Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-11
WIN. LOSE OR
DNAV BY FRANCIS sTANN
Not the Melancholy Dane
By FRANCIS STANN

for the lame and the halt among the horses and for riders
who can't make the Big Apple who are on their way
down. Therefore, it came surprise to see Bonnie
Sorenson in the jockeys room
Sorenson is beardless young Dane Of % and top
flight rider He knows Belmont Park and Hialeah and
Garden State At Pmco in December, 1855 Bonnie rode
both ends of daily double that set atime record
$5ss2 at the Baltimore track Another time he rode
George Wideners Tellaran in New Jersey to world
ord for mile and 10 yards, beating Swaps mark of
1894 by two-ffthS of second.
The visitor naturally, curious to why Sorenson
riding at Sunshine Park. Why not Hialeah?
I'm not really riding" Bonnie explained. ooh, take
mount or two day, but I'm under contract to
Mr. p Taylor of Canada and when April comes I'll be
going up there What I'm doing here is keeping At and
doing lot of fishing the SIDE"
BENNIE is, A GooD-LOOKING young man. valid
scandinavian blond with an astonishing command of
English considering that he didn't to this country
until 1852 Modestly he decries his ability to speak
English.
II still have trouble with VS. and WIS" he saying
when get excited I'm apt to ven instead of when
But English is an easy language to learn"
The story is not much the development Of the kid
from Copenhagen jockey it is how he got into the
United States order to to ride Bonnie had to turn
professional acrobat to do it,
when little kid in Denmark" Bonnie relates
II wanted to be jockey rode twice in Copenhagen as
apprentice The first time horse got away from me
and the wrong way The second time my cap fell over
my eyes and I was blinded.
that had to get to England or America and become
jockey"
TWO THINGS STOOD in Beinie's way-lack Of money
and immigration restrictions lone day-1949 was the year
II read an ad in newspaper An acrobac troupe needed
flyer young, light person who winds up on top Oh
everybody applied and they trained me and we toured
Europe and played the Palladium in London and nnaiy
came to America We in that movie The Greatest
Show Earth" .
"Come again with that flyer Bennie" his visitor said
"Wel you know what teeter-totter is? little guy
. the flyer stands on one end and big fellow Jumps
on the other end of board and sends the little man
tumbng up in the air.
81 was the little guy Sometimes I'd land in basket
sometimes the shoulders of one Of the other performers
think might have become pretty good acrobat, but
my heart wasn't in it. still wanted to be jockey but to
remain in America needed guardian was under 81
and in this country only on working permit
BENN1E soRENsoNs BREAK came when the troupe
payed an engagement the Steel Pier in Atlantic City
Between acts Bonnie visited the race track and struck
up an acquaintance with the late Alfred Jensen Danish
born trainer. 1t was 1883 \
"Mr, Jensen was wonderful to me-" Bonnie went
"I couldn't speak English but he got riding opportunity
and agreed sort Of adopt so that could apply lor
citizenship papers after my dad signed paper BACK IN
Denmark"
what happened with the acrobatic troupe?" Bonnie
was asked was it all right with the promoter when you
left?"
WELL not quite. The boss didn't like it, In fact, he
TOOK clothes ana LOCKED Cnem up SO leave
His mpounded wardrobe didn't stop Sorenson He quit
the muscle set for the track In 1885, still apprentice
for of the year he earned got married bought
in Newark j. and applied for citizenship papers
FUNNY HOW THINGS work out" Bennie saying
1.-THE immigration authorities told the to become
citizen the country II only for an hour and
re-enter Then the papers could be processed.
"A file was sent to Niagara Falls was to the
border into Canada did, but then lucky enough to
fall in with Taylors stable. Maybe you don't know Of
Mr. Taylor His stable is to Canada what Calumes is to
the United States. I'm real lucky"
sorenson was suting up for his only of the day
the fifth He taller than eockeys but weighs only 90
pounds Another way I'm lucky" he grinned Il can eat
anything and still weigh 1O4-l05 with full equipment
Drives my wife crazy"
Bennes wife, the former Lucille Davinou Of Newark,
is Of Italian ancestry She prepares spaghetti ravo and
lasagna twice week.
Il never had any use for that stun until got married
Sorenson revealed Nov love It, eat and my wife stands
behind me and inhales You know that little old girl is
getting fat Just looking at the food eat"
Beers Make Trade -.-