Red Pollard
John "Red" M. Pollard (born October 27, 1909 in Edmonton , Alberta , † March 7, 1981 in Pawtucket , Rhode Island ) was a Canadian jockey .
Although he was too big to be a jockey and went blind in his right eye as a result of a training accident at the beginning of his career, he prevailed in the sport.
In 1936 he was hired as a jockey for the stallion Seabiscuit , who under him became the most successful racehorse of the time.
In February 1938, Pollard had a bad crash during a race. His horse, Fair Knightess, buried him under himself, and Pollard broke a few ribs and one arm. While he was still recovering, he suffered an open fracture on his leg. During the convalescence period he fell in love with the nurse Agnes Conlon. The two married the following year and had two children.
In 1940 he won the Santa Anita Handicap in Arcadia (California) with Seabiscuit , Seabiscuit's last race. The two won 18 races out of a total of 30 starts.
In 1982, Pollard was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame .
In the film Seabiscuit , he is portrayed by actor Tobey Maguire .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pollard, Red |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Pollard, John M. (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian jockey |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 27, 1909 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Edmonton |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 7, 1981 |
| Place of death | Pawtucket |