TOM CANNON 83 



was quite equal to a first-rate pro. over a jump 

 course, and better than most. 



Stress cannot be laid too much on the fine 

 horsemanship of Captain Bewicke, one of the 

 best soldiers who ever wore colours, especially 

 over the Sandown course. His judgment as 

 regards pace was wonderful, being able to win 

 races comfortably by a neck when his horse was 

 good enough not to be knocked about unneces- 

 sarily. However, it may cheer novices to know 

 that only after constant practice did success come 

 to this good judge of pace. 



Whilst on this subject reams, even volumes, 

 and, almost without exaggeration, libraries could 

 be filled with ease by those who are lovers of 

 writinor or reading about race-horses and their 

 owners, trainers, and jockeys. We cannot spare 

 more than a few pages just to illustrate how 

 wide the literary field is in this branch of equine 

 literature. 



Take Derby riders alone, and a page is quickly 

 filled. Butler, Wells, Custance, Osborne, French, 

 Webb, Archer, Fordham, T. Cannon, Wood, the 

 brothers Loates, the brothers Barrett, Watts, 

 Cannon family, Allsop, Madden, Reiff, and 

 dozens of others who, as good or nearly so, 

 just missed steering the most popular victory on 

 the flat. The riders who pulled it off will admit 

 that plenty behind gave them trouble, and if the 

 race was run over again in several cases, it might 

 have worked out with a very different result. 



