Falls Inevitable On Circular Tracks

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 756, 31 August 1929, Page 6

Falls Inevitable On Circular Tracks

TRAINING APPRENTICES I - - ! SHORT STIRRUPS NOT TO BLAME Suggesting that short, stirrups were j not the cause of spills on racecourses, ! Mr. Colin Stephen,-chairman, stated at tlie annual meeting of the Australian Jockey Club last week that falls were inevitable on circular courses, no matter how skilled the jockeys. Mr. Stephen said that following the remarks of the chairman of the V.R.C., the A.J.C. was willing to meet in conference the principal clubs to discuss methods that might result in improved riding. The chairman of the V.R.C., said Mr. Stephen, had suggested that short stirrups had something to do with present - day race accidents, but over and over again the A.J.C. committee had considered that aspect of the sport. Instructions to Apprentices He had frequently told apprentices that they should not try to emulate certain jockeys who rode a little bit short, and that they should obey the instructions of their masters. But after having watched racing for 40 years, he was satisfied that no methods could be devised that would prevent falls. Horses travelled at the rate of about 17 yards a second, and at such speed jockeys had scarcely any time to make up their minds , what to do when an emergency arose. When a horse racing on the rails suddenly dropped back, horses galloping behind it were generally affected. Consequently, people were often inclined to wrongly describe such incidents as foul riding. Such happenings, however, were inevitable. Furthermore, some horses could not be prevented from running out wide at the turns, and when, in d'oing. this, they bumped another horse, „it did not necessarily mean that the riding was indifferent. He was not at all sure that short stirrups could be blamed for these happenings. Great care was taken in the granting of licences to apprentices, and the system of training the boys was about as perfect as it could be.