Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-31
ENCLANDS MASTER JOCKEYS
Peeuliarities and Riding Methods Of
Archer and Fordham.
STARS WILL BE REMEMBERED
Successful with some of the Great
est Race Horses that Have Wen
Classics In Great Britain
and France.

English turfmen invariably point TO Fred
Archer and George Fordham as two of the
greatest Jockeys that ever sat in a saddle.
In a recent article in the London Sports
man on the subject Of jockeys, "Nisilant,
a we'll known turf authority, writes as fol-
lows:.
IAN extraordinary Jockey was Fred
Archer, in fact, a genius in his profession,
though not the consummate artist. perhaps,
that the inimitable George Fordham was,
and Fred himself was the first to admit It,
for many a time and oft he told me that
he was the only rival he could not prop
erly reckon up when race riding. one
never knows what the old beggar is doing,
said he, though experience has taught me
to fear him most when he appears to be
hardest at work, for then be sure that he
has still a bit UP his sleeve Never were
truer words spoken, and never were Ford
ham and his methods more truly described.
1t would be impossible to imagine two
Jockeys more Numerically opposite in
style, for, whereas Archer rode with a
leather so long that he barely felt his irons,
the old man rode short, very short, and
affected not a little the American seat in
that respect. There was another striking
difference between them, for, whereas the
one was a terrible punisher and ruined
many a young horse in consequence, the
other rarely hit one that was running true
under him and was hardly ever known to
use his whip more than once. 1t was all
head and hands with George, but what a
combination was therei Many and many a
time he appeared to win all out by a head,
and none but he knew the actual state of
affairs until 1t was exposed next day,
when, with seven pounds, or even ten
pounds. extra, he would score again and
still more cleverly by a neck.
Fordham I'm the Saddle.
ION the other hand, when pressed to the
last ounce, his humble went up nine times
out OF ten when he struck his horse in the
last stride, and the same remark applies
with hardly less force with regard to Tom
Csnnon's riding, for he, too, had little faith
In punishment. Comparatively speaking,
Fordhsm was a weakly little man of foot,
but 1t was very different when he was in
the saddle, for whereas he could get the
last ounce out OF a horse. let him be ever
so lazy, l do not call to mind an instance
when one ran away with him, a circum-
stance which Of itself is proof positive that
he was perfect as far as hands were con-
cerned. Both these celebrities rode for the
highest placed and most influential patrons
of the turf and each was a great public
fa~vorite-even an idol. Ill health caused a
gap Of several years during which Fordham
did not ride and a brilliant career seemed
to have been prematurely ended. But his
old friend, the late Tom Jennings, would
not rest content until he got him back to
the saddle again, first on an old pony, then
a quiet hack, anon a ride in a trial and
finally in a race. 1t was a great triumph
on the part OF the old governor who at
the time was training for C. ]. Lefevre. and
he had his reward, for it was not long be-
fore the great horseman demonstrated that
in spite of protracted rest he had lost none
Of his old skill and cunning; and never
shall 1 forget the ovation he received at
Newmarket when with Pardon he scored
the first win in his second innings. No
greater compliment was ever paid to a
jockey and from that time forward he was
in every respect the Fordham of old, with
this exception. that he could go to scale at
less weight than when he temporarily re-
tired.