1898

My next race was for the ten mile Caledonian Cup; a cup value £50. This was a scratch race, and there were 26 starters. I remember that Viljoen of Roodepoort, a very strong rider, made pace for 28 laps and the race was run in 23 minutes 56 seconds, the fastest ten miles ever ridden in South Africa. Viljoen was challenged again and again but always kept in front. The race was run by MacLaclan. I hadn’t enough experience to tackle men like these as they were in the “1^st Class”, and I was afraid to go to the front although I had plenty of power; however I managed to finish fifth, close up. We were quite satisfied with the day’s showing.  I was also entered for sports at Driehoek track on the following Saturday, but I found the handicapper had got to Germiston with his pruning knife before me.  When we got hold of a program we found that I’d been put back to 50 yards from scratch in the mile novices’ race, with a man named Little on scratch.  The Driehoek track was banked very steeply at the ends, and my starting point was right on the steepest portion.  It was really comical to an onlooker to see my father’s efforts to keep that machine upright, but there was no fun for me in my anxiety lest I should fall and spoil the race.  Well after again being told not to look around, the pistol cracked, and I got away safely, I flew along and overtook the four or five men in front, and then took the lead, with only one fear, the scratch man.  I now redoubled my efforts, and when I passed over the line I looked around and found I had made a mess of it again, I had won by half a lap.  Pretty nearly all the workmen from Champ D’Or were there that day, as my father had told them that nothing