132 " PRACTICE'' DOES NOT " MAKE PERFECT'' 



affect the running of his own horse, but of others in 

 the race. Talk of head, why a State Trial does not 

 require more to carry it on, and possibly it may not 

 be of as much consequence whether it is lost or 

 gained as many of our races. 



I stated in the commencement of these papers 

 that a certain degree of education would be very de- 

 sirable in a person who undertakes breaking young 

 horses, and also in a trainer : I trust my Reader will 

 think that it would be equally advantageous to the 

 jockey. That there are many good jockeys without, 

 we know ; but I maintain that they would probably 

 have been still better with, with of course the addition 

 of practice as well. I remember to have spoken in a 

 few opinions lately in no flattering terms of Gentle- 

 men-jockeys (that is, as jockeys) ; but this says no- 

 thing against my theory. I must have education and 

 practice combined to produce better jockeys than we 

 have, and it is from the want of practice only that 

 Gentlemen fail : but though they seldom ride a race 

 well, if they were ignorant men, with the little prac- 

 tice they have, they would ride it still worse than 

 they do. I know theoretical principles alone will 

 never make a workman in anything ; but the man 

 who commences with a good stock of them will much 

 sooner become one than a man who has none. No 

 Gentleman will undergo the necessary ordeal to make 

 him a perfect jockey ; yet there are some Gentlemen 

 whose names I could mention who could tell most 

 jockeys a great deal more than the latter know of 

 their business (the practical part excepted). I will 

 mention one of our Aristocracy who can ride very 

 nearly as well as our best professional jocks, and much 

 better than nine out of ten of the others General 



