AMERICAN JOCKEYS IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11520, 3 November 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

AMERICAN JOCKEYS IN ENGLAND.

WHY THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL. With a handful of men and a mannikin from across the Atlantic fast revolutionising (he art, of race-riding as for so long it lias been understood and practised in England, and others expected over presently to help in the process, the question naturally arises : What is to be the future of the English jockey? What does the new state of things developed by American rivals port-end for him? Must ho sacrifice elegance for effectiveness, tradition for up-to-dateness?in short, must he crouch to conquer? This American invasion carries interest outside the circles it directly affects. Short of the war, perhaps no subject has engaged ho much attention, and for obvious reasons. Racing is the national sport-. England is the home of the thoroughbred and the nursery of racing. The skill of her horsemen has been equally with the prowess of her horses a theme for admiration. They might not all be Chifneys or Archers, these riders, any more than the animals they bestrode were all Eclipses. But in the bulk they defied any other country to produce their equal. 'So that when rivals began to dribble across from America with wrinkles said by some to bo derived indirectly from the Red Indians, and attitudes which elicited sarcastic allusions to monkeys on sticks, and when, in despite of taeir funny attitudes and unorthodox methods, they began to win races and kept on winning, often on most unpromising materialwhy, then people began to look at each other in wonder, and to ask what it all meant, and where it would end. HOW THEY HAVE BECOME THE VOGUE. It is only in the last two years that exponents of the American plan have ridden regularly in England. At present they are not a large body, and only one or two of them are rated first-class by Transatlantic experts, who profess not to be able to understand at all how Rigby has managed to succeed in England. Yet in this comparatively short period they have come to virtually dominate matters. They are the vogue. Owners run after them as women run after sale bargains. Some, when the best are not available, contentedly take the worst rather than put up the ablest among English riders. Others, or— to exaggerate, though probably the plural applies all right—one other, and he a man not. wholly inconspicuous, carries this preference to the length of refusing to run liis horses unless an acceptable Yankee rider can be secured for them. EXPERT OWNERS WHO PREFER THEM. From the admittedly expert owners, men who think and manage! for themselves instead of leaving everything to their trainers, may be picked! out Mr. Purefdy, the presiding genius of the Netheravon stable. He is satisfied to employ Rigby, of whom it has been affirmed that so low stood his reputation for skill in America nobody would put him up on a good horse. Only the other day a significant expression of preference was remarked at Brighton, where the famous jockey John Watts, who won for the Prince of Wales his first Derby on Persim- ; mon, made his debut as an owner-traineir. With all his old colleagues to choose from, lie put up the American Lester Reiff. A friendly arrangement possibly; still, it impressed the unitiated with a distinct sense of oddness. SOME COMPARISONS OK STYLE. "Now, as to the crux of the question— where does the American practitioner get, his pull over the exponent of English methods, and what is the extent of it? These are less subjects of agreement than that he does get a pull somewhere. Even mathematicians differ, while as for common or garden theorising, it is interminable, and much of it absurd. Below is a comparison epitomising the salient features of the two styles. It is imperfect, perhaps, but even at that it may help to enlighten the uninitiated : — ENGLISH. Saddle in orthodox place. Free reins, long stirrups. Approximately erect seat, maximum wind resistance. " Bead weight" a detriment. Shifting and wobbling of wealth. Overhand whipping. Poor judgment of pace. Waiting behind. Result: False pace and many flukes, AMERICAN. Saddle well forward. Tight forward grip of reins, short strrnpe. Crouching position over horse's neck, minimum wind resistance. " Dead weight" no detriment. No pulling and hauling horses about. Steadiness of weight. Underhand whipping. Good judgment of pace. Forcing tactics (generally). Result:— pace and fewer flukes.

Some features of the American style for which advantage is claimed may not, perhaps, amount to much. But it is the combination of the wbole, that tells, for a minute advantage derived from each would mean a lot in the bulk. There ought to be no need to labour the point of wind pressure. In particular the Americans benefit enormously from a headwind, and no American recognised this more fully than did the late Duke of Westminster on that breezy Middle Park day whew Sloan, on Caiman, beat the admittedly superior Flying Fox. "Itis no use," said the dluke beforehand. " He"meaning Sloan — getnj under the led of the wind. We can hardly expect to win with this gale blowing." On tho other hand, one fault at least, and a very material fault, is chargeable to American stylists. Their crouching position may advantage them in other respects, but it lessens their power of control over a horse, who is especially liable to swerve when running under the whip. The consequence is a lot of unintentional foul riding.

LESSONS WE SHOULD LEARN. Among the results accruing from 'tie influx of Transatlantic riders are two which cannot but benefit racing immensely. The loitering game which had so enslaved English riders has been killed, and the existence of that iniquity, a " jockey ring," has been made impossiblethht is, unless the visitors themselves go into it. Sloan, of whose existence a judge would hardly dare plead ignorance, and the brothers Reiff, the long and the short of things, are the most able and successful of the visitors. Their earnings must be colossal, even for fashionable jockeys in tho year 1900, and if only the brothers go on as they are now, gaining much and wasting little, they will be frightfully rich by the time little 15-year-old Johnnie arrives at years of discretion. In. all, the Americans have already this season between them won nearly 350 races, beside taking part unsuccessfully in over a thousand more. These figures, reckoning in special fees and presents, represent th loss to native riders of £10,00 at least —probably a great deal more. What, therefore, must they do to be Saved? An erstwhile famous jockey and present trainer— has steered two Derby winners and hopes before he dlies to train one—recently hazarded the opinion that the new order of tilings would! not last. It was all a craze and would subside in due course —perhaps in a year or so, but inevitably sooner or later, after the manner of all crazes. The wish must have been the father to the thought, for in the next breath, with comical inconsistency, he confided that he was tutoring an apprentice to ride on* American lines. Don t, sir, consider that boy's education finished when you have learnt him how to crouch. Sharpen his brains if they want sharpening, practice him assiduously against the watch so that he may cultivate a good judgment of pace. Some few native jockeys have accepted the position and gone in for close imitation, with wholly satisfactory results, and all round nearly there has been a shortening of leathers and a girding up of loins. But despite it all the Yankees win and win..