JOCKEYS AND JOCKEYSHIP 107 



the race I was thinking about my weight and 

 avoiding anything that would make me heavier. 

 Then two days before the time I arrived at the 

 meeting, got up next morning at seven, had coffee 

 and toast for breakfast, and went to morning work ; 

 rode a trial and three gallops — just as I was going 

 home someone asked me to get on a horse and 

 bring it a mile. Back home, and walked a good 

 ten miles in sweaters after a cold bath, and then on 

 to the course, where I rode in four races — and won 

 two of them. When I weighed I found I was 

 still three pounds over, so I had another strong 

 eight mile walk and " dined " on the lean of a small 

 mutton chop, a biscuit, and a claret glass-full of 

 weak whisky and water. Up next morning again, 

 riding work, another hard ten miles, and after 

 riding also in two races — the great event. When I 

 went to the scales I found that I had got down to 

 within one pound of the weight. 



I was second, just beaten, and that entirely 

 because of the ground — in one boggy bit my horse 

 came almost to a standstill, it was so deep. With 

 fair luck I should have won, but I didn't, and, it 

 was rather galling when a friend of the owner 

 came up to me and said, " If you'd managed to get 

 that other pound off you'd just have done it ! " 

 He spoke as if he thought I had not been trying to 



