JOCKEYSHIP AT HOME.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIX, Issue 1097, 16 March 1911, Page 8

JOCKEYSHIP AT HOME.

It is generally agreed by Australian racing men who visit England that the jockeyship is poor, and, with a few exceptions, not. up to what we witness in Australasia. This opinion is confirmed by the English turf scribe, “Hercules,” who, in a recent issue of “Sport,” makes the following statement: —“The English jockey has failed to hold his own on his own ground. Maher and Wootton are a iong way in front, and now come Dongohue and Huxley to add to their troubles. When our old dawdling school took to the American seat they soon got even wiih the invader; but whether it was that the old school had better horsemanship in hand and bent themselves more fully to the crouch forward than is the case of the jockey and apprentice of to-day, is an open question. The fact is that French jockeys are also imported, whilst Maher, Wootton and Huxley are ever riding in the van. Clearly the English jockey, neither as jockey nor apprentice, is holding his own. This state is not casual, which points to the causes being constant, and so on both sides. The new apprentice brand is not up to standard; he is a favoured, pampered preferred sort; very liable to ‘swelled head’ and consequent abiding vices. The old school and the American school made no secret of their saddle science and lore. In the height of the invasion and panic about a cozen of the leading jockeys set forth their knowledge and science very extensively in print. Read and re-read, these articles tell us nothing to the point. There is a scientific

force in jockeyship —of axiom sort — to which not one of the lot once refers. Look at what race one may, riding is done in the main counter to this axiom. The greener the apprentice the less he offends in this direction; with the older hand it is the other way; both sorts have in the main dropped spurs, the whip comes in i.nd hands go up—jockeyship weakens; could not well do otherwise.”