Ron Smith: Garry Whillans - A Jockey's Life

Thu, Mar 3rd 2016 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Weekly meeting with guest speaker.


Three visitors were introduced to last week's meeting of the Rotary Club by President Mairhi Trickett.  Tommy Stevenson, Hawick and John Elliot and Robbie Trussler, Langholm were welcome guests.  The speaker Garry Whillans. a local jockey, gave an excellent account of his vocation and the dark arts associated with the sport of kings.  In the last 5 seasons he has had 332 rides and has won over £107,000 in prize money for the horses' owners.  He started as a jump jockey before progressing to the flat.  He said it was always a struggle for most jockeys to keep their weight down and it could mean having to shed half-a-stone in the 24 hours before a race which entailed a starvation diet, no fluids and plenty of sauna sessions.  Interestingly he said the complete gear a jockey wore came to about 3lbs including specially made boots.  There are more jockeys than horses so competition for rides is very keen.  Hawick has a great history of jockeys and has produced 31 recently many of them having started by following the Cornet from a very young age.  It is a hazardous career as injuries are frequent as well as the strict control regulations on drugs and alcohol.  Garry was introduced by race-horse enthusiast Ron Smith and, after his presentation and a good question session he was thanked, for what was his maiden talk, by the President.

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