SLOAN, TOD

born Aug. 10, 1874, near Kokomo, Ind., U.S. died Dec. 21, 1933, Los Angeles byname of James Forman Sloan American jockey who popularized the monkey crouch riding style, which at first was derided but later was adopted by most jockeys. A colourful, self-assertive personage, he squandered his considerable earnings and died in poverty. Sloan's nickname of Tod (he inaccurately stated that his full name was James Todhunter Sloan) was originally Toad, referring to the appearance his disproportionately short legs gave him. Because of his unusual build he found it convenient to use short stirrups and to ride low, with his head almost resting on the horse's neck. Although this seat probably was devised by an older jockey, Edward (Snapper) Garrison, the majority of jockeys evidently copied it from Sloan. Sloan raced first in the Midwest. After winning many races in the United States for William Collins Whitney's stable, he went to England in 1896, and the next year he became rider for the stable of the Prince of Wales, afterward King Edward VII. In 1901 the English Jockey Club denied him a riding license because of unspecified conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the sport, and by 1906 he had been ruled off the turf everywhere. After an unsuccessful motion-picture career, he died impoverished.