In America Sloan had been riding for Mr. W. C. Whitney, who released him to ride for Lord William, saying he should very likely be in England himself before long. As a matter of fact he arrived at much the same time as the jockey, and met Lord William for the first time at Newmarket, where Sloan introduced him to his lordship, the outcome of this introduction being they became partners. At this time Jakes Pincus was training Lord William’s horses, later Huggins, who came over with Mr. Lorillard, reigned in his stead. Pincus was another American; he had not been long in this country, yet he was the man who trained the only American horse that ever won the Derby, if my memory is to be trusted. Iroquois was the horse. The man was a bit of a jockey himself, I have been told.
Mr. Cuthbert was secretary to Lord William’s stable at that time, later I believe he went to Newmarket in the employ of Mr. George Lambton.
Sloan was one of those fortunate jockeys who can eat what they like without putting on weight, very different from some other jockeys of that date. Fred Archer, for instance, who had to breakfast off hot castor oil and a slice of thin toast with a view to keeping his weight down, he dared not dine with friends, as owing to dieting so rigidly he felt he was a wet blanket at a feast. Poor fellow, in his endeavours to ride 8 st. 7 lbs., he became a wreck very early in life, the wonder was he lived as long as he did. It will be remembered at the age of thirty he felt he had had enough and took his own life. Though much liked and perhaps the most popular of jockeys he was severe with his mounts.
Sloan was fond of animals and gentle with them, Mornington Cannon also, and they seem to have achieved equal success. Archer’s seat was the opposite of Sloan’s, for he sat well back, while Sloan it was introduced that peculiar monkey up a stick seat which became more or less the fashion amongst the American jockeys. Archer was very, very canny with his money, which at times used to annoy people, Sloan on the other hand was too generous and let other people help him to spend his earnings almost too freely. Cannon liked riding waiting races, while Sloan liked to get away and come right through. There was one occasion certainly when Cannon waited a little too long with Flying Fox, not giving himself time to get home, but he was a good judge of pace.
Sloan’s seat used to be much commented on when first he came over to this country, people thought he rode with very short stirrups, but he did not really, it was the crouching along the neck of the horse when going fast which gave him that appearance. He attributed much of his success to this attitude as it gave less resistance to the wind, therefore helpful to the horses.
Sloan entirely agreed with me on one point, which I have already expressed in my book Women in the Hunting Field, namely that horses will not tread on you when down if they can possibly help it. He went so far as to say they “would not unless pulled into it.”
Lord William used to say Sloan had no luck unless he was there, and really it seemed like it. When Lord Bill lost a race he had been hoping and expecting to win his face was a study, he had marvellous self-control, and beyond growing very white showed no sign of feeling and was always most generous to the unhappy and often equally disappointed jockey.
Lord William thought he had a great horse in St. Cloud II. I fear he did not fulfil his owner’s expectations, though certainly he was a great horse, but it was in size, he stood seventeen hands.
The largest stakes Lord William ever went for was probably over Sandia in the Cambridgeshire. Either St. Cloud or Sandia ought to have won easily. Lord William and Sloan were under the impression they had won with Sandia, but Mr. Robinson, the judge, was under the impression they had not, but that is an old story now. At the time there was a good deal of feeling about it.