His height and distinctive riding style meant you could spot him a “mile off” when in a race. I guess he must have been a nightmare to race against, but for some reason he’s always been one of my favourite sportsmen…maybe something to do with utter lack of bullshit, he was there to win.
“If the horse loses balance, he loses speed and direction, and that might cost him the race. The horse has his own centre of gravity just behind the shoulders. The jockey has his own centre of gravity. But the jockey can shift his and the horse can’t. At every stride the horse’s centre of gravity is shifting in relation to the jockey. Getting the horse balanced means keeping your balance every stride, every second, to suit his.”
That was one of his own explanations of riding…and yes (of course) it (maintaining near perfect balance) was one of his exceptional strengths.