Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-12-24
WEIGHT RUINS GOOD JOCKEY
Frank WOttOn, Great English Rider,
Grows Too Heavy to Race Well.
JOCKEYS CAREER IS UNCERTAIN
Horsemen Discuss Freaks of Luck
that Have Caused Making ana
Breaking of Famous jockeys
In Past Years.

NEW YORK. Dec. 23.-The news that
Frank Wotton, the leading English
Jockey. had Increased I'm weight from
lo6 pounds until he had difficulty doing
i96 pounds at one OF the late meetings
IN the north. coupled with the lnforma.
ton that the rider would not contract
60 DO less than i2S pounds in 1912 marks
the passing of o real good horseman
and brings anew to the attention of
those who are fond OF the turf the fact
that no calling Is more uncertain than
that OF Jockey.
Several turfmen were discussing wot-
ton and his greatest rival, Danny Maher.
few evenings ago and man who
had been abroad and had seen wotton
and Maher ride out more than one stir
ring finish ventured the opinion that the
American Jockeys longer experience
alone gave him the palm over his
younger rival. Maher. Il In understood.
finds little trouble In keeping to weight,
but as the years roll by he viii no
doubt be tormented as were Mclaughlin,
Garrison and others who preceded him
in the Derby stable. Mclaughlin could
do us pounds hsndliy until he reached 30
and then he put on weight while seem
ing to carry no more flesh than usual.
Scientists maintain that after a GER
tain period OF mans growth the bone
becomes more dense and Is correspond
ingly heavier, ana the experience OF Me-
i.aughlin and other riders would seem to
Dear out the truth OF the theory.
Mclaughlin Has Trouble.
II was the season he went 10 ride
for the western stable OF IIankins q
Johnson that Mclaughlin found that no
amount OF work under heavy clothing
or wasting in Turkish baths, in addition
10 fasting. could bring him below l2S
pounds. HolOw-oheeked and suffering
the pangs Of hunger he went out day
after day TO ride horses in such weak.
ened condition that he was In no shape
TO do himself justice and finally he was
race TO face with the stern reality that
his career as a rider had closed. There
never was more conscientious rider
than Mclaughlin and he never spared
himself for one minute lie simply grew
big one winter and yielding to the In
evitable. gave up the career which had
won him fame second to none.
His great rival Garrison, was never
the worker Mclaughlin was. bur he
managed TO keep TO weight for a quite
a long time. He began riding later than
Mclaughlin and was In the saddle when
Mclaughlin was training the LoriIiard
string Of race horses. Never considered
the equal OF his greatest rival as an all
around horseman. Garrison could out
finish any rider perhaps that followers
OF the American turf can recall. Never
considered a Judge OF peace. he pos
reseed In an extraordinary DEGREE tho
ability 90 make horse try TO the last
ounce OF Its power IN the homestretch.
Nobody could equal Garrison In the task
OF foHsing a tired, STAGGERING horse In
driving finish. crouchlng low in the
saddle, with his whip IN his left hand
he appeared fairly 20 lift his mount along
IN some OF the splendid rallies from the
siNteepth pole to the wire. A hundred
OafriAOn finishes" could be pRrtlcu.
lariEed, but there was one ride on sam
Bryant's geiding, Come 70 Taw, at
uravesend that nobody who witnessed Il
win ever forget Come 90 Tew was not
a firnt-class race horse al any time. but
Tor few seconds that day ne ap-
proached championship form. Under
Oarrison's furious fuEilade of catsut and
steel he seemed hardly 10 touch the
earth and vanquished good field for a
considerable stake TO the tremendous de.
light OF Sam Bryant. the gelding's
owner, who never let a day pass until
he died that he did. not recount the
story OF how his ''little boss" and the
snapper" as Garrison is stu termed,
took the measure Of the talent,
Tod sIOan's Difficulties.
Tod sloan could have ridden indefl.
nitely had he not become entangled with
the foreign turf authorities. as nature
provided him with almost tho idea
stature for a jockey. II any fault could
be found IN sloan's makeup for the pur-
pose Of ceptious criticism. 4 would be
with the length OF his legs. The bulk OF
the successful jockeys that the turf ha,
known both here and abroad have beer
long or fairly long-legged men, though
some short-legged riders have achieves
fame. chief among them being Fret
Tarai, who by the way, has only glver
up the saddle az the age OF AZ after 1
long and honorable career In America ans
Europe. Taral, in his day. could ge
about as much out OF a jaded horse a
anybody. He was terrific punisher. and
ike Garrison. any horse he rode abrulsinl
finish on would need several days TO re
cuperate before facing the starter asain
Tarai enjoys extraordinarily good heall
when the amount OF privatlon he suffere,
IN keeping down 20 contract weight 4
considered.
This keeping 10 contract means muol
70 an employer and some of the fashion
able riders IN the old days around New
York who sere wont 10 go 10 the scale
two. three and even five pounds over
weight would get their congo IN ehor
order II they attempted such tactics Il
England. France or Germany, where
3eekey must always be ready TO ride a