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JOCKEY RANCH TO RIDE IN AMERICA Will Remain in This Country Until Conditions Become Normal in France. The American jockey Jay Ranch, who formerly rode for W. K. Vanderbilt and James Hennessey in France, where he was the leading rider for several years, is planning to go abroad again as soon as conditions become more normal. In the meantime Ranch will endeavor to sigh up as a steeplechase rider In this country, and hopes to be seen in the saddle during the coming season. Ranch was for three years the leading rider for Rurns and Waterhouse in California. Hughey Jones, a California!!, was the man who gave Jay his start. This was at St. Louis in 1899. "The best year I ever had on the American tracks was in 1902," said Ranch. "I won 270 races. I rode at Louisville, Chicago, St. Louis, New Yors and Latonia that year. "Strange as it may seem, after that successful year I rode few races in America. The next racing season found me in France, where I headed the list for the next three years. Among the Americans who rode against me- were Charley Thorpe, Nasli Turner, Winnie OConner, Henry Shields and others. I rode for W. K. Vanderbilt in France for five years. I was also five years with James Hennessey, the Rrandy King, who one year won the Grand National at Liverpool with Lutteur. This is the greatest jumping event in the world, and it is almost worth any mans time to go to Liverpool, to see it run. I was never lucky enough to have- a mount at Liverpool, .where the Grand National is raced, but it is the home of the worlds best jumping horses. BEAT THE FAMOUS PRETTY POLLY. "I had the honor of riding Presto when he beat Pretty Polly, the famous English race mare, at Longchamps. Gaston Dreyfus owned Presto at that time. Tlie owner of Fifre II. was so disappointed after Presto beat Pretty Polly that he openly declared that his horse could beat Presto or Pretty Polly, but that his trainer had neglected to start his horse. This caused a match race- to be arranged at Maisons-Laffitte between Presto and Fifre II. This match was brought off on a day there was no regular racing, but the event attracted so much attention that a number of special trains were run to the course and the officials served the same as if it was a full days racing. "Presto won the match quite easily. I think the best horse I ever rode on any soil was Prestige, a colt owned by Mr. Vanderbilt. He won sixteen straight starts and was never beaten. No one ever rode him in a race but me. On one occasion my leg was hurt and they were talking, about putting another boy up. What did, I do but buy my passage across the English Channel and back so as to become seasick, thus keeping down my riding weight when laid up with a bad leg. "A month and a half after the- war started in France I left there and returned to California, my old home. I will go back to France ngain when things get straightened out. In the meantime I want to get with some good stable that has serviceable jumping material. 1 am now a steeplechase rider and like that branch of the sport quite well."
