TOD SLOAN 



been a champion driver, winning among other prizes 

 the Paris-Bordeaux race, the Paris-Berhn, and the 

 Paris- Vienna. We had several quite long runs, and 

 then we paid a visit to Deauville, where of course there 

 was gambHng at the club — I had always been used to 

 playing, as previous chapters will show, and I did 

 not see any reason why I shouldn't continue. Neither 

 did I see why they wouldn't let me shoot pigeons at 

 Deauville, but there was some objection raised on the 

 ground that I didn't belong to any regular club, which 

 apparently was necessary to get me among those at the 



traps. 



I had several little set-backs of this kind which made 

 life a little bit dull at times. I used to debate with 

 myself whether to go back to England or not, but 

 decided eventually that France was better for the 

 moment. There I should not annoy anybody, and I 

 was not doing any harm in being adviser to an owner, 

 for I was allowed to ride and work in a stable but not 

 on a race-course — ^that is to say, I was forbidden to race 

 in colours. I met various people that summer and early 

 autumn, and Lord Carnarvon was good enough to 

 consult me several times with regard to French horses. 

 This led to the purchase of a few horses, including 

 Mauvezin, and the engagement of " Boots " Dumell 

 already mentioned. Things were going fairly well 

 and I was keeping my form. M. Charron was very 

 interested in learning race riding, so that he could 

 figure with other amateur jockeys. He too had been 

 a crack automobilist, having won the Gordon-Bennett 

 Cup, but nothing would content him until he learned 

 how to ride with the forward seat, in fact in my own 

 style. I began to show him what to do and he was a 

 very apt pupil. 



It was at Deauville that I formed the idea of going 



192 



