88 



Lovers of the Horse 



JOHN F. RYAN 



To Joliii Francis Ryan, tlie subject of this sketch, is due a yreat deal oi' the prog- 

 ress in tlie racing of tlioroughhreds in this country. lie has from liis school- 

 li()\ (la\s ])aid more or k\ss attention to the thoroughl)red, and it was tlirough 

 his efforts that the Montreal Jockey ("lul> was formed. 'I'hat it will lieconie famous in 

 tlie years to come, and long live as a nionunient to its founder, is now beyond a shadow 

 of doubt. Ft was through Mr. Ryan that the newspapers of Toronto tirst |)aid {)artic- 

 uhir attention to the racing at Woodl)ine, and through liim that tlie idea of giving ac- 

 counts of the early morning trials at th(> 

 track were taken up. This was sokdy 

 ,Mid piuciy iiis original idea in Canada, 

 and ii\ getting the ])ul)lic interested in 

 the actual doings oF horses it is still per- 

 haps the greatest nuignet in gaining 

 patrons foi' the sport. 



Mr. Ryan always i-atcicd lo the 

 horsemen and is looked on as one of the 

 greatest of turf authorities at the present 

 time, lie has devoted many years of 

 his life to this work, being most success- 

 ful in all of his ventures, the greatest of 

 all being the founding of the Montreal 

 Jockey ( lub. 



Mr. RvaTi is a Canadian by birth, 

 and is proud of the fact. He was born 

 at (Teortretow u. Ontario, in the \car 

 iS't. beini;- e<ln(aled at the Bram|)ton 

 Collegiate Institute and the ( ieorgetown 

 High School. His lirsl step in life for 

 hiniM'lf was when he accepted a position 

 on the i-e|)orting sfalf of the Toroiihi 

 World, where he (piickly showe(| his 

 abilitv as a newspapcM- man. Ilis articles 

 were all of thi' brightest, while he proved 

 hiin.self a great news gatherer. His next move was when he oecuijied the position of 

 .sporting editor of the lOronto Sf(i)\ which jiosition he held for six years. 



Ilis first start as a turf writer was made on the Star. From the Star he went to 

 the middle west, and soutiicrn racing circuit as the representative of the Ihijjalo Courier 

 and Sew York Daily America, at that time the great Inrf |)aper of the continent. Mr. 

 Rvan remained with the haHij America until it was purchased by the late \\ . C. 

 Whitney, and amalgamated with the Acw Yorl: Telegraph. On the amalgamation 



John Francis Rvan 



