Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-18
HOW HORSE JOCKEYS
TRAIN To WEIGHT
Dangers and Methods of Re-
ducing Flesh in Order
to Ride Races.
From Pearson's Weekly.

From Pearson's Weekly.
Were the older generation of Jockeys a
stronger and harder breed than those OF
the present day?
This is the question that many people
have been asking. in view of the lament
able breakdown a short time ago oi
Frank Wootton. due to the severe vast
ing he had to undergo before the opening
of the season.
The truth is. probably, that IL is not so
much a difference in the men, or their
stamina: the change is i'm the methods
jockeys now adopt i'm order to rid them
selves of the superfluous flesh that they
have put on during the winter months.
In the old days they used to walk bf-
teen or twenty miles day. swathed in
half a dozen sweaters. Now 1t is Tur-
kish baths and medicines-a far more
weakening process.
IT was this regime that killed poor
Archer A fortnight before his death he
rode i'm race in Ireland at nine stone
four pounds. This was on a Tuesday
The following Thursday he rode again al
eight stone twelve pounds. Then. on the
Wednesday following. he rode st. Mlr.n In
the Cambridgeshire at eight stone six
pounds He never rode again. AS every
body knows. he went home I'm a raging
fever. became delirious, and took his own
life i'm a fit of insanity.
II ever man died for his profession,
Archer did.
Poor Luke Snowden. an elder brother
of the famous Jem Snowden, wasted very
hard in order to ride horse named Claire
at seven stone six pounds. He walked
about ali night prior to the race wearing
four sweaters and a heavy horserug, and
would not so much as mosten bis lips
with drop of water. lest he should be
TEMPTED to swallow some. He won the
race. but fell out of the saddle in a
swoon at it's conclusion. and had to be
carried to his bed, where he died three
days later.
who tainted on the race-course after
getting down to five stone five pounds
from six stone three pounds i'm seventeen
hours a seemingly incredible feat.
Sam Day, another famous icld-time
Jockey used to boast that he could kill
a town wasting whatever that might
mean He certainly came near to killing
himself on many occasions, for owing to
his lowered strength and vitality, due to
the heroic methods he adopted, he met
with so many accidents while riding that
every bone in his body, excepting his
right arm. but including his skull and
law, while one leg was fractured twice.
John Wells, the tallest and biggest
Jockey who ever rode at eight stone seven
mounds. used to walk twenty-five miles
in four hours with four suits of sweat
ers ON when wasting for an important
race and live on dry toast with an occa-
sional glassful of soda water.
He dared not. he used to say, yield to
the natural cravings of his appetite. as
upon one occasion. when reduced by Sc
we're wasting, a single wineglassful OF
sherry, which he was induced to partake
Of sent his weight bounding up by two
pounds.
Another jockey famous in the wasting
line was Sam Darling. He kept a regular
diary of his walks in sweaters during
twenty-five years. entering up times and
distances, and his retirement he
found that he had totalled up just over
1000 miles.
Most present-day jockeys would proba-
bly prefer to this the methods now in
vogue. although not all of them. OF
course, rely exclusively, or even princi-
naIlv, on wasting mixtures" and Turkish
baths.
otto Madden, for instance. pinned his
faith TO open-air exercise. and plenty of
II and with excellent results, judging by