CROUCH SEAT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 796, 17 October 1929, Page 12

CROUCH SEAT

MAKES FOR CARELESS RIDING? OLD RIDERS’ OPINIONS The controversy as to the advantages and disadvantages of the crouch seat continues to rage furiously in Victoria. In an interesting article recently the Melbourne writer “Khedive’' dips into histroy in an effort to discover* the first exponent of the Tod Sloan riding method. He writes: Authorities differ as to who was the first Australian jockey to adopt the crouch seat. Jack An win believes that the honour —or blame, according to the point of view—rests with Ernie Hodgkins, a South Australian horseman. An win told me that, 35 years ago, Hodgkins won at Epsom on The Arab, and that sporting writers of the period compared him with "a monkey on a stick.” Jack has a retentive memory. The records show that on Tuesday, February 20, 1894, Hodgkins piloted The Arab to victory at Epsom. That was before “Tod” Sloan left America for the United Kingdom, and snatched race after race from English rivals by balancing himself on the withers of horses and setting a pace which other jockeys were too slow to follow. Riders Today Inefficient None will deny that the late Ernie Hodgkins was an accomplished rider. I saw Hodgkins land the Broken Hill Handicap for Ted Gorry in September, 1592, on Jew Boy; but have no recollection of him using particularly short leathers. His widow married Charles Wheeler, who won two Melbourne Cups with The Parisian and Patrobas, respectively, and now is living in retirement in Adelaide. Jack Anwin’s wins in the saddle included the Melbourne Cup of 1889 on Bravo. One would expect him to support the veteran trainer, W. S. Hickeribotham, in condemnation of short stirrup leathers; but Anwin maintains that fatal accidents were more frequent before the introduction of “Sloaning.” “I always used stirrup leathers of medium length,” says Jack. He attributes the inefficiency of the younger generation of horsemen to being put up in races before they have ridden a sufficient number of track gallops. What Gorry Thinks Forty years ago there was no finer flat-race jockey in Australia than Ted Gorry, whose brother Frank carries on business as a paddock bookmaker, with Ted as chief assistant. In 1887 Ted Gorry captured the Caulfield Cup on Oakleigh, Victoria Derby on The Australian Peer, and Oaks on Dainty. Those were only a few of his great victories. Yet observe the modesty with which this master horseman commences a letter: “Regarding the Sloan stylo versus sit up, having ridden myself, 1 feel qualified to criticise.” Gorry contends that no “Sloaner” ever born could have won the Melbourne Cup of 1915 on Patrobas, and that Bob Lewis, alone among jockeys of the period, was capable of punching tho son of Wallace out from the turn to the winning post. Long Leathers Favoured “Long Leathers,” says Gorry, “are preferable in every way. Lewis always has been able to get one or two lengths more out of a horse than any ‘Sloaner’ in a long race. People have wondered why Bob never adopted the Sloan seat. Leave Bob alone for that! He knew that he had deadwood on the ‘Sloaners.* “Put Lewis on any horse that has been regularly ridden by a ‘Sloaner,’ and the prad will jump almost out of its skin when Bob gets to work. After being ridden a few times by a ‘Sloaner,’ a horse gets cunning and loafs; but Bob knocks all the loafing out of them. “Picture a half-experienced boy trying to kick out a lazy horse when his heels extend only half-way down the flap! Lewis knew that his methods were best, and that he had at least two lengths advantage over the ‘Sloaner’ between the half distance and the winning post.” Gorry maintains that recent accidents in races have not been due to the state of the tracks, which are like bowling greens in comparison with what he rode over. “I have ridden on courses,” he saj*s, “where the dust would blind you. There were holes everywhere, and grass a foot high. Horses and cows roamed at large. I weighed out once at a country meeting for a horse named Crusoe, belonging to the father of E. A. Connolly. Leading the field after going half a mile, I observed a flock of turkeys on the track. “There was no option but to dash through the birds. Turkeys went down in all directions, but I kept a good hold of my horse, ready to help if he stumbled. In similar circumstances a young ‘Sloaner,’ head down on the horse’s neck and unable to render any assistance, would have fallen.” Advice to the Young Whereas any sort of gear was good enough in the old days, according to Gorry, the best of gear is supplied now Tracks are perfect, and the average size of fields about what it used to be; yet twice as many accidents occur. "The trouble must lie,” he says, “in the inexperience of boys with short leathers. Teach the lads to give a

horse room to look where it is going, and not to snap up a horse’s head too quickly, throwing it out of stride and back on to the next one. Make the boys lower their leathers and sit up straighter, so that the leaders can be watched and danger avoided if it threatens. A horse whose mouth has been jagged is liable to cross its legs. “Don’t try and teach a boy on the day of the race. The art of riding, like that of billiards, cannot be acquired after the game starts.” Strict Tuition Necessary Gorry deprecates rushing an apprentice along in the profession because he looks like becoming too heavy. tt The \ .R.C. committee,” lie remarks, ‘can cancel indentures, and enable boys to turn their attention to some trade. There ought to be strict tuition, ensuring thorough knowledge Liefore the issue of a riding permit. Under such a system we would, in two or three years, develop a fine type of jockey. Now only a select few can really ride.” Concerning the foundations of a riding school, Gorry says: “It would do n .° * iarm » but I favour a capable man riding work alongside the youngsters and illustrating the fine points of the game. The most advantage would be derived from this plan. In my day the trainers were mainly jockeys as well, and taught their boys bv keeping in close contact with them.” Heroes of the Past _ . Mitchelson, old-time jockey t . rame L joins in condemning the wS Ch Seat ’ b i ll states that in his bovrn? „= GV ? ry r ; rsl " cklfis horseman did not use long leathers. For instance, Frank Wakefield, who came out from England about 1859 r , od ® OVer hurdles and fences with short stirrups. Wakefield was first 01d ke rm? Count de Lagrange in the ~C I - Denny” Brazil, who learnt tne art of cross-country riding also took his leathers up. Among the flat-race jockeys, Joe Morri* on , ar \ d Sam Davis were noted for the shortness of their stirrups. Morrison, however, fell into the categorv of ■‘straight backs.”