"RODDY OWEN" 93 



destitute of influence or who could not supply 

 him with winninof mounts. 



Not only was he passionately fond of horses, 

 but he was thoroughly in touch with them, though 

 he never exhibited that perfect sympathy which 

 characterised his predecessor, Mr. Arthur Yates, 

 and his contemporary, Arthur Nightingall. 



Apparently " Roddy Owen " bore a charmed 

 life, and invariably emerged out of a group of 

 first-rate jockeys, all of whom were as keen and 

 as anxious to win as himself; every one willing 

 to face considerable danger to gain the end in 

 view. So, audaciously courting danger, yet cool 

 withal, he steered his horse into the very thick 

 of the struggle with perfect nerve. Wedging 

 his mount into the centre of a tightly packed 

 field, crowded together at the same fence, he 

 used to thrust his way through them fiercely, 

 chancing any fouls, and never dreaming of being 

 unnerved by whosoever had "come down." 

 Even when hopelessly beaten, there was some- 

 thing decidedly cheerful about the laughing way 

 in which " Roddy " completed the course, as if 

 apologising to the crowd for riding a horse 

 troubled with the " slows." 



The peculiarity of his style lay in the neck- 

 break pace at which he rushed his fences ; his 

 mounts always covered a great deal of ground 

 when they jumped, their rider giving them plenty 

 of rein as they cleared the fence in their stride ; 

 they did not dwell as they landed but galloped 

 straight on. Ill-tempered refusers were subju- 

 gated by his will, impatient chasers loved his 



