The Life of Fred Archer 75 
just the sort of life any other boy about a stable lived. Where 
he differed from the other boys of his day is that he became a 
jockej'' very early. In those days the jockeys were all middle- 
aged men, between thirty and forty at any rate — bearded 
men one might almost say, only that it was the long side- 
whiskers that they wore. 
" It was Tom French's death that started Archer off in the 
world. My uncle realised what a brilhant little boy he had in 
his stable, and when French died and Lord Falmouth thought 
that everything was at an end because he hadn't got a jockey, 
my uncle insisted on putting up Archer. Fred was riding 
at 6 stone i lb., in the same week as that in which he 
won the Two Thousand Guineas. That would be nothing in 
these days, but it was a most extraordinary thing then. Nowa- 
days any little boy in knickerbockers may win the Derby. 
Why, there were two little boys knocking about a stable in 
Newmarket some years ago, riding everything they came 
across, and one day on the Heath a lady picked up one of the 
little creatures (J. Rieff) and kissed him, so the story goes. 
And he was quite a famous jockey ! 
" I first remember Fred Archer when he was beginning to 
get famous. He was a very nice-looking fellow, with some- 
times, especially when he was wasting, a very sad expression. 
He was a very clever man, who, if he had been educated at 
Oxford or Cambridge, would have made his name in other 
professions. He was not like many other jockeys — nothing 
when he got out of the saddle. It was a pity he had not more 
education. But there, what are you to do ? They come to 
us at about twelve or thirteen, and they are no use when they 
get to a certain weight. 
" They have to learn to ride by the time they are up to 
about four stone, and it takes them most of their time, so 
there's not much left to be educated in. Fred and I were 
about the same age. My uncle didn't believe in the lads being 
out late at night, and he had sort of wire entanglements (I 
