Work of Jockeys in Past, Daily Racing Form, 1922-08-22

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WORK OF JOCKEYS IN PAST Discussing jockeys and how they should be controlled, Jim McLaughlin, for several years the leading American jockey, said recently: "To make a good jockey train him like you would your horse. Give him plenty of work ; keep him at the stable ; make him get up in the morning and exercise and feed his horses. Do not let him have valets or agents, but let the trainer attend to his engagements. A boy to become a successful rider must be taught judgment of pace. Our jockeys of today do not have a chance to use much judgment in races, because we have took many short contests. All of our jockeys ride alike. They get away from the post and sit right down to ride until they finish. "A rider should take an interest in his work, and ride every horse to win. Nothing could have induced me to pull a horse during my riding days. I did not have much experience as a rider when I went with the Dwyers, but under Rowes instruction I became a rider, and I thank him for my success. I had to get up at 2:30 in the morning and gallop six or seven horses, rub two of them, walk them, regardiess of how many miles I had to walk in order to keep down weight or how many races I was scheduled to ride in the afternoon. "Some jockeys have an idea that they must win, even if they have to knock their rivals over the fence to get the judges decision. Those riders should be punished. Those who are disqualified twice for foul work ought to have their licenses revoked. Racing is a test of speed to determine which is the fastest horse over a specified distance. That is the foundation of all contests. Riders who are not willing to compete in a sportsmanlike spirit should be removed from the sport."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1922082201/drf1922082201_12_3
Local Identifier: drf1922082201_12_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800