My Racing Adventures 



the other fellow wishes to do all the talking and 

 has nothing to say. 



On a certain occasion I got off 7 lbs. in a 

 very short time to ride a two-year-old of Mr 

 Lea's (trained by S. Darling) in a big race at 

 Kempton. As a matter of fact, I dissolved that 

 weight in two days entirely by long walks and 

 abstention from food. It was a punishing ordeal, 

 a bitter experience. I did not win the race, and 

 after it was over I felt just as though eating, so 

 far as I was concerned, were a perfectly super- 

 fluous accomplishment. My stomach revolted at 

 what I had or had not done for it : a little soup 

 and fish satisfied my needs for many hours. That 

 is the worst of "wasting" — there is a reaction 

 (especially after we have lost) which is almost as 

 bad as the original pangs of hunger. One may 

 have dreams of gorgeous banquets during the 

 night ; they are not " filling." 



A few years ago, when in France, I was com- 

 pelled to do a lot of hard work before I could 

 ride 9 st. 12 lb. in the Auteuil Hurdle Race, won 

 by that fine horseman, Captain Bewicke, on 

 " Soliman " ; and soon afterwards I rode " St 

 Maclou " (of course, at 9 st.) in the Derby for the 

 late Mr M'Calmont. Some severe attenuation 

 had to be practised in order to achieve that feat. 



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