PARADING A MISTAKE 



judge should never be called upon for anything like 

 this, his duty being solely to decide how the horses 

 have finished and nothing beyond it. Looking for 

 other incidents must take thoughts off the real work 

 an official has to do, and he should have no more 

 to say about the running than a man down town. 

 Those matters are for the stewards only. Of course 

 photographing a finish and making the camera the 

 final decider would be all right in the case of head and 

 head results, but doesn't it strike you that the public 

 would be very impatient waiting a quarter of an hour 

 or twenty minutes until they could learn what had 

 reall}'' happened ? 



Another matter which should be altered — again 

 only according to my humble judgment — is the 

 parading on the course which is so customary before 

 big events. Parading round the paddock and the 

 preliminary canter should be quite sufficient. A good 

 horse is apt to get his temper spoilt by being marched 

 down slowly behind others. Frequently an owner 

 can get permission for his horse to be exempted from 

 that parade — why should this be allowed ? If a 

 horse is a bad actor why should a rattle-brained brute 

 be given such a chance ? If he has not been properly 

 broken or trained there is no reason why he should 

 be given a better show than those who know how to 

 behave. It is unfair to a degree. Tliere should be no 

 excuse for and no favouring those who are not fit 

 to do as others do. One can only suppose that 

 there would be a howl from the public if the parade 

 before such a race as the Derby was done away 

 with, but after all the race is the thing and those not 

 able to go to the paddock would have every chance as 

 the field cantered past the stands of seeing all the 

 runners. 



303 



