The Sporting Dictionary and Rural Repository, Volume 2 (of 2): Of General Information upon Every Subject Appertaining to the Sports of the FieldTaplin, William
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The Sporting Dictionary and Rural Repository, Volume 2 (of 2): Of General Information upon Every Subject Appertaining to the Sports of the Field
Taplin, William
Hunting -- Dictionaries; Sports -- Dictionaries
JOCKEYSHIP—is a term sometimes used in a metaphorical sense, alluding to
the dealings of individuals, where one, by a superior degree of
knowledge, cunning, artifice, or chicanery, obtains in _a bargain_
considerable advantage over the other. Its principal signification,
however, in its literal meaning, and frequent use, applies more
particularly to the peculiar excellence, or personal ability, of
JOCKIES, (alias riders,) whose sole avocation it is to train and ride
horses for the different PLATES and PRIZES at NEWMARKET, and various
other parts of the kingdom. This has always been held a systematic
employment of GREAT TRUST, (but _very little_ responsibility,) requiring
considerable bodily strength, much personal fortitude, and cool
intrepidity, constitutional taciturnity, and a kind of habitual
insensibility in respect to passion, which should be studiously reduced
to a degree of professional apathy, never to be roused into action by
the occasional irritations of a designing opponent. The great and
leading qualifications which constitute the predominant traits of
distinguished JOCKEYSHIP, are to acquire a complete knowledge of the
prevalent points, _speed_, _temper_, _mouth_, and _perfections_ or
_defects_, of the horse before starting; to ascertain, as well as it can
be accomplished, a tolerable idea, whether it will be most in his favor
to insure the WHIP-HAND, or decline it; to take the lead, or leave it,
and wait upon his adversary; whether _to make play_, depending upon
BLOOD and BOTTOM, or to lay by, and rely upon _speed_: all these, and a
variety of other contingencies dependent upon judgment, as well as a
still longer list, which must ever be equally dependent upon the sole
effect of CHANCE, (beyond the utmost extent of human efforts to
counteract,) seem combined to render jockeyship a very arduous task, and
equally precarious means of acquiring universal approbation and
celebrity. For as it may be considered an impracticability to become
always a WINNER, so, from the occasional discontent and disappointments
of dissatisfied employers, a RIDER must frequently have reason to
exclaim, (though silently,) "Vain his attempt who strives to please ye
all."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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