1959-09-05 — Page 15

The China

Mail

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1959,#

Presents A New Sports Series

SPORT MADE THEIR FORTUNE The "Peerless Pumper" Cross-Country Golf Record

Stole A

Once Carrot For

For Food

By JOHN MELVIN

John Eric Longdan once stole ́a carrot as his food supply for

three days.

Today, jockey Longdon at 4 ft. 11 ins, is the smallost millionairo

in the world.

He owns a 500-acre Nevada cattle ranch, a breeding farm in California, motels, a golf course and restaurant; has extensive investments in newspapers, Canadian ranches, oil and natural gas. His home is a $75,000 ranch house with swimming pool in Arcadia, California.

.T

But Longden had to serve his apprenticeship to fortune as a hobo, cigar- salésman, printer's devil, cowboy, fairground Roman-rider and a 12 cents-an-hour coalminer.

He made his first million out of 13 Red of sport.

Longlen has ridden in more than 30,000 races, Anished fimt well over

5.300 mera re cord likely

to stand forever. Over the last two decades

ង

bas averaged more than a mil- lion dollars a year in winninga,

of which he collected the

per cent jockey fee.

Once, the fabulous

Longdra won

ten

Johnny half-a-millor dollars in une 35-day meeting Santa Anita. is cut at worked out at 31,000 a day.

Indians, Wherever worked with ssible.Longden hurses, and during this time he studied the art of riding.

First Winner

Once, ut Whittler Fark, Winnipeg, he was thrown three times in a day, He got up to win the remaining four races on the card,

were

In 1956, at Hollywood Park, the mercurial Lengden thrown by Tribal Chief. landed with one foot on top.

WILT lle

But jobs as I jockey hard to find and even harder 10 keep. In 1027 Longden rede his first winner. The "follow- ing year his boss swapped the future world champlon for a second-rate horse.

into

Longden's contract fell the hunts of two booking who planned to fix his races. So he jumped a freight train to Van- found couver and

work as a Roman-rider in the fairgrounds.

It wasn't easy for short-

Nu Sportsman has turn

sish taster his er! 01 business. Langden hus bad to employ a manager, valet, agent. dletleinn. jerilary, private- plane pilot and part-time body-legged Longden to stand astride guaril. And now he bestrides a two galloping horses. But he Won a number of races and Bnancial empire founded on the

twice broke a leg-ki the pro- milliona he has made from horse-racing,

Backbone Fractured Longden has earned every eent of it. His trail 104-pound body bears the scurs of a hun- dred stitches: his backbone has been fractured; he has broken! both legs, but! arius, bath collarbones, both feet and near. by all his ribs. It is a miracle tint he is still alive. --

5

He ul

For years doctors have won- dered how the balding, wrink- led Longden keem going, has the

organie Habbiness kate middle-age: ho needs glasses he has los most of his teeth. Aller near-fatal falls he has been told he would never

rkle apoin: Years ago doctors warned him that one bad mill would kill him,

CINS.

The year 1930 saw Longden penniless, on crutches, and with a wife and a newly-born son to support. His family had rely on friends for food and roof over their heada

10

|

of the rail, took a split-second Jump, and to the astonish- ment of 35,000 fans, sprang Ifo the andale. back into zained a placo.

Brains And Skill

Bul gula alone never made an immortal sportsman. Long- den has the brains and skill to

match. He knows every trick of the trade; he is one of the greatest exponents of the accy- deuces, one-stirrup-shorter - than-the-other style. He is amazingly alert at the starling post, has strong whipping hand and a genius for bringing out the best in his mount at the finish, using a pumping action' with legs, arms and hands. That is why he will always be known But

stubborn the

little as the "Peerless Pumper." Yorkshireman sill dreamed of

and deter- With such skill A life in

saddle. He the

ricl- Longden has drifled to Mexico, then back mination,

of den na

05 win- Canada, LA Bearch

many 20 day. He has mounts. In 1931 he won his nors in

Important stake. Лед

the dominated meetings to such an extent that bookles have refused Canadian Derby.

to take bets on him,

The future looked bright until he fell in a race and narrowly trissed being trampled to death as the held thundered past him. He suffered severe shock and his friends advised him to go back to the mines.

Instead,

before

Britain won another world record rooontly-for long-distance golf-when professional Charlie Mabey of Crowborough, Sussex, led a five-strong leam in playing a ball from the Aral too of his home course to the 18th hole at Eastbourne, 27 miles away.

Eastbourne's president, Major Cyril Tolley, had the honour of sinking the last putt (a three-yarder) at 0.45 pm, 10 hours after Macey had driven off at dawn, to match the record, previously held at 3034 mlips by America.

They played the hole across streams, over barbed wire, down high streets, over a level eresting. Their victory; howevet, wasn't perfcgl-they were down in 696, the Americans had only taken 789.

Photo shows 16-year-old John Bailey driving across a field during the marathon hole, Others, from left to right are: Charlie Macey (with a surveyor's measuring wheel), David Wilde (14 and scorer), Kevin Mcaney (15) Jock Donald and Fred Crittall.---London Expecas Photo.

HENRY LONGHURST`on

GOLF

UNLAP GRIPPER

I was interested to note the victory of Bob Rosburg, who has not been seen in Britain yet, in the championship of the American Professional Golfers Association.

Last year he won the Vardon Trophy with an average of 70.11 without winning a single tournament, which seems incredible-like averaging the same number at cricket with out ever scoring a century-and this year he was nosed out of first place by a single stroke in the US. Open.

да

In a style of writing much; come the biggest money winner. favoured on the other aide, Ros- in the United States.

Galf is complicated enough burg is described as the "puday

perhaps the it in and gripper from Palo Alto, untap

answer is that we could California," ond herein lies the

with advantage set about un- clue to the special, interest in his

lapping or unlocking victory..

selves.

on

The Popular Grip

اله

our-

putters. Any siccess schloved by these diabolles! weapons to due, in my opinion, not to their shape but simply to the fact that their users hold them with their hands well apart.”

Lawn Bowls

Bowls League Officially This Afternoon

Ends

By ROBERT TAY

With the exception of four postponed matches, the Colony lawn bowls league comes to its close with today's programme.

Already decided are the first and second division titles, which were won by Indian Recreation Club"A" and Hongkong Football Club, respec- tively, last Saturday.

Kowloon Dock, Club aro al- This afternoon they will bo ready sure of the first division guests of Kowloon Dock Club runner-up position, and Indian and after their disastrous 5-0 Beurentian "B" are lost now defeat to Hongkong Football with no choice but to go down Club last wook, they cannot to the second division next afford to miss the bout this time. A 4- win for them is likely your.

The remaining matches will but the dockmen can be quite a be fought out to decide the handful on their home green, third division champions and and the team runners-up which

relegated from the second to the third division.

la to bo

Close Finish

The race for the third division title is now reaching a close and exciting finish with three teams Aghting it out neck to neck.

Hongkong Football Club play off their last match this after ncon against Stanley Club on their home green.

The Football Chib twelve will

Becond-placed Ipqkin no- creation Club, who are only 214 points behind the leaders, with one match in hand....... against Hongkong

Electric Club-geem to have the best chance of taking maximum point this afternoon when they take on Hongkong Cricket Club at Bookunpoo.

A 5-0 win will place them in a very strong contending posi-

tion for the title when they tackle Hongkong Electric Club in their last match.

Full Points For IRC?

Today's second división games undoubtedly go all out to take full points from this match to will ride the team to be re- consolidate their position at the legated next year. This will be dem elther KCC or PRC "8", top of the league table, but

pending on the results of their fourth-placed Slankey Club are not a team to beat easily. A games today. At the moment, closely-fought out game is ex- PRC "B" are right ht the bottom pected with tho footballers with 20% poials, and seem un- Invoured for 4-1 win.

licely to get out of that place, Hongkong Electric Club, who as their opponents will be

third at

Craigongower. are standing

the second-placed moment, four points behind the KCC, who are only 2 points Football Club have three more ahead, will, however, also have matches to go and

mathe-strong opponents in USRC but matically stand the best chance may just be able to escape re-

legation. of winning the title.

ENGLISH HURDLER 'SENT

TO COVENTRY AFTER RAW DEAL PROTEST

By HARRY CARPENTER

London.

Hurdler Peter Hildreth, Britain's senior interna- tional athlete, and chairman of the pro- gressive International Athletes' Club, "has been "sent to Conventry" by officialdom.

the

Belfast Run

His quick-thinking in the

In the recent past I have been

The staff at the joint London | Clynes or myself in writing. saddle WUG

Illustrated well

making hurreptitious experiments when ho rode Arrogate to a

Grips for puiting-"reverse with this sensational develos-offices of the Amateur Athlell Youre very truly."

Hildreth's comment: "To what overlap," intertwining several ment" and have become com- Association and British Amateur

the official mind have been in- abyss can photo-finish victory in the Del Mar Handicap. A split second All good golf books includ.

fingers, pointing one finger down pletely convinced that in what Athiulle Board

answer phone sink?" was written the finish. Longden ing mine, which

the shaft, and all the rest-are might in all falmes be christen-structed not to confidence years

the 31-year-old too numerOUS

diverse to ed the Portmarnock method my calls from and lapped his colt under the chin with innocent

But Longden chose

describe. and the horse's head showed up ngo and contains, I add with a

here again out correspondent has "got some Guy's Hospital administrator, Yel Longden sluck to his

Britals in of babes and thing." rival's hallow mocking laugh, a chapter of the mouths gamble which

who ran for one inst

an inch in front of his forcing take superhurata schedule,

How To Cure A She sucklings, or rather in this case

last two Olympics. almselt into the saddle five or would make or break him as a

with a chapter on The from observation of an old lady My own performance has cer« Jockey. With the last of his Duni, Honey's Allbi. That old

trick Lave him his 4071st starts six times a day.

Two weeks ago bespecta bought a

Grip, and nearly all come down wearing clastic-sided boots, may tainly improved but what has horse First he wanted to become savings he

all-time staked victory - an

world

in favour of the overlapping have come and

cled Hildreth normally soft called Traurig

a blinding ray of really impressed me in the un- the first American Jockey to

He record.

variety known as the Vardon simple truth. This sensational doubled negative advantage of

spoken and mild mannered, ride 3.000 winners. That 575, on it to win at 15-1,

grip, though the great man did development of golfing science, this method in that it really does

was involved in a bitter row achloved, he wanted to beat trailed for half a mile in

not in fact invent it.

on the phone with British Sir Gordon Richards' work most crucial

Hoaril secretary Jack Crump. record of 1,870 winners. And then Traussig,

to exppose., SAY "I rang him after that he had to pass the pulled up in the mud to win by

alsappointment at being left 5,000-mark,

out of the British teen to jour ! is better. Russia and Finland, I felt I'd had

raw deal, explains

No

doctors could persuade him to ql.

the

race of his

fe

a good stayer,

enci.

one-friends

relatives,

Turning Point

After one fall he was

It was the turning point

for three weeks; after

another $1,500 from

the he

race; won

After that ho

In

Q:

paralysed from the waist down Longden's career. He collected

he was unconscious for a fort- week

night. But he kept on

travelling" as

much as

mites in two montha,

Later riding $10,000 stake.

'A Way Of Life'

"Riding is much more than

236 witiners,

ם

"

The Pumper" has had a number

for of suspensÏOUN over-vigorous riding. Bal oo one has ever been able

to accuse him of nat trying to win. Langden never judges a race to be Jont and it i finished.

The Greatest?

IL

States.

Seasons

down time spent

on

travelling.

as he describes it, was drawn to prevent the grosser forms of The

alternative is my attention URUMİ

by a member of idiocy, to which so many of us The interlocking.

are prone, on the putting green. favoured Lloyds. by others

Giens among

The Russ Conway

Barazen, with the little finger He recalled a piece I had of the right hand curving written some time ago about round and under the fore some children doing fantastic scores, unmatchable by practised Anger ofthe left.

A bad third is the simple adults, on our clock golf course, graphically

variety which This set him thinking that he Braightforward

the same thing at a younger Instinctively adopts had seen everyone

3

These includo what are

and

Hildreth. imaginatively by Bome of the described

professionals, notably Peter Alliss, as the Bus Con- way and the Semprint, after the television entertainer of those

"Lath weak I received a letter from Mr Crump." Crump wrote:

"Dear Hildreth;

Following

es a beginner, catching hold of fele near Fertmarnock. Impossible to judge the club in the ordinary way 45,000 moved steadily towards the top-whother Longden is the greatest with every finger of both hands. Hit On Solution

names. Mr Russ Conway, who our telephone conversation earning bracket.

jockey of all time, greater, hut This was used to meat effect Richards. by those great hitters, Abc

"After the local gollers and I is given to passing his right earlier this week, I have given By 1934 Johnny Longden hads, than Sir Gordon

hand rapidly over the left in instructions at the AAA and digerent in the Mitchell and Cyril Tolley. But myself," he said. "had spent playing the piano, represents the aut vlees that any inquiry hi the big time. In 1930 ho Conditions are

it has never been really fashion large suma of money beforo

Mr Semprint, a hook. rode 212 winners; in 1930 he United Millionaire Longden explains: was top American Jockey with longer and a race meeting can able, largely, I suspect, because achieving a round of 4 under quick

In 1943 he won lost more than 10 days, thus we, minor try, felt we maldit bo | 2's, an old lady wearing clastic-more smooth performer in till } from you is not to bo dealt with to be instructed to send in any a lving to me. It is a way of

the Iriple crown-the Kentucky cutting

thought incapable of mastering sided boots went round rst stands, I hope it is not libellous the telephone, but you ame under 2'9 and was to say, for the one which fades roquet for Information to the life. And you hate lo quil

either of the others.

MX office addressed to either When you're on top, especially Derby, the Preakness and the

Now I seem to sense a return considerably put out on the four away to the right.

15 It long hard Belmont Stakes on Court Fleet

not uncharitable to (the best horse I ever rode"). But Lengden is certainly the to popularity of this simple occasions when her Arst putt

revent that many eminent per- most successful. He has always "unlip" or, it is sonletines missed the hole." As early as 1048 Longden invested his money shrewdly called, baseball grip..

sonages in galf have been faced, what is commonly through "the and he lives todny in a fabulous was belog described as

Imown as "the twitch," with the alternative of playing the game croquet-fashion or giving it up altogether. To them, or rather that I bellovo--I to us, I say

when you've had a ride getting there."

And no sportsman had д thon tougher ride to the top Longden. Until the age of 22;

he never had as much as $100

tline. UJ

Often he starving and homeless.

at

at

Johnny Longden was

'Alverthorpe,

was

5

born

old man horseback." But home with his attractive, blonde

:

'Unlap' Exponents

In 1948 be became the first wife, Hazel. They have two Jockey in American racing | shikiren, and a son, Vance, by Dal Rees gets along very well history to rido 3,000 winners. Longder's previous marriage. In 1982 he became the second Jocker ever to ride 4,000 win- дег In 1957 he rode his 5,000th winner at Gania Anita, California.

time

After puzzling for several months he hilt upon the solution. Not only the children whom but also the I had mentioned old lady with the elastic-sided with. Henry Callon uses it boots picked the club up, as nowadays more often than not an untaught golfer always does, The pint - sizexi, deadpan and recommends these who are with the hands several inches

apart on the handle. Longden bears no resemblance not as young as they were to re- now to the underfed coalminer turn to it. Now not only the He wears American profesional chanston of pre-racing days,

$2,000 diamond ring, uses it but to also does Art Wall, Longdon has become a legend | $10,000 diamond-studded who in the two years since we

stopwatch, has colour televisión (last exw him playing throa that he cannot be a day under In his own lifetime.

spicuously in the Ryder Cup in his bedroom,

match at Lindrick, has won the Masters Tournament and be-

Wakefield, Yorkshire, about the year 1910.

No one is certain

The Methuselah

of his age.

of the Tirf

claims to be 48; friends calculate

04. He looks nearer 60.

How has he achieved such a

total of fantastic

victories? His father, Herbert Langden, Longden gives the answer in ons was a coalminer, 4ft Din tell,

of a giant Word: "Determination." I would

with the strength

'the

have

He took his familly to Canada choose a stronger word: OUTS. If he had not been turned down when son John was two years by the U.S. Army because of old and went to work in

his size, Longien wild started as odd-on favourite for At 14, Longden Junior was the Purple Heart. greasing coal-truck wheels

mines of Alberta.

hundreds of fost beneath - tho

Longden, alias "The Slicker," olios "Ducky,"

д

•

The Pumper Ips earned, a life of luxury. But ho gesally admits tin họ has had more ihan bahnen of luck. In particular, he remembers bla Tatianilo pongo at Hollywood Park, in, 1955, when anoikor horse knocked his foot loope from the stirrups, m Longden war sliding dow

The alias carth's surface. For two yo Pumper," is the toughest rider lato a flurry of 'hooves; · tho the world has sech since this patrol jutge was aireddy ring-

he worked ten hourE

daily

for dollar-and-a-quarter «

day. IIo was lucky to get horse-racing business started in for the ambulance. Thon

one square meal a week.

Arabia, song '4,009 years ago.

the jockeyson either side grabbed him, and boufod, him

He has one foot malformed back into the saddu,

The By the time he was firmly

At 10, he left the mines from crushing suffered in 1944 and roamed the country that Jamates, New York. starch at work. He slept in day after the injury be climbed scnlod, he was war, bind the the open, redo the rođi, begged into the radio, and full of pain field. Yet the incredible, never- handurile. Once he drifted into killing drugs, rode First Fiddle boy-die Johnny Lansion, full- Montana and spent tho zutriner i do victory in the 300,000 och the recomend vow by theek.

Ingths, living in a tomen with a family Ikilies Handicap,

POP-Nosey Parker

$160

Sports Diary

TC.

-TO-DAY

Lawn Bowle

Mon's Fit Tision: OCO KBGC: KDCV Roerslo " "Y KCC; TC v FC: Recreo "A"

As chairman of the Athletes' Club, Hildreth has been in almost constant dispute with authority in recent months, in- cluding the current row over

nailonal

Geoff coach chief Dyson, who to also not going on the Moscow trip.

An injured back reduced. Hildreth to the also-runs in the AAA championships. Now he

A week before selection of the team for Rods, Hildreth phoned team manager and Belector Les Truslove to point out that he was running in * Belfast on August 18, and ask If he would be considered for Moscow on the strength of it. Truelove promised I would" "However, the team was announced on the says Hiketh. day of the men

WAS

In the evening, I rolurned 14.2 secs,

British a best-ever performance. I heard nothing until Mr Crump told me he was unimpressed, as my Ume wind-assisted, which is true,;

On Grass "So I asked if the selectors race at consider my would Edinburgh last week. Again, I was promised they would.

This time I did 14.3 sec9 against the wind and on grass.

Lates at Chiswick, Hildreth turned in yet another 14.5 secs, using starting cven without blocks,

Ladies League Div Oo: USIC v Again, It was ignored." repeat, so help me, boileuo- CCC "A" PRC v KDC; CCD "4" that the Portmarnock method virtually eliminates the twitch "Everything now falls into and that with it, if faced with place,"

Buy "Your yard putt to the for the Open, I children, the old lady, my

rata make some could at any own vast improvement since sort of stroke at the ball. I changed over (it takes a

finally If this is so, the inventor do-

KDE month or two) and

mallet serves to be Jenighted. the success of the

WHY CAN'T

YOU BE MORE CAREFUL

HOW COULD

T-POSSIBLY

Division: FRC Fac "AVING; HKCU

V HOC

ULIC, LIKES sc:

YOU COULD "PARKED SOMEWHERE

FLAK

By Gog

V

England left behind not only Vher No. 1 coach, but also her best hurdler, when the Britisch athletes set off on this prestige tour on Thursday.

In Germany

they say

"bier?"

In Hong Kong they say

Carlsberg