May 07, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1, 1429

LAHORE, May 6: All good things have to come to an end one day. The same is the case with a very senior jockey of the Lahore Race Course. Race fans recently were taken aback at the degradation of jockey Salahuddin’s riding skills.

Watching him ride, it is quite evident that the jockey who used to be quite a good rider in his hey day, is now experiencing age-related difficulties in the handling of horses.

Some owners, trainers and knowledgeable equine connoisseurs, while speaking to Dawn, informed that Salahuddin previously had a weight problem which he remedied by shedding some extra pounds but he seems to have lost his fire-power after that.

Even riding in the company of riding boys, the once smart jockey looks like a shadow from the past with the races being won by the younger and far less experienced lot. Perhaps it’s about time he hangs his saddle and says goodbye to riding.—AG