•204 JUMPING. 



which will not happen with one jockey will occur with another 

 jockey. A horse's fall is very often due to the man who rides 

 him. I mention the following instance of this because it is 

 conclusive : — 



In one season at Auteuil, Hatchet won nine races out of 

 eleven on Baudres, and the horse fell in the two races he lost. 

 For personal motives, another jockey of very high reputation 

 was put on Baudres, who, in seven races, fell four times and 

 lost each of these four events. After that Hatchet won ten 

 consecutive races on Baudres without a fall. Thus, Baudres 

 fell four times out of seven with a good jockey, and fell only 

 twice out of twenty-one races with a jockey whom I con- 

 sider to be exceptionally good. A remarkable fact which 

 perhaps will help the reader to remember what I have said, 

 is that all these falls occurred at the brook in front of the 

 stands.* 



Hatchet has a particular way of his own in taking the last 

 turn on the Auteuil racecourse, which is on the left of the 

 stands, and is very sharp. He takes it very short, and 

 slackens his speed to a marked extent. The others keep up 

 the speed, and are consequently obliged to take a wide turn. 

 Although the difference between the two methods may appear 

 to be of no matter, it is of great importance. As Hatchet 

 turns very short, he loses no ground, although he slackens 

 speed, because he has less space to cover ; and as he thus 

 allows his horse to recover his wind, he is able, in the straight 

 run home, to get out of his animal a last and supreme effort, 

 which the others cannot obtain, because they kept up full 

 speed the whole time. 



We should not forget that in such cases, horses win races 



* In that fence there was nothing to catch a horse's legs. To clear it, like all 

 other wide jumps, the only thing that was required was plenty of impulse. 

 Seeing Baudres change his leg a few yards from this fence on account of the 

 jockey trying to raise his head, I said to his owner : " Your horse is going to 

 fall." In fact, the impulse was stopped and the fall came off. 



