“A Thoroughbred racehorse is one of God’s most impressive engines” (Citation). For decades, horse racing has enchanted many audiences. During the Great Depression, American Citizens loved to root on the famous horses (Citation). However, if the beast is fascinating, then shouldn’t the man who tames it be even more alluring? Often forgotten from the compelling sport are the daring jockeys on the horses. During the 1930s, jockeys suffered much unknown pain as a result of their destructive sport, were not appreciated, and were underestimated for their stellar athleticism. Jockeys suffer for their sport more than imaginable. To run at optimal speed, horses usually carried riders weighing 83 to 130 pounds, 114 pounds if they are participating in a major race (Citation). Jockeys who did not meet that weight would not get the mount or any pay (Citation). As one knows, the average man tends to be heavier than just 130 pounds. In order to maintain the ideal weight, jockeys resorted to the extremes to shed the pounds (Citation). The first approach to losing weight was dieting, consuming only 600 calories in a day (Citation). Some men were known as purgers to rid their bodies of …show more content…
Because jockeys did not get paid much money, they couldn’t afford medical treatment and were often denied care at the hospital, even if they were in critical condition (Citation). They were viewed as expendables in the eyes of the horse owners. For example, suicidal jockeys were no rare instance (Citation). It was simply seen as a part of the profession (Citation). As put by Laura Hillenbrand, “A sidelined jockey is a forgotten jockey” (Citation). If the jockey did not generate results, or was injured, then they would be abandoned and forced to look for a different horse. They were junkies in the eyes of those around them. Only when the stakes were high would they receive a generous
A prominent theme in the book Seabiscuit is the existence of generational rivals. During The Great Depression many people focused their attention on the horse racing business. With this booming trend making many rich during a time of immense poverty, I find it no surprise that there is a father son rivalry. Often in competition there will always be a struggle between the older, more experienced competitor and the young up and coming superstars, this is brought on by a constant need for dominance which is created by human nature.
Although horse assisted therapy is growing in popularity and supporters, there are those that present valid surface-level arguments against it. The most obvious and basic drawback to an equine aid is the accessibility. Horses are large animals that cannot be easily brought to a patient, unlike other smaller and more popular therapy animals, like dogs (Fundukian). A patient in most situations must be brought to the horse in order to participate in the therapy, and for those with severe impairments this may be too great of a challenge. However, although it is true, the accessibility of horses is an issue, it could easily be solved if the therapy received more support. More centers, closer and with methods specifically designed to make the therapy
The horse is a highly respected animal in United States culture. It has been worshipped and paid tribute to through art, books (Misty of Chincoteague, Black Stallion), movies (Black Beauty, Spirit), and television shows (Mr. Ed). The horse industry is huge in the United States, encompassing everything from rodeos and racing to horses owned for purely pleasure. There have been statues erected of famous racehorses, as well as museums devoted entirely to equines. "Horse culture" is a huge part of American culture. The slaughter of horses for human consumption does not seem to fit into that culture. However, despite initial reservations, many Americans may agree that the slaughter of horses is better than alternatives.
Seabiscuit: An American Legend” is a book by Laura Hillenbrand, hereafter referred to as Seabiscuit talks about the starting of a race horse by the name of Seabiscuit that became an unlikely champion. Seabiscuit was the underdog during this time of horse racing. Seabiscuit had many problems because he was small, lazy, and wasn’t as good as the rest of the horses in that time. Though, Seabiscuit was lazy it was Tom Smith that got Seabiscuit up to race level. This is where one of the main problems I noticed in this book that happens every day in sports is the lack of credit that is given to the people involved with the athletic or the team. For example, Tom Smith was the horse trainer who was also known as “Silent Tom” because he was the quiet, reserved type of
The 1920’s era was a prosperous time in which most Americans lived carefree, simple lives. Without warning, the Great Depression entered the U.S, tearing families apart and killing jobs. In “Cinderella Man”, James J. Braddock was a boxer whose family had a difficult time coping with the economic changes in New York City. Although his life had been altered negatively, his viewpoint toward his morals grew to be more apparent. His honesty, dedication and toughness helped shed a light of hope to his wife, Mae, and three children Rosie, Jay, and Howey. Braddock was looked up to as a “boxing hero” by thousands of Americans through symbols of gratitude and inspiration, helping people get through ambitious times when nothing seemed possible.
Jockeys play a big role in the Kentucky Derby. Fourteen female trainers have competed with Shelley Riley coming closest to winning. The weight requirements for a jockey range from 109 pounds to 116 pounds. For jockeys to lose weight, 30 percent throw up, 69 percent skip meals, 14 percent take laxatives, and 67 percent do “hot box” in saunas.
WASHINGTON — When American Pharoah, the colt with a thunderous gallop, became the first Triple Crown winner in nearly four decades, he couldn’t have had better timing.
Winning isn’t always a piece of cake, sometimes it takes more than what one’s expected to do. People have to work very hard to achieve that goal. Abraham Okimasis is a man who thinks it would be a great idea to join a dog race. He has a wife, they will be celebrating their 21st anniversary. He is willing to do anything to win. Abraham shows a few signs of quitting throughout the excerpt but he doesn’t give up. In this excerpt, the author uses hyperbole and imagery to show how important it is for Okimasis to conquer the ride.
The book Seabiscuit: An American Legend, tells the life story of Seabiscuit, one of the most famous race horses in America at his time and existence, along with the background story on Seabiscuit’s trainer who discovered and trained him. I like how the book captures Seabiscuit’s greatest moments while he continued to attract the nation's attention at the height of the Great Depression. The book made Seabiscuit the classic underdog in the story with a big heart come back from what could have been a career ending injury to win the handicap race Santa Anita in 1940. Seabiscuit was born in an age when horses were becoming less relevant for travel needs and farming needs due to the upcoming popularity of automobiles, Seabiscuit and other equine
Over the past couple decades, sports gambling has become a growing industry and a hotly debated topic. Sports gambling is the act of placing a monetary wager on a sporting event for a specific outcome to happen. Daniel P. Connaughton claims sports gambling has always been an attractive medium for betting because the outcome of the games is unknown and so many factors go into a sports game (436). But currently as it stands in the United States, people may only bet on sports in Nevada. Yet the industry continues to expand and according to Jeffrey Roske, “Americans wager over $500 billion per year on sports. Of this staggering total, only $2-$3 billion per year are gambled legally within the state of Nevada…” (463). Roske’s evidence brings up
Have you ever been to a horse race? Seeing the riders give their horses a pat and an apple after the race, people cheering for their horse as it runs rapidly to the finish line? Seems like a great time. But what happens to those horses after they are done their race. What happens to the people who gambled their family’s lives savings. All horse racing should be shut down due to the well being of the horses, the effects of gambling, and the lack of interest.
Discrimination and segregation of African Americans had existed for generations. Whites and blacks were separated in schools, churches, on buses, in restaurants and on the playing fields. In the early 1900’s, there was not only continued bias towards African Americans; many lived in contiguous neighborhoods, minimizing interaction with other Americans. Sports where African Americans once demonstrated dominance such as cycling and horse racing discriminated also. Cyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor at one time dominated American cycling until “jealous white rivals colluded to force Taylor to see his sustenance in Europe by 1901” (Wiggins, p.158) Taylor was a pioneer for African American athletes. He “overcame the constraints of a society bounded by the racial hypocrisy...
My perception of the State Fair was one filled with amazement and adventure. The loud music of the rides and the familiar, huge crowds overwhelmed me with excitement. Unfortunately, I was forcibly taken, by my parents, to watch the World Championship Horse Show in Freedom Hall. At such a young age, I was not interested in seeing the next world champion horse make the show of his or her life. In my mind, the horse show was a waste of good ferris-wheel time. My parents usually set aside an afternoon in which they, with long-suffering faces, would indulge me in my fair frenzy. For these few hours, we waded into the jostling crowds, surrounded by the screams of thrill-seekers, the cacophony of bells and whistles, and the powerful smells of fair cuisine. To me, these were the best sights and sounds on earth.
D. H. Lawrence’s depiction of gambling in “The Rocking Horse Winner” is an obsession. The obsession manifests itself through each character in different ways; Paul’s obsession manifests itself as the desire to find “the winner,” his mother’s obsession is with spending the winnings, while uncle Oscar and Basset, two men of opposing classes, are obsessed with both winning the races and the sport itself. This obsession is Lawrence’s attempt to reflect post-war British society’s obsession with gambling through the medium of literature. And by portraying post-war gambling in a negative light, he parallels the view of the Protestant church, which viewed gambling as a sinful act. This parallel becomes evident when reading Ross McKibben’s 1979 article, “Working-Class Gambling in Britain 1880-1939.”
Thoroughbred Horse Racing Jockeys and Workers: Examining On-Track Injury Insurance and Other Health and Welfare Issues : Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session, October 18, 2005. Washington: U.S. G.P.O, 2005. Print.