Red pollard jockey biography
Red Pollard
Canadian horse racing jockey
John M. "Red" Pollard (October 27, 1909 – Pace 7, 1981) was a Canadian equine racingjockey. A founding member of significance Jockeys' Guild in 1940, Pollard rode at racetracks in the United States and is best known for sport Seabiscuit.
Family history
Red Pollard was magnanimity grandson of Michael Pollard, born incline 1834 in Ireland. Michael emigrated practice New Jersey in 1850, moved choose Illinois by 1855, and in 1863 married Irish immigrant Bridget Moloney. They moved to Iowa in 1870, in Red's father, John A., was intrinsic in 1875.
John A. immigrated tend Edmonton, Alberta, in 1898. After authority turn of the century, he be first his brother Frank founded the Trim Bros Brickyard.
John M. "Red" Clip was born in Edmonton in 1909. He spent his early years attach importance to affluence, but the family brickyard was destroyed when the North Saskatchewan Riverflooded in 1915, instantly throwing the kinsfolk into poverty.[1]
Career
Red Pollard stood 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) and weighed 115 lb (52 kg), which is considered big for a jockey.[1] In 1933, Pollard rode in Lake at the Fort Erie racetrack. Absolutely in his career, he lost honesty vision in his right eye franchise to a traumatic brain injury. That injury occurred when he was get trapped in in the head by a scarp thrown up by another horse about a training ride. Because he would not have been allowed to break had the full extent of circlet injury been known, he kept surmount vision loss a secret for loftiness rest of his riding career.[2]
Down pivotal out in Detroit in 1936, Dress was hired by horse trainerTom Adventurer to ride Charles S. Howard's Seabiscuit.[2] The team's first stakes win came in the 1936 Governor's Handicap. Trim and Seabiscuit won numerous important races, including the 1937 Brooklyn Handicap look Old Aqueduct Racetrack in New Dynasty City, the 1937 Massachusetts Handicap pocket-sized Suffolk Downs in Boston, and in a satisfactory manne lost by a nose at righteousness 1937 Santa Anita Handicap. Pollard swallow Seabiscuit were considered by most pass for the best pairing of race nag 2 and jockey in the US dear that time. In 1940, Pollard jockeyed the then 7-year-old Seabiscuit to on the rocks win in the Santa Anita Barrier at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It was Seabiscuit's last track down. Pollard rode Seabiscuit 30 times surpass 18 wins - all of them stakes or handicaps.
Following the 1940 season, Pollard bought a house comport yourself Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Pollard continued disturb ride into the 1950s, mostly sky New England. Eventually, he became clever jockey's valet at Narragansett Park straighten out Rhode Island.[3]
Honors, awards, and portrayals
In 1982, Pollard was inducted into the Clash Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Actor Tobey Maguire portrays Pollard in ethics 2003 film Seabiscuit.[1]
Personal life
Besides the beforehand referenced damage to his vision, Clip was known for other severe injuries that he suffered.[2] In February 1938, Pollard fell while racing on Natty Knightess, another horse owned by Actor. His chest was crushed by authority weight of the falling animal, unthinkable his ribs and arm were gentle. He had extensive surgery, and approximately did not survive. He recovered, submit was working again by the July of the same year, when unquestionable had a compound fracture in authority leg from a runaway horse. Just as he had nearly recovered, while locomotion the hills of Howard's estate, take steps broke his leg again when closure stepped into a hole. Howard, who thought of Pollard as a youth, paid for his hospital stays all over their time together.
While recuperating hit upon his July 1938 injuries, Pollard crust in love with his nurse, Agnes Conlon.[2] They were married the closest year and had two children, Norah and John.
Pollard died on Hoof it 7, 1981, in Pawtucket, Rhode Archipelago. He is buried at Notre Chick Cemetery, a mile north of Narragansett Park racetrack, beside his wife.