Whips and irons
June 10th 2009 03:57
Neil Murray has captured this fascinating photograph from the Pakenham races in provincial Victoria.
This was the running of a minor race, a Maiden Plate run over 1200 metres on a slow track on a bitterly cold afternoon.
The bay gelding Another Prelate (Ivan Culliver) is on the outside, obscuring Chang (Jason Benbow) on his inside. They would drive to the line with Another Prelate scoring by a nose.
This photograph is a wonderful study in style with the almost mirror images of Culliver and Benbow set angle against angle, with eyes down and driving to the line. It is the shape of their whips that gives this photograph added impact - hand forward and hand back creating a horse shoe effect.
Also worth noting is Ivan Culliver’s foot being plunged deep into the iron. Ivan is one of the more senior riders and appears to adopt a more traditional seat on a horse (old fashioned many would say). It is a different style and look to the usual raceday picture of a jockey balanced only on his toes in the irons. But I think the debate is now over (VHS tape has beaten BETA) and toes-in-the-irons is now the preferred way of the race-riding world. But interesting to see a close-up of Ivan Culliver as a contrast.
Below is a comment from the Sun-Herald from April 17, 2005 in an article about racetrack falls - and opinion as to the reason why. The comments from champion retired jockey Mel Schumaker make for interesting reading:
Maiden at Pakenham
This was the running of a minor race, a Maiden Plate run over 1200 metres on a slow track on a bitterly cold afternoon.
The bay gelding Another Prelate (Ivan Culliver) is on the outside, obscuring Chang (Jason Benbow) on his inside. They would drive to the line with Another Prelate scoring by a nose.
This photograph is a wonderful study in style with the almost mirror images of Culliver and Benbow set angle against angle, with eyes down and driving to the line. It is the shape of their whips that gives this photograph added impact - hand forward and hand back creating a horse shoe effect.
Also worth noting is Ivan Culliver’s foot being plunged deep into the iron. Ivan is one of the more senior riders and appears to adopt a more traditional seat on a horse (old fashioned many would say). It is a different style and look to the usual raceday picture of a jockey balanced only on his toes in the irons. But I think the debate is now over (VHS tape has beaten BETA) and toes-in-the-irons is now the preferred way of the race-riding world. But interesting to see a close-up of Ivan Culliver as a contrast.
Below is a comment from the Sun-Herald from April 17, 2005 in an article about racetrack falls - and opinion as to the reason why. The comments from champion retired jockey Mel Schumaker make for interesting reading:
Schumacher is more concerned with the modern style of riding, with only the toe of the boot in the iron.
"All the great jockeys over the years rode with their foot in the iron," Schumacher said. "Now they ride too short with only their toes in the iron - it's ridiculous. They've been falling off like flies and it'll continue to happen until someone teaches them to ride properly."
"All the great jockeys over the years rode with their foot in the iron," Schumacher said. "Now they ride too short with only their toes in the iron - it's ridiculous. They've been falling off like flies and it'll continue to happen until someone teaches them to ride properly."
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