78 TOM CANNON 



We must not forget to mention that Custance, 

 Fordham, Archer, Tom Cannon, and Wood were 

 opportunists ; for, since Buckle's time, we may- 

 take it for granted that the social gulf between 

 jockeys and their patrons has narrowed amazingly. 

 In reality. Lord George Bentinck's cleverly 

 managed but not expensive stud was small by 

 comparison with the late Danebury stable, which 

 Tom Cannon presided over, and could not com- 

 pare with Marsh's or Porter's well-filled stables 

 either in quantity or quality. 



Fred Archer died in affluent circumstances, 

 and Custance, T. Cannon, Wood, and J. Watts, 

 besides many others, made handsome fortunes on 

 the Turf far beyond the most avaricious dreams 

 of nearly equally experienced jockeys who lived 

 a generation or more before them. Therefore we 

 must not overlook the change which time and 

 better education have wrought in the position of 

 our racing stars. 



Doubtless it will be said that if most jockeys 

 on the flat resemble to some extent Archer, Tom 

 Cannon, and, we must now add, Tod Sloan, then 

 the same idea may be applied to steeplechase 

 riders. Why not ? If we choose to select any 

 popular wearer of colours under National Hunt 

 rules, we can at least trace some resemblance to 

 the above-mentioned " representative jockeys," 

 though at first it may prove faint. In a few rare 

 instances the opposite styles blend. Arthur 

 Nightingall most happily hit off the best charac- 

 teristics of F. Archer and T. Cannon — dashing, 

 gliding, punishing, almost at the same time. 



