Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02

HI eroWa around the SAddhng ring ID
hve or sin deep and have to paash
my way through. Prem TatterSAlfS
ring On tlse left eomea q constant
| bahel Of sound The boekmakeFS
ARe doing good business. Grand
Natinnal day at AintEee ID one Of their annual
harvests and they are making the NEST OF It.
The stasads present q hzlf-desertea appearance
at this moment 10 minutes before the start
of the raee the greater part Of the crowd being
consentTate6 around the hookmakefS O. press
inn around taae sadaling ring. I push my way
thru,,nh the crowd and enter the ring. The
concession Is almost - great inside. Here are
owners, trainers and Jockeys whose names are
known the world over. These 30 h0rses being
led around the ring by stable lads are carrying
fortunes today around that totir-ano-a-han-
mile course which CLEANS and sparkles In the
sunlight.
One or two of the horses are phanging abous.
excited by the crowd. The trainers are On
edee and signal their lads 10 Get theaR horses
wen clear Of the flying ho0fs. 1t would he
tragedy indeed to see the carefully baile-up
preparation of O year fan 10 pieees I'm
moment by q chance kick in the saddling ring.
I walk across to my mount . tough old
veteran at the steeplechasing game. He's been
near winning a National more than once, but
somehow he's never managed to get his head
in front at the winning post They're betting
IS to / against the Sergeant today. despite
his good record on the Liverpool course. Get
ting too old for the job, they say. Wen, per-
hapS he Is He's into his teens now ana
they don't last long at that age, even steeple-
chasers This win probably be his last try,
win Or lose. He's q big good-natured chestnut
and seems pleased TO- see me. I'm glad 09 THAI,
fog it's no joke riding horse in the National
that has taken dislike to you. They're worse
than mules that sort. But there's nothing
OF that about the Sergeant. He recognizes me
instantly Is his pilot in one or two o. mis-
training galiups and. we're the best Of friends
STRAIGHT away. He's quiet staid old beggar
and seems rather disdatnful Of the antics OF
esme of the younger horses The Sergeants
Ept over his stage fright on National days
long ego
TEE time for the race Is drawing near, 20
u slip out Of my 0veRcoat and the trainer
gives me leg up into the saddle. The Ser
geantis owner grasps my hand and wishes me
fervent Good luck The trainers TOO
nervous to say mach, and I'm glad when o
stable lad takes hold of the white ribbon at
tached to the Sergeants bride and leads US
along q marrow lane through the crowd ON ID
the course. Those last few minutes before the
National strain the iciest nerves TO the point
Of breathing.
we parade in single file in front Of the
stands The roar from the ring has doubled
in intensity and IS We walk past TatterSaHs
I hear the b0okmakers yelling. tn lay Q
hundred 10 six against the soldierl A hundred
to six against the Sergeant" pat the Ser
show them, old h0yl
We reach the end Of the stands, the lad slips
On the white rihhom and We turn and eanteT
back to the start. The stands are packed uens
w1cn people now, and thousands OF glasses nash
in the sunlight as they are trained On Us. Tns'
course Stretches away green and nesh INTO the
haze of an Knglish Spring day.
There,s . dense crowd Ut the start and IN
even greater number Of people are coneTeGased
at the nxzt Jump. The course IN wide at the
start and nAvrows toward this first fence, Form.
ing o "hottieneek," % that year after year
there is o mad dash to get over the jump IN
advance of the field and so avoid the inevitable
bumping and scEambling IS . score q horses
take the leap together. There's not jockey
among the whole so today who HASN'T made
up his mind to 60 all out for that nzse quarter
mile aSA <esp clear Of the danger.
walk thu Sergeant up and down while tns
starter is taking the roll CALI" Behind ua
the roar Of the crowd IL dying down. me bet
tings over now. Theren be FORTUNES Won ana
lost during the next 10 minutas TAsue1 los