TOD SLOAN 



toward me. They did not seem to know whether they 

 were in order if they put me up in a trial or rough up. 

 As a matter of fact, as I have explained, there was 

 nothing against my taking part in anything of the 

 kind, for the Stew^ards had said that I could do so. 

 Well, I went on trying my best by every possible 

 means to reinstate myself in favour and at that time 

 I had become more accustomed to Newmarket than 

 at any previous period. 



Several times I was inclined to take the friendly tip 

 given me by Lord Harewood and definitely to give up 

 any idea of riding again and to settle down as an owner. 

 Possibly I should have got a licence to train my own 

 animals. But I was only about twenty-seven years 

 old and was sure that I could ride as well or better 

 than ever, and the money to be made as a jockey was 

 far in excess of anything it was possible to make with 

 any stable I could set up. Then too I was occasion- 

 ally possessed by the spirit of roving or travel. Should 

 I go away again ? I had been here, there and every- 

 where. It was not pleasant, however, to give up 

 racing under the stigma that I had to retire without a 

 jockey's licence. If a licence had only been procur- 

 able, I do believe on looking back that I should have 

 been quite willing to give an undertaking not to avail 

 myself of it ! 



The majority of my friends stuck to me through all 

 this and that cheered me more than can be said. But 

 they were not really happy days. The more inquiries 

 were made as to the possibility of getting my ticket 

 back again the more undecided seemed the situation. 

 It was a sickening business too when in London having 

 to reply to all sorts of people — some of whom I had 

 scarcely ever met — as to what I was going to do. The 

 truth was, I didn't know, and I felt rather inclined to 



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