LUCIEN LYNE'S CLASS 



jockeyship will agree with me. Lucien Lyne, whom 

 I have always looked upon as one of the best riders I 

 have ever seen, has had to use spurs in Belgium out of 

 deference to public opinion on a race-course, and all 

 those critics and " knockers " he has been up against. 

 If he brought a horse in a loser without a mark of the 

 spur on him it could so readily be alleged that he 

 hadn't tried, whereas public opinion was so easily 

 stilled if the horse was bleeding. They would say 

 that he " took something out of that one at all events," 

 and they would think they had had a good run for their 

 money. 



Lyne is a great fellow to take any tip although he 

 is so well up in his profession and so well off. I 

 suppose we can all learn a little bit from others, and 

 many pointers which I have been able to give him he 

 has always been ready to take at once, and in that 

 way kept himself in touch with what practical men or 

 lookers-on can see of the game. I have always tried 

 to make him take little notice of something which 

 might dash past him in a race, and not go after him 

 at once ; and even if a second came with a rare " bat," 

 so long as there was plenty of time to win a race not 

 to be led away in putting steam on to catch him. It 

 has always been a main idea with me, and I know that 

 many others share it, that a real race-horse knows his 

 business just as well as a rider does, and even a 

 moderate animal well encouraged by not being driven 

 too hard is flattered by the attention, and by the en- 

 couragement given will put his own bit in to go after 

 those in front of him. It is the first principle of 

 riding, and race-horses thus left to themselves with a 

 little hand riding will in the majority of cases do their 

 level best and show the most astounding intelligence 

 as to what is expected of them. 



295 



