TOM CANNON 77 



years, so we are justified in treating him as a 

 celebrity of the past. 



One fact is worth noting, but we must be 

 careful not to draw wrong conclusions from it. 

 Years ago there was nothing to choose between 

 Wood and Tom Cannon, and as the former re- 

 mained on the Turf longer than the latter, and 

 rode against several of our present jockeys, we 

 can roughly estimate two generations, for there 

 seems no reason to suppose that Wood improved 

 as he became older, yet there is nobody who could 

 afford to give him a pound (in weight). But some 

 racing men may disagree with this statement, and 

 declare that Tod Sloan was better. Sam Loates, 

 C. Loates, and W. Robinson, who won the Leger 

 on Kilwarlin and now trains at Foxhill, were 

 brought out by Tom Cannon, but the leading 

 jockeys of the present day who most strongly 

 resemble him on a racehorse are his son, Mor- 

 nington, and J. Watts. The founder of humane 

 and smooth horsemanship also had a most credit- 

 able disciple in Mr. Arthur Coventry, who was 

 once, and perhaps still is, one of our few accom- 

 plished amateur flat-race riders. 



As if Nature for a freak wished to set heredi- 

 tary laws at defiance, she strangely enough made 

 J. Watts and Mr. Arthur Coventry resemble their 

 instructor more than his son does. Although 

 Mornington Cannon rides with quite as much 

 judgment, and has even more strength when 

 finishing than his father displayed, he has never 

 acquired the peculiar delicacy of touch which 

 characterised Tom Cannon's "hands." 



