Famous horse riders in the 1950s

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The best way to highlight the names that were etched in Jockey history in the 1950s is by mentioning the leaders of the previous year. In the 1940s, the top riders were Adams, Arcaro, Atkinson, Meade, and Longden. As they continued to reign in the early 1950s, they were joined by a name that would create havoc in racing history: Shoemaker. Shortly after completing his sophomore year with 388 wins, he was tied for the top jockeys’ rankings. He was the only one who earned more than a million dollars in the early 1950s.

William Boland was among the biggest names of the year, making his mark as an apprentice jockey. He had shocked everyone with his performance on Hill Prince when he won by one and a half lengths from the jockey Arcaro. The main concerns of apprentice jockeys during this time were the different rules regarding learning around the world; this led them to jump from region to region in order to retain their trainee assignments. It was the Jockey’s Guild that introduced standardized rules that were applied throughout the world.

The year 1951 was marked by the highest number of deaths among horsemen and that rose to 10 deaths. The most remembered jockey from the 1950s is LeRoy, who died on January 12, 1956 after a tragic fall from his mount and brain injury. Following that tragic loss, the horse racing world was faced with another fatal death of John Alessio, the president of Caliente racetrack. After his death, a helmet was approved and made mandatory for riders to wear while riding; this gained publicity and acceptance as the “Hot Safety Helmet”, this rule was applied to exercise children, escorts, trainees, pony boys and girls.

The talk of the day in the racing industry was whether John Longden would surpass Sir Gordon Richard’s record of having the most wins in horse racing history. Finally, it was John Longden after winning his 320th in a racing season.

The year 1957 saw remarkable performances by Bill Shoemaker and Bill Hartack in Gallant Man and Iron Liege, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby. The two were together battling a tough race at Churchill Downs until Shoemaker misjudged the length and fell behind, giving Bill Hartack his first Derby victory. Proving that victory was not by chance, he went on to win four subsequent derbies, then retired as the Derby’s winningest jockeys along with Arcaro.

The following year was marked by the shock deaths of jockey Jackie Westrope and Joe Snyder after sustaining injuries just a week apart.

In 1958, three Jockeys were elected to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame:

Eddie Arcaro – The only jockey to win the Triple Crown twice.

Johnny Longden – won over 5,000 races and was the reigning leader among jockeys for 3 years in a row.

Bill Shoemaker – Created the all-time record of winning 485 races in the year 1953 and holding 5 riding titles.

Still surviving the most deaths of the year, the Jockeys’ Guild announced in 1958 an additional insurance plan for jockeys that provides $10,000 death benefits for active and retired jockeys.

The year ended with Eddie Arcaro surviving after a sudden fall from his mount, Black Hills in the Belmont Stakes. He also marked the event by winning six races in it. “The helmet saved me,” said Arcaro – Jockeysguild

In the real world, history is created and repeated as we witness that with each passing year, this magnificent “sport of kings” has evolved in many ways. With the viral era established, this sport is accessible from the comfort of your home in any modality. Games, videos, TV broadcasts and replays can be viewed if you have missed a race or been unable to visit the race track on that particular day. Horse games are available online for you to simulate and bet on for entertainment. And what is more? In fact, you can tell what a world-class jockey goes through while riding the thousand-pound equine beast. Become a jockey to experience heart-pounding adrenaline as the crowd cheers for victory. He plays against friends or with the community of horse racing fans from around the world.

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