San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-14
Foxy Grandpa's
Stories
How He Became a Jockey.


"The new horses have arrived"
said my friend whom we were visiting
out in California.
"That's fine" said ], II would like
to see them"
"Come out with me to the stable
and look them over, Foxy Grandpa:
There's a pretty gray and white, ana
two pintos and a black horse, which
| would like you to try for me. Ihey
saw he has fine gait and perhaps
you will enjoy riding him while you
are here"
We went out to the stable and the
groom brought out the new horses. l
looked them over and as the black
horse came by i said
81 do believe that fellow looks like
race horse. Look at his slender legs
and small feet. He is certainly built
like a Kentucky thoroughbred
81 don't know his breeding" said
nv friend, "but hardly think he has
been trained for the track, because
the man who bought him for me knew
that ! wanted to use him for saddle
horse" =,
does look as if he were built for
speed"
"Would you like to try him for
me?" asked my friend. ,
with pleasure" / replied. III
90 and get into my riding clothes and
be ready in about fifteen minutes"
I changed and when / came down
on the veranda there was the groom
waiting with the new horse. thought
his neck was arched little too much
and he paved the ground impatiently
and his nostrils opened and closed like
a bellows. However, / had promised
my friend and I'd never baked yet
Mt getting on horse. So up to the
big fellow i went, put my foot In
the stirrup, swung up into the saddle
and off started.
1t was all right at first. We trot-
ted out of the gate and when we
came to the road L checked him IN
and we broke into n canter. We
loped along for while and then
when turned on the highway which
led into the town that horse started
to gallon and then before / realized
it or could get him under control az
all, he started Misunderstanding with
the bit between his teeth and my
coat-tails flying in the wind like
Paul Revere's must have the night OF
his famous ride.
It was getting pretty bad, when
all of a sudden, the horse gave lurch
and before i know it we had cleared
fence. Now / hadn't bargained to
do any cross-country riding and
wasn't prepared for it.
Finally l was almost exhausted and
we fortunately began to slow up at
that moment. Little by little we
slackened our pace and then all of
sudden my horse collapsed on the
ground and with great sigh turned
over. scrambled to his feet and stood
painting by my side.
7 didn't realize it at the time, but
quite a crowd Of the townsfolk had
assembled and were watching this
performance. But no one had been
able to stop our mad race. When 1t
was all over Bunny came running up
to me and said:
Don't be sore at that horse and
give him n bad name, Foxy Grandpa.
He says he will never do it again.
But, you see, he won a race once on
this track and when he recognized
the road to it he said he couldn't help
himself-he just had to try that track
again. -,
That's all right, Bunny laugh
ed. at didn't do any harm, and be-
sides, it's a great satisfaction to me
to feel that / might have made n
great success in life as a jockey. But
think how much better / could have
ridden If had had on a satin jacket
and a jockeys cap"
Copyright. 1925, International Feature
Service, Inc.)