In the tack trunk sold at the last Jimmy Jones Estate sale of August 16th, 2002, these two bridles were rigged up as pony-horse bridles.  A pony-horse bridle being that which was used on the trainer's personal mount when he rode out with a set of race horses during morning works.  I presume these were the two in use by Jimmy upon quitting the employment of Calumet Farms in 1964. Most certainly these are the two that H.A. (Jimmy) Jones took with him and stored at his Parnell, Missouri home, all of these years.  They are in the English style of bridles  to be used in conjunction with the two pony-horse English style saddles.




     The historical significance of both bridles cannot be overlooked. Both Ben and Jimmy's hands have long known the feel of the reins of these two bridles while they went about their morning training chores with reins in one hand and a stop watch in the other. These bridles were along side some of the finest race horses to ever grace a race track and should, thus, be cherished as a true artifact from the great racing and training legacy of the Jones boys and of Calumet Farms.



         

Bridle (#1 left)...........This is a plain constructed bridle consisting of one long .5" strap that doubles back to form a simple bridle with one adjustment buckle. The bridle is in poor to fair condition with two leather repairs on the main cheek-piece strap. One is professionally sewed and the other riveted. The browband has a .5" tear toward one side.  There is a non-rust bridle rosette on the right side with the left one missing.  The reins are approximately .5" leather with buckled bit ends, tied in a rider's knot at the opposite end.  A plain non-rust Weymouth style curb bit with taped curb chain is present. The bit has a low port with a 4.75" mouth and 3.5" shanks. This may be the bridle pictured below from the same Arlington photo. There is no way to precisely ID this bridle with the below photo,  unlike bridle # 1, but it looks and could be the bridle pictured.  I will include a copy of authenticity of me as the purchaser at the Jones estate sale, a copy of the Arlington photograph, a copy of the sale bill, and any other pertinent information, I deem of interest.      Price:  At this time it will be kept with the Spanish bit also found in Jimmy's tack shop and corresponds with the above photo.


  Bridle  (#2  right).............This is an English style bridle with hook-in-stud bit fastening and buckles on .5" leather cheek pieces. The throat latch and right cheek piece of the crown piece has been professionally repaired. The reins are of the hook-in-stud fastening style with square non-rust buckle on the rider's end. The bit is a sliding cheek Weymouth style non-rust curb with a 4.75" mouth (low port) and 3.5" shanks. The general condition of this bridle is from poor to fair. A curb chain and lip strap is present on the bit. I will include a copy of authenticity of me as the purchaser at the Jones estate sale, a copy of the sale bill, and any other pertinent information, I deem of interest.          Price: $50.00
Jimmy Jones (left) and Ben Jones (right) on their pony-horses escorting a racehorse ridden by Freddie Brooks to the track at Arlington Park in Chicago. This is typical of what the above bridles were used for in every-day stable life with trainers having their own horses to pony their race animals during the morning works.
I will include a copy of authenticity of me as the purchaser at the Jones estate sale, a copy of the Arlington photograph, a copy of the sale bill, and any other pertinent information, I deem of interest.  For more information, contact me at:  dahart@centurytelnet