UPON JOCKEYS, 237 



had not earned their fee unless they punished a horse to excess 

 long after all hope of his winning had passed away. No better 

 contrast between a perfect and an imperfect style can be ima- 

 gined than was exhibited by the race for the Grand Duke Michael 

 Stakes of 1836, in which Jem Robinson upon Bay Widdleton 

 defeated old John Day upon Elis. The former never moved 

 in the saddle and never lifted his whij), while, in the case of 

 John Day, the upraised arm and the restless heel were cease- 

 lessly at work. It is easy to understand therefore why it is that 

 Matthew Dawson should wdth good cause pronounce Bill Scott, 

 old John Day, and Sam Rogers to have been ' good rough 

 jockeys,' capable of getting the last ounce out of a sluggish 

 horse, but little fitted to shine in those ' delicate mouth-touch- 

 ings ' of which the Chifneys, Jem Robinson, Alfred Day, Frank 

 Butler, Fordham, F. Archer and Tom Cannon were such 

 accomplished exponents. Upon one occasion, Sam Rogers 

 punished The Ban, one of Sir Joseph Hawley's chief favourites, 

 so severely and unnecessarily that ' the lucky Baronet ' 

 registered a vow never to put him up again, and kept his word. 

 One maxim, however, was laid dow^n by Bill Scott — who, with 

 all his eccentricities, had a capital head on his shoulders — 

 which is of universal applicability, and deserves attention from 

 all who desire to shine as winners of great races. ' I have a 

 horror,' the famous north-country jockey would exclaim, in 

 phraseology too impolite for reproduction here, ' of seeing a 

 fellow ride twice as quick as his horse is going.' Bill Scott's 

 theory was that no jockey could do justice to his mount in 

 the Derby— the most difficult and dangerous course, in his 

 opinion, that it was possible to conceive — unless hand and 

 seat kept perfect time with the horse's action. The Derby is 

 generally won, according to Bill Scott, by the horse which 

 strides farthest down hill ; and any failure on the jockey's part 

 to encourage his animal 1.0 stretch himself out to the utmost is 

 necessarily fatal to the chance of both. 



Upon only one other jockey of the past have we space to 

 dwell at any length, but it were an injustice to omit to mention 



