ACROBAT AND OTHER WINNERS 13 



I told my man to be prepared to loose his head 

 the second I spoke to him, and as luck had it, when 

 they were in line, I jumped into a 2-lb. saddle, and 

 without getting my feet into the stirrups, got away 

 half a length in front on the inside. It was very 

 difficult to pick up the irons in the race, as the 

 webbing which held the irons caused them to jump 

 up and down, and twisted, unlike leather, which 

 would hang pretty straight. I didn't pick them 

 up until just before I got to the last turn, and after 

 a good race we beat Fred Archer on Colonel For- 

 rester's Deceit by a neck. I felt very proud of 

 having won my first Cup. 



I won a race for myself at Croydon with Acrobat, 

 Charles Archer riding him, as I could not do the 

 weight. I sold him for £320, but not till he had 

 won the Bradgate Cup at Warwick for me. 



About this time I rode in a pony race at Malvern, 

 four times round to a mile. There was a tale going 

 that one of the older jockeys was asked how in 

 the world did he know how many times he had been 

 round when riding the mile races. 



" I take a piece of chalk in my pocket, and make 

 a mark on the judge's box as I go by," was his 

 answer. What a fib ! 



I took Emblem Villa, near Croome, Worcs., in 

 (U877), the house being named after Lord 

 Coventry's mare, who won the Grand National. 



