How did Sea Biscuit shape and influence the lives of those around him?

Answer 1

Sea Biscuit and his overly tall, partially blind jockey "Red" were considered the under-dogs in the Great Depression when people had little hope of being able to eke out a living and people were depressed, struggling and basically many were giving up on life. Jobs were scarce and people were starving and there wasn't much to look forward during these hard times. Then along came Sea Biscuit (short and runty almost like a small quarter-horse) 1/2 the size of most other racing horses and this tall, lanky, partially blind jockey that showed the world if you have heart to can accomplish anything. For the first time since the Great Depression things were looking up and people from all walks of life came to see these two strange phenomenas go into action. Sea Biscuit was not considered to be of much use to anyone and a very small horse (not suitable for breeding.) He wasn't even worth pulling a wagon to some owners of him. He was basically mistreated and traded off to different owners and eventually one horse trainer could see there was some heart to this horse no matter how small he was. The horse was almost wild and didn't trust humans (who could blame the horse.) At the time the new owner of Sea Biscuit brought him to his ranch he also had a rather tall, lanky jockey simply named "Red" who was really too tall to be a jockey and was later found (after losing a race) he was completely blind in one eye from a sucker punch to the face while fighting to make money to eat not to mention he had a rather tough chip on his shoulder from his experiences during the 1930 Depression. The trainer could see potential in the horse and jockey getting together as they were both troubled. At first the jockey was not impressed with Sea Biscuit and was more interested in the larger and stronger horses. Something took hold and the two became inseparable. Little by little they trained the jockey on the horse and the one thing they noticed about this small horse was as soon as he got up to the horse next to him in a race and eye-balled that horse something happened to Sea Biscuit ... he didn't like it and he ran like the wind winning many races. The jockey "Red" was doing another jockey a favor of riding a rather skittish horse around the track and the horse went crazy dragging Red behind him and Red ended up with such a badly fractured leg the doctors were amazed he didn't lose the leg entirely and told him he could never be a jockey again which sent "Red" into a depression. He loved Sea Biscuit so much he would only allow another jockey to ride him and didn't want to hold Sea Biscuit back. In that race Sea Biscuit fell and broke his leg as well and the vet didn't feel the leg would heel, but at the request of the owner he gave Sea Biscuit a chance. It was at this time "Red" and Sea Biscuit really bonded and the determination and heart of both of them go them back into racing again. "Red" actually invented his own brace for his injured leg (although in pain) he rode his horse to victory with the help of another jockey. Because of this it gave hope to many people during the Great Depression that if these two could do it they could survive the Depression.