Savage Traits of Famous Racers, Daily Racing Form, 1909-09-05

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SAVAGE TRAITS OF FAMOUS RACERS. Famous race horses, like famous people, are often eccentric in their behavior; and there have been many cases in England of celebrated animals that have turned "savage." Otto Madden, the famous jockey, who only a few seasons ago won the Derby ; on the 100 to 1 chance. Jeddah, was violcutly "sav- aged" by a horse at Brighton races. He was riding. Centre down to the post for the Worthing Plate, when a horse called Marigold IV. overtook him, dragged him out of the saddle by the shoulder, and, seizing him by tiie throat, shook him as a terrier shakes a rat. The jockey of Marigold IV.. ,who had himself been unseated, used his whip freely on the brutes head to make him release Madden. :uid other jockeys coining to his assistance. Marigold IV. was eventually beaten off. Madden returned to the paddock bleeding from a wound on the throat. which had to have several stitches put Into it. and it was some time before lie was aide to ride again. I Sweet Sounds, in spite of his name, was an irre- . claimable savage. One morning at exercise his girths came undone; he got his boy off, and rushed at him like a Hon, the result to the unlucky lad , being a month in the hospital. j Good Morning was another of the ugly-tempered sort. Once he bit his leading rein clean through with one vicious snap, caught hold of his attendant, and shook him ferociously. Ladas. another famous race horse, was perfectly miiet under ordinary circumstances, but for some reason he had a great dislike for ladies, and would "go for them" if any members of the fair sex approached the! paddock. Diamond Jubilee was another famous horse that gave a good deal of trouble to its trainer owing to the violence of its likes and dislikes. He hated Mornington Cannon, the famous jockey, and on one occasion flew at him while exercising on Newmarket Heath", knocking him flying, and "Siorny" would certainly have been killed if assistance had not been at hand. Years afterwards Cannon visited his stable, and the horse still remembered his old grudge, and attempted to "go for him" again directly he heard his old jockeys voice. An old Irish steeplechase horse called Tornado, rather well known at one time, was a perfectly good-tempered horse, but he had a hatred of bicycles, and whenever lie saw one lie would try to put his forelegs through the wheels. For what reason nobody ever knew, for he never seemed to be afraid of them. Some famous horses that race with obvious enjoyment have a rooted objection to being saddled, and will roll and lie on their backs when the time comes to prepare for the fray. Others throw themselves into an absolute state of frenzy if they feel the slightest drop of rain, while many others, perfectly normal in other respects, will only allow themselves to be groomed or fed by the same individual. Prince of Tyre used to amuse himself by walking round and round his box on his hind legs. He would scrape all his bedding into a heap in the center of the floor, and then would slowly pound it to chaff. All sorts of ways were tried to break him of the habit, and eventually he found solace in the company of an old black cat. Best Man had a cat which shared his box whenever he traveled. Pretty Polly and Sceptre both had a similar affection for another pony, without which they refused to sleep, eat or run. Robert thu Devil also had a stable companion of this sort, aiid ho used to nmusc himself by gnawing his friends tail, which was consequently in a state of perpetual raggedness.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1909090501/drf1909090501_6_2
Local Identifier: drf1909090501_6_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800