452 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



putting his horse broadside across the course at Hull, 

 and no one could foresee that a horse would break both 

 his forelegs at Durham. His last spill at Liverpool 

 was as near as possible happening to ' Morny ' Cannon 

 instead of poor old John, so that I always fail to see 

 where his incompetency came in. I can only say, with 

 two or three exceptions, I should back old John 

 Osborne against a good many of the present 'young 

 uns.' " 



When Archer's greatness as a horseman was 

 asserting itself, and he was proving champion over the 

 northern as well as the southern jockeys, poor Jim 

 Snowden could never bring himself to the opinion that 

 the southerners were better horsemen than those in the 

 north. The first time Archer came to Stockton Jim 

 Snowden met him in the same race, and jealous of his 

 own reputation and the north, he resolved to do " The 

 Demon " if he could by fair square riding. When at 

 the post, Jim drew his horse up alongside of Archer's, 

 and spitting on his hands, to suggest business, he 

 accosted his rival " They tell me thee can ride a bit, 

 lad. Aal reet, maw lad, we'll see what thee's made on 

 now." The result was a desperate finish between them, 

 Snowden beating Archer by the shortest of heads. 

 " Noo, maw lad," said Jim, as they came back to the 

 paddock, " thee can tell them i' the Sooth that there's 

 mair jockeys in the world than thee." 



Further, in his " Recollections," Custance relates an 

 incident in connection with John Osborne and Lorette 

 that happened in a race at Manchester run over the Old 

 Castle Irwell course. It was a Foal Stakes, and John 

 Osborne had brought Lorette, a horse of his father's, on 

 the off chance of getting second money, and running it in 

 a selling race the next day. It was just the time that 



