view raw text
JOHN PORTERS IDEA OF RACE RIDING In his recent book John Potp.r of Kingsilcic. the veteran Baglish tiaiiur. whose name i; bears, has writ tiai something about racing and race ridei •.. Mr. Porter, like everyone who has seen them ride, puts Fred Archer. George Fordham and Tod Sloan on a high pedestal, and makes this criticism concerning these: "Between Archer and Sloan. I think. Ionlham show. si the happy medium, and his is the style of riding lliat should he taught and encouraged. 1 do not think either the extremes of Archer sf Sloan can give the power and control over a bane that are s,, needful. Porter desciibes the methods of Fordham thus: "He rode with a medium still up just short enough to clear the pommel of the saddle With a little to spare. Taking tight hoM of his horses head, he leaned slightly forward, with his hands resting on the borw a withers, thus throwing the weight onto the shouNlers. Tile position en aided him to drop into lie saddle and control a borae when in difficulties, and drive him straight home at the finish of a race." John Porter relates tha: "liny" W-IN. a fine rider, only had a retainer of ,."i0 i per annum from Sir Joseph Hawley . How different from the SOaXOOt ■., year that Mr. laases White is giving Donoghu ■ to be his first jockey f, i the aext tw.. season-. ,,r the 020,800 that Danny Mahor reeeired frosa Lard Beeebery, in addition to which Mr. fabric" paid him another 3,Ogg far -coin I ehlim: Potter adds: "I have always field the opinion that racing has suffered owtag to the tendency to bestow apoa jockeys extraragaat inoliinnnts. It has been the ruin of many of them."
