CHAPTER XXIII 



THE ASCOT INCIDENT 



Yachting Suit at Ascot — Lord William's Action — The " Cop" pitches the Tale 



What has been described as " the Ascot incident in 

 Tod Sloan's career " has been scandalously discussed 

 for years and I should say that quite ten thousand 

 people have alleged that they saw the whole business ! 

 I was supposed to have made a murderous assault on 

 a waiter with a champagne bottle. The occurrences of 

 that afternoon at Ascot never seem to have been for- 

 gotten. 



Now I have promised to put my heart on the table 

 with regard to nearly every incident of my life : 

 sometimes it may be in excuse, at others in apology, 

 but above all I want to clear up certain reports 

 which have been exaggerated or even maliciously 

 invented. It seems strange that such a small man 

 as myself, a jockey simply trying to win and 

 treading on the heels of so few with whom he 

 came in contact, should have been the object of such 

 antagonism. \Miatever my private life was it was 

 for the most part with friends, and whatever others 

 thought I did not bother them with my opinions and 

 I always tried to be as little aggressive as possible, 

 never getting into arguments unless there was a " butt- 

 in " on someone else's part — which there frequently 

 was. 



Before describing that Ascot business it is only 

 justice perhaps to say that the morning after it 



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