Sam Thomas

[dave dent]

And for those with very short memories these are from earlier this year when the exploits of Sam Thomas and certain horse stirred our blood. Well; those of us who still have blood in our veins anyway; any Celts in the house....

 

[redhead]

any Celts in the house....

Present ... and not very correct!

 

[Guest_]

Nobody forces anyone to do anything; nobody forces you to have a bet and then whine about bad jockeys losing you money.
This sits very uncomfortably it me as i have spent most of the last twenty years being friends with dedicated but struggling jumps jockeys and know it's hard; ITS THINGS LIKE THEY CAN'T GET MORTGAGES EVEN IF THEY ARE THE TOP OF THE PROFESSION sometimes. Then my friend RICHARD DAVIES WAS KLLED AT SOUTHWELL; andno another friend peter gehm is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life from an accident on the gallops. Okay its a risk they all take; but a bit of respect for that courage wouldnt go amiss here.
you also forget the vast majoity of jump jockeys come though the hunting and point to point field and are not paid. ITS A DAMN HARD LIFE BUT MOST DO IT FOR THE LOVE OF THE HORSES AND THE SPORT AND WE SHOULD RECOGNISE THAT AND AS PUNTERS AND FANS OF THE SPORT NOT BEGRUDGE THEM WHEN FINALLY THEY CAN MAKE A RESPECTABLE WAGE...WHICH REMEMBER IS ONLY LIKELY TO BE FOR TEN YEARS OR SO; AND IF INJUIES ARE INVOLVED OFTEN THEY HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN...Christian williams for example.

THESE MEN AND WOMEN ARE THE LAST GLADIATORS AND IN A TIME OF HEALTH AND SAFETY PC BULL ITS WORTH REMEMBERING THAT. MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU ARE AT A JUMPS MEETNG GO AND STAND BY A FENCE AND FORGET THE PUNTNG FOR FIVE MINUTES AND BEHOLD WHAT THEY DO.

IN THE MEANTIME HERE IS A REMINDER.

and also apt to recall the words of W B Yeats; which sturred me since childhood to follow
AT GALWAY RACES

by: W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)

HERE where the course is,
Delight makes all of the one mind,
The riders upon the galloping horses,
The crowd that closes in behind:
We, too, had good attendance once,
Hearers and hearteners of the work;
Aye, horsemen for companions,
Before the merchant and the clerk
Breathed on the world with timid breath.
Sing on: somewhere at some new moon,
We'll learn that sleeping is not death,
Hearing the whole earth change its tune,
Its flesh being wild, and it again
Crying aloud as the racecourse is,
And we find hearteners among men
That ride upon horses.


well frankly it sickens me that racing is now being run by a bunch of gutless public shoolboys who havent the courage to stand by the jockeys and allow them to be grilled by a socialist police state for the benefit of mug punters with conspiracy theories and even offer some on the altar. Bring back Brad I say....

Without being rude, I too work in the industry and mix in the circles of those that take part in the sport....but even if I didnt I have as much right to comment on the goings on as anyone else. The fact I critise them on occasions does not mean I don't respect them.

I do not believe a jockey at the top of his profession would not get a mortgage or is struggling financially in any sense unless of course he has been wreckless or stupid with his success.

They do it because they love it, know nothing better to do with their lives and they know if they make a right go of it the financial benefits are there. They do not do it for the punters or for the sport itself....but again that is not a critism. But the idea that we should not say a bad word (when deserved) about a jockey is painful to listen to and has been going on far too long.

Your last paragraph sums up so much I dislike in this sport.

And for the record I have not backed or lost money on any of Sam Thomas's mounts this season!

 

[dave dent]

Dave - the Duke of Alburquerque (sp?) rode in the National with a broken wrist and has done it with a dodgy shoulder (broken or dislocated). Brave or stupid? These jockeys will fall into the same category as the Iron Duke.

Before the merchant and the clerk breathed on the world with timid breath....

There is also a story of another old national hero; count karel kinski from the czech republic.
http://bet-grand-national.com/karel-kinsky.html

when he won the grand national, he was distraught, and couldnt be consoled.
he looked up astride his horse and gestured his arms to the heavens, and asked God to take him for now he had nothing else to live for.

no more heroes like them.

maybe what richard dunwoody is doing now; forbidden to continue riding, with polar exploration and climbing the largest mountain in south america will give you some insight into the mind set of those without fear; and pale our mediocre little lives into insignificance.

 

[Guest_]

maybe what richard dunwoody is doing now; forbidden to continue riding, with polar exploration and climbing the largest mountain in south america will give you some insight into the mind set of those without fear; and pale our mediocre little lives into insignificance.

You mean coming across as a broken man having to give up the sport earlier than he wanted and now truely living on the edge and living off the buzz of presenting on BBC.....

 

[dave dent]

Without being rude, I too work in the industry and mix in the circles of those that take part in the sport....but even if I didnt I have as much right to comment on the goings on as anyone else. The fact I critise them on occasions does not mean I don't respect them.

I do not believe a jockey at the top of his profession would not get a mortgage or is struggling financially in any sense unless of course he has been wreckless or stupid with his success.

They do it because they love it, know nothing better to do with their lives and they know if they make a right go of it the financial benefits are there. They do not do it for the punters or for the sport itself....but again that is not a critism. But the idea that we should not say a bad word (when deserved) about a jockey is painful to listen to and has been going on far too long.

Your last paragraph sums up so much I dislike in this sport.

And for the record I have not backed or lost money on any of Sam Thomas's mounts this season!

I am not sayng Its impossible for them to get a mortagages but they need to things like get 80 per cent mortgages put down large depsits and sElf certify and pay higher interest rates cos they are higher risk. Artists the same....worse luck....in fact most self employed people.

 

[dave dent]

You mean coming across as a broken man having to give up the sport earlier than he wanted and now truely living on the edge and living off the buzz of presenting on BBC.....

are you kidding....I spoke him last christmas day at antarctica.
HE RAISED 80 000 FOR CHARITY.
jaMES fOX DIDNT MAKE IT.

In january he climbs mount Acancagua with alaskan guides.

HE REMAINS A HERO

 

[dave dent]

Ironic that came here because it as pointed out to me someone sayng that I was jaded...... few in here i'd say.
i am going to take you by the ear and take you to the last at cheltenham so you can feel the breath of exertion of horse and jockey hear the birch fly and get your face splatterred with mud to remind you what this sport is about; and there are plenty in the game who forget that too; just as teachers are sometimes the most jaded people when we trust them to instill our kids with lust for life and knowledge.

 

[Colin Phillips]

Do you think that none of us has been at the last fence in a race, David?

 

[simmo]

so you can feel the breath of exertion of horse and jockey hear the birch fly and get your face splattered with mud

Whilst I don't necessarily agree with some of Mr Dent's sentiments on this thread, I am rather fond of wordsmithery (intended or otherwise), and this phrase got my juices flowing.

Must see if I can persuade the missus to have her face splattered with mud.....

 

[uncle goober]

My ears are HURTING.
Dave, please STOP SHOUTING!

 

[Irish Stamp]

To get back on topic - Sam rides four RP tissue favs at Chepstow tommorow, low profile meeting and strongly fancied horses are probably what he needs at the moment.

 

[Grey]

Dave Dent has a point. Jump jockeys are amazingly brave and they deserve every bit of appreciation that they get. The majority do it for very little reward and even the top ones risk getting hammered into the ground every day of the week and are guaranteed to experience serious injury.

But as in every walk of life some are better than others, and most have their ups and downs.

 

[Shadow Leader]

He does have a point, Grey, yes - however it is rather patronisingly put and assuming that the rest of us do nothing but sit behind desks and watch the racing from the comfort of our sofas. The reality is somewhat different from that.

I'd also raise an eyebrow at "THESE MEN AND WOMEN ARE THE LAST GLADIATORS" and also add another request to stop all the shouting!

 

[Joking Aside]

He does have a point, Grey, yes - however it is rather patronisingly put and assuming that the rest of us do nothing but sit behind desks and watch the racing from the comfort of our sofas. The reality is somewhat different from that.

Perhaps not all of us are fortunate enough to work in racing. However, surely we all share the same love of racing or we wouldn't be on this forum! We all have opinions to air that's what makes it interesting, it would be boring if we all agreed with one another

 

[Gamla Stan]

i am going to take you by the ear and take you to the last at cheltenham so you can feel the breath of exertion of horse and jockey hear the birch fly and get your face splatterred with mud to remind you what this sport is about.

Have you never stood at the furlong pole at Wolverhampton on a Saturday night? Poetry in motion.

 

[Irish Stamp]

There are also more people in the industry than just jockeys who have dangerous jobs - think stablelads and betting shop workers for two groups.

 

[uncle goober]

Pfuh, thats nothing. Spare a thought for artists.
A slip of the palette and thats a dislocated thumb, but one shudders to think of the horrific injuries to an ego being trapped in a collapsing easel. :blink:

 

[Warbler]

There are also more people in the industry than just jockeys who have dangerous jobs - think stablelads and betting shop workers for two groups.

Too right which is why I've always had a degree of difficulty reconciling this type of quote that has again appeared on this kind of thread;

"Perhaps not all of us are fortunate enough to work in racing".

Fortunate?

Not for me, typically low pay in a lot of areas save the top tiers, unsocial hours, an inherent danger, little by way of job security, notoriously a bunch of unpleasent employers etc

 

[Shadow Leader]

I'd be inclined to say that the real 'gladiators', if you like, are the stable staff who get up before dawn to muck out, break the ice on the water buckets, then ride out fresh animals in icy and treacherous conditions. Not to mention those that also break the youngsters (many a jockey would refuse to do so - it is widely considered dangeous and I know many a decent lad, talented riders too, who refuse to get involved in breaking them in) and are the first to show them poles, teach them how to jump, school them over jumps/hurdles/fences for the first time. Job's done by the time the jockeys get a leg up on them, be that at home or on the track.

 

[Guest_]

I'd be inclined to say that the real 'gladiators', if you like, are the stable staff who get up before dawn to muck out, break the ice on the water buckets, then ride out fresh animals in icy and treacherous conditions. Not to mention those that also break the youngsters (many a jockey would refuse to do so - it is widely considered dangeous and I know many a decent lad, talented riders too, who refuse to get involved in breaking them in) and are the first to show them poles, teach them how to jump, school them over jumps/hurdles/fences for the first time. Job's done by the time the jockeys get a leg up on them, be that at home or on the track.

And I suspect they are the ones that are likely to struggle to get a mortgage...not the likes of Sam Thomas!!!!

 

[Joking Aside]

Re fortunate enough to work in racing - Actually Warbler - I was having a go at Shadow Leader's post 'however it is rather patronisingly put and assuming that the rest of us do nothing but sit behind desks and watch the racing from the comfort of our sofas'

I happen to think that was quite patronising too! Are you really trying to encourage new members (who incidentlally, will have differing opinions from time to time), to this forum ?!?!?!

 

[Shadow Leader]

Why on earth would you need to have a go at me over that??

David Dent was patronising in the extreme by making a post assuming that none of us either know the first thing about racing nor about what it is 'really' like on the course (not to mention knowing anything about how dangerous it is for these poor jocks who are forced to ride over obstacles day in and day out when they don't want to, struggling to make ends met and pay a mortgage) - I was simply putting him straight. What is patronising about that??

I'd also tend to agree with Warbler, if you think people are 'fortunate' to work in racing - then try it. There's nothing fortunate about it, if you want to do it then do it - after all the jobs are out there.

How on earth you think that I am putting off encouraging new members by defending most of us on here is beyond me.

 

[Joking Aside]

Perhaps the grass is always greener on the other side....I do appreciate that working in racing is maybe not all it's cracked up to be.....but at the same time nor is working in an office! Nothing that a win on the lottery or the ten to follow (no chance this year!) wouldn't put right

and as for the jockeys, I have the utmost respect for anyone who wants to get a leg up and ride at racing pace over fences or hurdles.

 

[Guest_]

Good luck to him and I hope it works out well. Far from the greatest jockey in the world but looking back at it all now Nicholls treatment to him was pretty shoddy...rather than standing up for him he went to the press instead saying he was going to consult with Alex Ferguson (had to read that twice) and then the humming and hawwing over what rides the guy would have. Deserved better...

By Rodney Masters5.58PM 29 MAY 2009
SAM THOMAS has been appointed stable jockey to Gloucestershire trainer Tom George.

Breaking the news to racingpost.com at Towcester on Friday night, George said:"As of now, Sam is my number one jockey. We had a talk about it today, and agreed it would be a first class arrangement for everyone."
Thomas, who won the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Denman, has been riding as number two to Ruby Walsh for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.
George, who has 60 horses including Racing Post Chase winner Nacarat, added: "We've raised the profile of our team and it was only right that we have a top class jockey to ride them. And Sam is top class."
Thomas, who declined to commenton how the arrangement will tie in with his link with Denman, said last night: "I'm thrilled to be appointed stable jockey to Tom George.
"He has an exciting team, including a lot of Saturday horses. I'll still plan to ride out when required for Venetia Williams and Paul Nicholls."