UPON JOCKE YS. 239 



banter, addressed to some jockey whom he interpellated as * Mr. 

 Newmarket,' was more feared before the race than his finish 

 at the close. It was because Jem Robinson's sunny temper 

 could never be ruffled that he was able to outride Bill Scott 

 for the Derby of 1828, after the dead-heat between Cadland 

 and The Colonel. When, however, the great northern jockey 

 encountered Patrick Conolly for the St. Leger of 1839, which 

 ended in a dead-heat between Charles XII. and Euclid, the 

 rider of the latter had to undergo such a pitiless pelting of 

 chaff and * Billingsgate ' from his antagonist that he was totally 

 unfitted to ride the deciding heat. When Phosphorus won 

 the Derby of 1837 with George Edwards on his back, the 

 latter was violently attacked by Arthur Pavis, who was second 

 upon Caravan, and had to pay a fine for losing his temper, and 

 using his whip upon his opponent's person. 



It will thus be seen that the milder manners and greater 

 refinement of the present age have contributed not a little to 

 the elevation of the jockeys who are now at the head of their 

 profession. A better specimen of this class than George 

 Fordham, who withdrew from the saddle just before the Two 

 Thousand of 1884, which, had his health permitted, he would 

 undoubtedly have won upon Scot Free, it would be impossible 

 to select. Every attribute that a great jockey should possess 

 such as perfect temper and patience, exquisite hands, first-class 

 nerve, consummate judgment, and a thorough comprehension of 

 the animal under him was combined in George Fordham with 

 an honesty a toute epreuve. No finer judge of horse-racing was 

 ever seen than the late Lord Howth, by whom the rider of 

 Epaminondas for the Chester Cup of 1854 was pronounced to 

 be the most wonderful light weight that ever got into a saddle. 

 There is scarcely a race-meeting at which there have not been 

 one or more superb finishes, and it would, therefore, be invidious 

 to pick out a particular race as having been won by more 

 excellent jockeyship than any other. But if ever a confirmed 

 jade was coaxed by delicate mouth-touching into winning 

 against her will we should say that Lord Rosebery's Levant, 



