AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE S25 



beat me. We had many a close tussle; some- 

 times the one won, and sometimes the other. 



" Had you any memorable race with George 

 Fordham ? 



' Yes ; I mind him beating me a head in the 

 Goodwood Stakes. He was on Fortissimo, and I 

 rode Reveller. Fordham's first big race was the 

 Cambridgeshire on Little David. 



" What did you think of him as a horseman ? 



" Perhaps he had an ungainly seat. He used 

 to get all out of a horse. Archer and Fordham 

 had two different styles altogether as different 

 as possible. Fordham rode short, and Archer 

 long. Fordham rode more with his hands than 

 Archer. I should think he was a better jockey 

 than Archer all round. Fordham didn't punish 

 his horse so much as poor Fred, although I have 

 seen him give ' one, two, three ' on the post. 

 Old George Fordham and I were the best of 

 friends; he was a good fellow. Poor Fordham 

 lost part money at one time. M. Lefevre specu- 

 lated it for him, but I fancy he got it back. He 

 died decidedly well off from what I read in the 

 papers. 



" When first I began riding there was Job 

 Marson, Templeman, Bumby, Tommy Lye he 

 rode Rowena in the first race I rode in then 

 there was George Francis, George Gates, and a 

 few more older than I was. Templeman was a 

 good, steady jockey. Wm. Gates was also 

 riding at the time, and George Abdale, too; 

 they were Northerners. In the Midlands there 

 were Charles Marlow, Whitehouse, Denman, 

 Flatman, and Frank Butler; and Sam Rogers, 



