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"WINNIE" OCONNORS PROGRAM. New York," December 10. Jockey- Winnie OConnor, who retnrned to this country from France several days ago for a Visit with his parents-, decided not to enter in the six-day bicycle race which is being held at Madison Square Garden this week. He intended to do so when he landed, but the management could not see the amount OConnor wanted, and he therefore declined to appear at the figure offered him. OConnor expects to go to New Orleans after the first of the year, where he will ride in a number of steeplechases, and says his engagement with Weinberg Bros, in Germany will be his last season in the saddle. Next fall, If he follows out his present plans, he will buy a string of horses abroad, mostly of French breeding, and bring thorn to this country and become an American owner and trainer in 1909. OConnor now weighs about 123 pounds, but can reduce to 112 without sacrificing his strength, and says: "I only wish they would raise the scale of weights here, so that I .could ride again: on this side, for I know that I am in better form than I ever was in my life. I have settled down, am stronger, and have plenty of experience. If I could make anything like the .Weight my old friends would not have reason to be ashamed of what I would do." f He is enthusiastic over the way racing is conducted abroad, and says that Americans could learn much from the foreign methods. "Its more of a sport over there than it is here," he said, "and the crowds that go watch the horses much more closely than they do the betting. They dont care for time over there at all, but they do keep the tracka in the finest kind of .shape. They got much better racing with their high scale than we possibly can here, because the riders are all experienced and strong enough to control their mounts. You dont see lads put on the fence and knocked down in jams as you do here, and as the distances are longer the races are much better and more -truly run. The best horse wins nearly every race in France luck doesnt count every time." In France last season OConnor rode for Vlscompto dArcour and appeared in races on both the flat and over the fences, riding thirty-seven winners of flat races and . twanty-five in steeplechases.
