SOME FOREIGN JOCKEYS 65 



Norman flogging and spurring, and in about an 

 equal space of time the rest arrived.' ^ 



Hungary and America too have sent horses 

 capable of competing with the best British blood ; 

 but neither nation seems to have produced a breed 

 of jockeys. The wild red man of the western prairies 

 would perhaps, if he conld be caught and tamed, 

 prove formidable in the saddle. 



' The American Indian is an arrant jockey, and 

 understands all the tricks of professional horse- 

 racing as well as any veteran of Jerome Park. He 

 rarely comes in competition with whites, because his 

 passion being for trick races, he dislikes to come 

 down to a fair and square race over a straight track. 

 Besides this, it is really exceedingly difficult to hit 

 on a fair distance between the Indian and American 

 horse. The start being always from a halt, the 

 small quick pony is almost sure to win at from 100 

 to 300 yards ; while the long stride of the American 

 horse is equally sure of carrying him in winner from 

 600 yards to two miles. A|mile or two is then 

 doubtful, after which it is safe to back the endurance 

 of the pony. 



' A band of Comanches, under Mu-la-que-top, 

 once camped near Fort Chadbourne in Texas, and 

 were frequent visitors and great nuisances as beggars 

 at that post. Some of the officers were decidedly 



* New Snorting Magazine, 1832. 



