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Here andThere on the Turf - Jockey Ensors Suspension. Demoralizing Effect on Small j-Riders. Anti- "Doping" Legislation in France. Jockey "Buddy" Ensor has been barred at New Orleans and denied all privileges of the Jefferson Park track. It is expected that this suspension will be continued for the meeting at the Fair Grounds. If there ever was a rider who has had more frequent chances to behave than Ensor he cannot be remembered at this time. From the time that Tom Shan- non had this rider he has been an incorrigible and has fallen from grace with a regularity that offers no hope that he will ever be amen- able to discipline that must be enforced on race tracks. A natural rider, there has never been a time that Ensor has been accused of anything approaching fraud in his. riding of horses and he has not been guilty of roughing or fouling in anything like the offending of some other riders, but he will not reform from his besetting sin. Tom Shannon is about as patient a man as : can be found on the turf, or in any walk i of life, but he had to give up the management of Ensor when he had tried, as he never had tried before, to keep him in the straight and narrow path. Other trainers had no bet- 1 ter success and, when Ensor was taken over . by Tom Healey, he was again under a master ! who is also famed for his patience. Tom Healey knew just what a skilled rider Ensor is and he felt sure that he could keep him in line. He did for a time, but it was not for long. Even then, when Ensor began to fall from grace, Healey had many an excuse for him and kept him on when many another trainer of less patience would have cancelled his contract. Each time Ensor has been punished he has come back with promises to be good and his ability as a rider has always induced a trainer to stand sponsor for him and for his behavior. Then on each occasion as soon as he begins to succeed in the saddle, and for him to ride meant succes, he would go back to his old ways. He has been convicted of disobedience and of drunkeness on various occasions by the governing bodies of the turf and has also been in frequent trouble, even off the turf. One j I would think that his frequent punishments . would eventually bring reform, but it does not j ssem so in the light of his recent outbreak at j New Orleans and now the wisdom of all the pains that have been taken with him is questionable. Many a young rider has aspired to attain the skill of "Buddy" Ensor in the saddle and his example has had a demoralizing effect on the youngsters. It is natural that a rider of the Ensor ability should have imitators who thus offer tho sincercst form of flattery. But they have not stopped at trying to imitate his skill in the saddle. His escapades were also imitated by some of the little fellows and his insubordination itself, in some of the in- s. f, c e 0 of o t r : t j r is i c x c i 1 j i : i 1 . ! j I . j j stances, was imitated. His skill, when taking care of himself, is beyond question and his riding over the New York tracks in 1920 was of the most brilliant description. But no athlete, jockey or otherwise, can wrestle with John Barleycorn without being thrown disastrously. So Ensor is paying the price, as other shining examples have paid before him. No little exercise boy has any desire to emulate the bad rider, but it is human nature for the little fellows to make a hero of the good rider and try to be as like him as is possible. What was an inexcusable breach of track discipline by another rider, became rather amusing to his imitators when it was one of "Buddys" escapades. Contempt for authority in another did not mean what it did when Ensor was the one to show the contempt. Hence he was a pernicious influence. The Jefferson Park stewards have from time to time shown conclusively that the jockeys must ride straight and behave themselves during that meeting. The ruling against Ensor is not the only evidence that a close watch will be maintained. It was during the closing days of racing in Maryland that some of the best riders misbehaved, .principally off the race track. It has not been forgotten in New Orleans, where many offi-jcials came from Maryland. These riders will have scant chance at either Jefferson Park or the Fair Grounds unless they attend strictly to business. This is just another spot where the racing stewards do well to have their jurisdiction extended beyond the confines of the race track. Now from France there comes news of the framing of a bill to make the "doping" of a race horse a criminal offense. Baron Maurice de Rothschild, the sporting deputy, who has long been a power in French racing, is sponsor for the bill and, while it has not been presented, there is no doubt of its being . in preparation. This would seem to be an excellent law and, in the light of the Deau-ville scandals, it will probably be passed. In France, where the government takes such a lively interest in the turf, there is a better chance than in any other country to enact a law for the government of the turf. But it would seem that in any country the "doping" of a horse could be made actionable under existing laws under which the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals operates. In some of our states there are statutes providing punishment for this offense, but not in all states. There is always much loose talk about the use of "dope" in this country that is without foundation, but there are cases occasionally and it is usual that punishment is swift in following discovery. Should "doping" be made a criminal offense in France, it should do much to have a deterrent effect.
