over their mounts’ withers. They pulled up their knees and leaned close to their horses’ necks, holding mane as well as rein. In doing all these things their weight was forward, where it should be for extreme speed, and in addition they cut down wind resistance to a minimum; their bodies didn’t act as a brake.”
Jay paused to glance at Flame, who was walking slowly around the band.
It gave Steve a chance to say, “But certainly that’s the way jockeys ride even with saddles.”
Jay turned quickly to the boy. “Oh, no, Steve. You’re mistaken. I’ve watched them. They ride with very long stirrups and sit straight up in the saddle with their weight in the
middle
of a horse’s back. Really I can’t understand why they do it! They just don’t seem to use their heads at all. It makes me a little angry, especially when I think of what happened in England not long after my visit to that country fair.”
Steve said nothing. He knew that the crouched forward seat of riding had been first introduced to horse racing well over a half-century ago!
Jay continued, “I was spending only a few days in England, but naturally I visited the track every morning. And, Steve, listen to this. One morning I saw the trainer I’d spoken to at the country fair, and working for his stable was one of the boys who had ridden bareback! I realized immediately that this man had finally come to his senses. I told him as much and he agreed fully. His boy was using a saddle then, of course, but hisseat was exactly the same as it had been while riding bareback at the fairs.
“Now what disappointed me so greatly was this,” Jay went on sadly. “Even though the boy was winning more than his share of races over the long-stirrup, middle-of-the-back type rider that’s currently so popular, his crouch style was being ridiculed in England. His trainer confided to me that he felt the reason for the public’s non-acceptance of the boy and his excellent style of riding was because he wasn’t
‘fashionable’
!”
Jay paused, waiting for Steve to say something. But Steve was too bewildered to move his lips, much less able to get any words out. Anyone who had read the history of horse racing knew that the great American jockey Tod Sloan had successfully introduced the popular crouch style of riding in England as long ago as
1897
!
“Aren’t you surprised, Steve?” Jay asked. “Doesn’t it make you furious too?”
Steve finally got his words to come. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘fashionable,’ ” he said.
“I believe the trainer meant that it was because of the color of the boy’s skin. He was black. His name was Billy Sims. Yes, I believe that’s what he was called. So many things happened during that hurried trip, and all were so very
new
to me. Although as I said it was only a short while ago, it’s difficult for me to remember some of the terms and language usage.”
Steve could not take his eyes off the man who sat on the grass in front of him. And when he spoke, he did not recognize his own voice. “Y-you s-said all this happened a short while ago. Do you remember the year?”
“
Your
year? No, I’m afraid not, Steve. I’m not very good at that kind of thing. But wait. Let’s see now.” The blue-black head suddenly turned, the clear eyes alive and dancing. “Why of course! I went to the Doncaster Sales and saw that beautiful gray colt sold. I’ve carried his picture in my wallet ever since. I clipped it from a magazine. It may give the date.”
A long wallet was drawn from the inner pocket of the striking blue suit, and then Jay read the clipping silently. Finally he said happily, “Eighteen ninety-five, Steve.”
A short while ago to Jay. But to anyone else, well over a half-century!
When Jay saw the expression on Steve’s face a somber curtain fell over his bright eyes and he spoke with concern. “Something I’ve said has startled you, Steve. Tell me what it is. I don’t want you to be frightened
Jay paused to glance at Flame, who was walking slowly around the band.
It gave Steve a chance to say, “But certainly that’s the way jockeys ride even with saddles.”
Jay turned quickly to the boy. “Oh, no, Steve. You’re mistaken. I’ve watched them. They ride with very long stirrups and sit straight up in the saddle with their weight in the
middle
of a horse’s back. Really I can’t understand why they do it! They just don’t seem to use their heads at all. It makes me a little angry, especially when I think of what happened in England not long after my visit to that country fair.”
Steve said nothing. He knew that the crouched forward seat of riding had been first introduced to horse racing well over a half-century ago!
Jay continued, “I was spending only a few days in England, but naturally I visited the track every morning. And, Steve, listen to this. One morning I saw the trainer I’d spoken to at the country fair, and working for his stable was one of the boys who had ridden bareback! I realized immediately that this man had finally come to his senses. I told him as much and he agreed fully. His boy was using a saddle then, of course, but hisseat was exactly the same as it had been while riding bareback at the fairs.
“Now what disappointed me so greatly was this,” Jay went on sadly. “Even though the boy was winning more than his share of races over the long-stirrup, middle-of-the-back type rider that’s currently so popular, his crouch style was being ridiculed in England. His trainer confided to me that he felt the reason for the public’s non-acceptance of the boy and his excellent style of riding was because he wasn’t
‘fashionable’
!”
Jay paused, waiting for Steve to say something. But Steve was too bewildered to move his lips, much less able to get any words out. Anyone who had read the history of horse racing knew that the great American jockey Tod Sloan had successfully introduced the popular crouch style of riding in England as long ago as
1897
!
“Aren’t you surprised, Steve?” Jay asked. “Doesn’t it make you furious too?”
Steve finally got his words to come. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘fashionable,’ ” he said.
“I believe the trainer meant that it was because of the color of the boy’s skin. He was black. His name was Billy Sims. Yes, I believe that’s what he was called. So many things happened during that hurried trip, and all were so very
new
to me. Although as I said it was only a short while ago, it’s difficult for me to remember some of the terms and language usage.”
Steve could not take his eyes off the man who sat on the grass in front of him. And when he spoke, he did not recognize his own voice. “Y-you s-said all this happened a short while ago. Do you remember the year?”
“
Your
year? No, I’m afraid not, Steve. I’m not very good at that kind of thing. But wait. Let’s see now.” The blue-black head suddenly turned, the clear eyes alive and dancing. “Why of course! I went to the Doncaster Sales and saw that beautiful gray colt sold. I’ve carried his picture in my wallet ever since. I clipped it from a magazine. It may give the date.”
A long wallet was drawn from the inner pocket of the striking blue suit, and then Jay read the clipping silently. Finally he said happily, “Eighteen ninety-five, Steve.”
A short while ago to Jay. But to anyone else, well over a half-century!
When Jay saw the expression on Steve’s face a somber curtain fell over his bright eyes and he spoke with concern. “Something I’ve said has startled you, Steve. Tell me what it is. I don’t want you to be frightened
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