LETTER THAT CAUSED SMILES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1183, 19 July 1911, Page 6

LETTER THAT CAUSED SMILES.

AT RACING CONFERENCE. A wail from the backblocks was hoard at yesterday's conferenco of racing clubs, a practically unknown sporting clubiu the North Auckland district writing a letter asking that the rules of the conference be altered so that those who spoiled sport in the district could be adequately dealt with. "The jockey business is ridiculous," said (Mo writer of the letter, and he proceeded to quote a case to illustrate his point—one case out of many offering. "At their local meeting there was a hurdlo race in which tho prize was .£7 for the first horse. A settler brought his horse 50 miles to compete iu tho race. Generally the horse was used as a ploughhorse or pack-horse, but it could jump as well, and the owner's son—a fiiio horseman—was dressed ready to rido tho equine wonder in the race, when a licensed jockey came into the weighingToom and demanded the rido. Under the rules, said tho writer, there was nothing for it but to make an undoubtedly better horseman. stand down. To the disgust of the owner, the professional had the mount and the hor-se won, but tho jockey got ,£l out of the stake and tho owner ■£3." (Laughter.) The complainant urged that a rule to meet such eases was needed. After all, it. was only a day's sport oncc in a year with them. They did no harm to anyone outside, but it was (he outsiders who got in.

The conference smiled broadly at the letter, and decided to inform country clubs that where, in tho opinion of the stewards of (lie club, there wero not sufficient licensed jockeys present for (lie purpose of the meeting thpy might, with the consent of the Metropolitan Club, issue emergency riders' certificates to be effective throughout tho meeting, even if a licensed jockey were available. .