two years
ago, and see how helpless every
blessed boy is directly his mount
gives him any trouble. And theI
when the flag falls-or this new gate
thing starts them. Hardly one witt
his horses hind legs properly unde
him! AS for gettin the last ounce ou
of an animal at the finish, how's i
possible to hold him together, to fee
his heart beatin' through the saddle
flaps to nurse him and push him whel
you can't get your legs down to gril
and squeeze until you and the hors
are part of one another?"
The American seat is the old jock
ey's net aversion.
"Bumpin' and borin', this Whit
knight and the French horse? o
course they were-both of EN-" h
proceeds. What else can you expec
when thei" jockeys are crouchin' owe
their hors es' ears without any pul
chase on the reins? What's to pre
vent one of 'em savaging the othe
when there's nothin' controllin' hi
mouth?"
In his day he has been at grips wit
old job a Osborne, and Custance, an
the Ch;lloners. He has fought DIM
dong fnish against the redoubtabl
Tom Cannon, laid neck-to-neck wit
the "Iinman," and If anyone shoul
know the whole art of riding it Is h
That's what stops 'em. l get tn;
riled, sir when l read about horse
bein pulled, | can't tell you! WI
wants to pull horse when the easie
way to make him lose is to ride hi
with a slack rein? Just think for
mou. .ent The breeds always impro
in, an6 yet, times are no faster ths
they were in my day. And why? B