“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
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.”
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 Kentucky Derby has over 160,000 people come from around the world to attend the Kentucky Derby annually, and tens of millions watch on television. The Kentucky Derby is our state’s signature event, filled with traditions, legends, and celebrities. On May 2nd, of every year, is the Kentucky Derby and my birthday. The Kentucky Derby is an athletic event, because you get to understand the roles of the jockey and thoroughbred as athletes, as well as the scientific basis for their performance, it helps provide insights and comparisons into human training, nutrition, and health. “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” was hailed as a triumph and brought rabid attention to Scanlan’s. (McKeen 149) The Kentucky Derby is a horse race that
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
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.
The racing of horses in Ireland is as old as the nation itself. In the pre-Christian era we have evidence that the Red Branch Knights raced among themselves, matching their horses against each other, as did the Fianna warriors in the third century A.D. Racing today is huge in the country for our employment and for our economy. Racing in the early days struggled without a governing body and without a proper structure. This all seemed to change once the Jockey Club was formed on the idea of the English Jockey in Newmarket. However, the Jockey failed as money issues and other problems led to its demise. This essay aims to examine firstly the impact of the English Jockey Club in Ireland, secondly why the Jockey Club failed, and third the rise of the Turf Club and the procedures taken to make it a success.
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
Why? That seems to be a constant question society asks every time a tragic incident happens in the world or a child suffers from abuse or depression. Why do these things occur? The answer is still unknown, but the way of helping those who struggle from mental illnesses, abuse, or depression is not unknown. Allowing those individuals into a place that gives them a sense of safeness and a comfortable place to talk will show them strength and support and will also help them deal with their tragic event or problem. However, there are more ways than just sitting in a room talking about an individual's problems to help overcome the recurring issues in today's society, such as using therapeutic animals like horses to help individuals feel more at
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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