326 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



too, was riding when I began. I did not meet 

 them much because I did not go South for a 

 year or two. I began to meet them at Don- 

 caster and these places. They are all dead and 

 gone now. Sly and Wm. Boyce were also to 

 the fore. There was Tom Aldcroft, who began 

 riding three or four years after I began; Jos. 

 Arnull, too he was with Mr. Thos. Dawson 

 at Middleham and so was Aldcroft when I 

 began. After them came Bullock, whose 

 brother Tom now trains the greyhounds at 

 Killingworth. And Fred Bates he began a bit 

 later than I did. 



"Whom do you think was the best jockey 

 of the old lot? 



"Well, that is hard to say. I have ridden 

 against them all. I rode against Jim Robinson 

 once in my first Derby. I saw Jim Robinson 

 ride Wrestler for the St. Leger, and a few times 

 more, but never saw him very much. There is no 

 doubt he was a grand horseman, and so were 

 Frank Butler and Flatman. There were plenty 

 good jockeys. The question is, getting the 

 good horses. Wells was about my time ; he was 

 a good horseman that is ' Tiny ' Wells and 

 Tom Ashmall, a few years later, was bad to beat 

 in a finish. 



" What is your idea about riding a race ? 



" Well, in riding a race you cannot make a 

 hard and fast rule ; it depends a great deal upon 

 the horse. If you know your horse, and you 

 know he is 'fit/ you make use of him riding 

 it. Sometimes you'll want to ride a waiting 

 race, and sometimes you want to make good 



