SPORTING U.S. Girls Are Making Their Mark As Jockeys

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1950, Page 9

SPORTING U.S. Girls Are Making Their Mark As Jockeys

Somewhat to the horror of conservative Turf men, increasing numbers of women are literally climbing into the saddle in American racing.

Wealthy women such as Elizabeth Arden, Mrs Dodge Sloan, and Mrs Oliver Iselin have for long dominated the thoroughbred sales rings and built up their own ra'cing stable. Other women, such as Elizabeth Dangerfield, Elsie Morris, and Judy Johnson, have been actively training racehorses for vears.

But recently the girls have been hammering loudly at racing’s last barrier against them —the door to the jockey’s room (writes George McGann). Regulations at most major racecourses still forbid women to ride in races. By the look of things those regulations may not last much longer, particularly if a military call-up depletes the ranks of jockeys. Women jockeys are already riding with great success on half-mile tracks in the south-west United States and in so-called “quarter-horse” racing, popular with American cowboys. Wanda Davis, pretty young mother of two children is America’s leading quarter-horse rider. Johnny Longden can render rueful evidence of Wanda’s riding skill. Last year she beat Longden handsomely in a specially-arranged match race at Mexico’s Agua Caliente course, a mile and a-half track just over the border' from California. That triumph over America’s leading jockey was no novelty to pert, pretty Wanda, who stands sft 2in in nylons and weighs a well-distributed seven stone.

Wanda, who has survived several bad spills as a jockey, won’t let her 10-year-old son ride horses. She says it’s too- dangerous.

There are other American woman jockeys almost as talented as Wanda.

Harness Drivers

Trotting also attracts the attention of women. Best-known harness driver in America is 67-year-old Mrs Forrest Burright, known affectionately and accurately as “Grandma” to thousands who crowd New York’s arc-lighted Roosevelt Raceway, each night. > “Grandma’s” youngest daughter, 24-year-old Joyce, frequently races against her. But “Grandma’s” archrival in public appeal is Aleathe Nichols, a 22-year-old beauty, who won more than 100 dashes last season, to become second-ranking driver of both sexes in the United States. Aleathe, a slim, raven-haired girl with the cool courage of a real champion, was brought up on a farm, has an instinct for handling highlystrung standard-breds. Like all leading harness-women, Aleathe can rub’ down a horse, doctor him, and even shoe him if necessary. She is regarded as a great judge of pace, knows just what extra speed can be demanded of a trotter, and when to demand it.

Another girl headliner in trotting is Alma Shappard, who, at the age of 13, piloted her father’s great stallion, Dean Hanover, to the world’s record mark of lmin 58Jsec for trotting stallions —a record unexcelled for many years. Four World Records

Although outnumbered numerically 60 to. one, women harness drivers hold at least five American track records and four world records.

Grandma Burright, who has been driving on country tracks for more than a quarter of a century, first drew the spotlight to women drivers in 1943. That year Grandma met Sep Palin—renowned as the great trainerdriver of the world’s fastest trotter,Greyhound—and another top driver, Slim Shilling, in. the same race. It was a two-out-of-three heat event, and Grandma and her two male competitors each won a heat. Accordingly the three winners were called back for a race-off. To the amazement of the crowd Palin did not appear at the starting line. Instead, after the second race, Palin turned his wilting horse back to the stable, declaring: “That’s enough. I couldn’t beat Grandma in a field of 13 horses in the first race and I’m sure I cannot beat her in a field of three.” The following week Grandma did it again at Keeneland Racecourse, Lexington (Kentucky),

the centre of standard-bred breeding. Kentucky colonels, who love trotting nearly as much as they do mint juleps, hung over the railing shouting, “Come on, Grandma,” as she again whipped Palin over a mile distance in a photo finish. Great Favourite Since that day Grandma Burright has been a great favourite with trotting punters. Largely because of her success hundreds of girls have been attracted to the sport, and the number of women drivers has doubled each year. Women riders jumped another big hurdle this year in the swank National Horse 'Show, now in progress at Madison Square Garden. For the first time in history women were permitted to compete for places on the U.S, riding team which performs at the show against skilled foreign teams from England, Ireland, Canada, Chile, Mexico. Carol Durand, 32-year-old mother and 27-year-old Norma Matthews, a Californian ranch-owner, won places in the sixman American team.

The Mexican team, composed entirely of Army riders, for the first time also included a woman, Lieutenant Eva Valdes. Lieutenant Valdes upheld her sex nobly on the opening night by winning the intricate 12jump hurdle competition against the top men riders of six nations.

Westland Racing Club

Nominations for the Westland Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday, December 16, close at 5 p.m. Monday, December 4, with the secretary, J. F. McDougall P.O. Box 14 Hokitika, ’Phone 75.

Single Direct Single Direct and ' Petite ' Direct were shipped to Sydney yesterday on the first stage of their trip to Perth for their Christmas engagements. Single Direct may return to Addington for the inter-Dominion championships in February. Their trainer E. N. Kennerley may later settle in Australia. Kennerley has made arrangements to dispose of his property and horses at Te Awamutu early next year.—(P.A.)

Useful Performer When he fell in the hurdle race at Invercargill on November 18, Bridgehead pierced his lungs, and he died recently. Previously raced by Mr S. S. Taylor, Bridgehead was leased by the Tahuna Park trainer, J. S. McKay a short time ago, and at Invercargill was having only his first outing for that trainer. Bridgehead was by Foxbridge from Min Lu, and was closely related to other good winners in Tuis, Lady Revel, and Patmos. He commenced his career as a three-year-old, winning his first race at Wyndham in January of 1944, when he beat Nigger Lad and Crinkle in the New j Year Handicap. Since then he has had 12 wins and nine minor placings lor £2631 in stakes. Bridgehead’s most important successes were in the Publicans’ Handicap, of one mile, at Beaumont, the Owhiro Hurdle Handicap, and the Allanton Handicap, both at Wingatui.