SUCCSSFUL JOCKEYS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 994, 25 March 1909, Page 5

SUCCSSFUL JOCKEYS.

In his always interesting notes, “ Bondi,” of the “ Sydney Referee,” refers to three crack horsemen as follows: — “ Knowledge is power,” and we have proof of it in the fact that it was little Frank or “ Knickerbocker ” Wootton’s knowledge of race-riding that recently enabled him to refuse the princely retaining fee of £2OOO a year. Little Frank’s knowledge of his art has placed him second on England’s winning jockeys’ list for the past year, and it is publicly stated that his income is now £5OOO per annum. Provided the boy has the natural abilities for race riding, there is no game a father can place his son at that will give the lad the chances of becoming a millionaire than a jockey’s position does. But it would seem that, like the poet, a jockey must be born to his business. Long before Mr. Wootton’s clever son went to show the British boys how to ride, the two Reiffs (Lester and Johnnie) went over from the United States on a similar mission, and their success was something marvellous. In the year 1900, Lester Reiff topped the list of winning jockeys in England by scoring 143 first places, that being the first time a foreign jockey ever held that honour. And Little Johnnie held third place with 124 wins to his credit. And Johnnie was then even younger than Frank Wootton is now, and was well pleased when a kind-hearted old lady would give him an apple or a bag of lollies. He was only thirteen years of age then, and he won that splendid prize, the Prince of Wales’ Stakes, of £lO,OOO, at Newmarket.

Like all other good jockeys, the Reiffs kept their business to themselves, and no one could fix their winnings to a cent, but it is very certain that at the end of the first year the two boys had banked £8000; and it is equally clear that when they arrived at their lowly home in Toledo, Ohio, they gladdened their old father’s eyes with the sight of £40,000 of British money. It is a pleasing thing to state that most young jockeys who meet with

luck like this make it their first duty to provide for them parents’ future comfort, and make them glad they reared such good and clever children. I could name several similar cases of young Australian jockeys, but, unfortunately, their wins ran into hundreds only, while the Yankee lads spoke of thousands. It is a queer business this, A rich man spends thousands of pounds on his son’s education and start in life, and the lad is never worth more than thirty bob a week to anyone. A poor, struggling blacksmith or trainer gives his boy a slice of fried bread and a pair of German silver spurs, and the boy goes off and earns more every year than an English Prime Minister can!