140 RIDING 



sit still not yet ! No steady Now ! Now I Now ! ' The 

 ' Now ! ' came out with startling suddenness, Fordham bringing 

 his right fist into his left palm as he cried out ; and at the 

 precise moment that he uttered the syllable, Cannon, who had 

 been waiting with the utmost patience, made his effort, and by 

 a vigorous piece of riding got his horse past the post a short 

 head in front of the other. 



The striking part of this little story consists in the fact that 

 to Fordham, standing by the rails and watching with the keen 

 and critical eye of an unrivalled expert, and to Cannon on the 

 horse's back, it was equally evident when, to the tick of a 

 second, the effort had to be made ; and no one who has any 

 acquaintance with the niceties of the art can need to be told that 

 if that second had been missed or anticipated the race would 

 have been lost instead of won. The anecdote shows that in the 

 mystery of race riding there is a vast deal of subtlety and skill, 

 though indeed it is hardly necessary to insist upon this point 

 when one reflects what a large number of boys are employed in 

 English training stables and how exceedingly few of them gain 

 any reputation as jockeys. All of them acquire more or less of 

 the elementary knowledge that is requisite for race riding ; they 

 are accustomed to ride every day at exercise, if they show any 

 aptitude the chances are that they will be put up in trials to 

 begin with, and finally in public. They know the huge prizes 

 open to success in their business, appreciative eyes are con- 

 stantly watching them, they have many incentives and many 

 opportunities to distinguish themselves ; and yet competent 

 jockeys are extremely hard to find, and the members of the 

 scanty front rank can year after year be almost counted on the 

 fingers of one hand. That no written instructions can make a 

 jockey must be freely conceded ; but it may be interesting and 

 not without practical value to examine into some of the attri- 

 butes and essentials of jockeyship. 



The perfect jockey is partly bom and partly made. If he 

 have not aptitude and certain natural gifts he will never ride 

 successfully ; but having these, practice, experience, and careful 



