At age fifteen he began riding locally until American racing stable owner James Arthur recognized his potential and signed him to a contract to compete at major racetracks in the United States.
[2] Such was his performance that a May 17, 1922 edition of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that "Many racing experts credit Lang with being the best jockey since the days of Tod Sloan.
[3] This high accolade came at a time when Lang was competing against racing greats such as Earl Sande, Jimmy Butwell, Laverne Fator, Clarence Kummer, Linus McAtee and Ivan Parke, among others.
[6] In 1925, Chick Lang won the 66th running of the King's Plate on James C. Fletcher's filly, Fairbank, defeating Duchess, the betting favorite owned by the powerful Seagram Stables.
[8] After years battling weight gain, Chick Lang was forced to retire as a rider at the end of July in 1929 but remained in the industry as a trainer.