82 TOM CANNON 



mile for disciples of Sloan to lengthen their 

 stirrups at least a hole, and believers in Tom 

 Cannon and Archer might shorten theirs. The 

 American jockeys' distance is clearly five furlongs, 

 because they get off more quickly than English- 

 men, and ride with toes pointed. A lazy horse 

 is influenced, and feels that the man on his back 

 is like a piece of quicksilver. 



Archer believed in throwing as much weight as 

 possible on his horse's withers, and so does Sloan. 

 Thus we have the idea carried out with long 

 stirrups in one case and with extremely short 

 ones in the other. Although all these repre- 

 sentative jockeys seem on the right scent, it is 

 illogical to imagine that any one of them is 

 wholly right, yet each has unconsciously " set 

 the pace" towards perfection in the art of 

 jockeyship. 



I have purposely referred to flat and cross- 

 country riders together, as one is as high an artist 

 as the other, but their styles must of necessity be 

 different. At the same time the pace at which 

 the Grand National is run, considering the enor- 

 mously big jumps to get over, is quicker perhaps 

 than the Derby — if viewed in proportion to the 

 distance covered. 



It is also a well-known fact that many first-rate 

 jockeys — Frederick Archer was a striking instance 

 — are no good over jumps ; they are apt to ride too 

 quickly at them. But some fine horsemen can 

 do both. Yet a first-rate trainer assured me that 

 the popular Major " Roddy Owen " was only a 

 medium "jock" in a hunters' flat-race, whereas he 



