George Woolf
| George Woolf | |
|---|---|
Stars and Stripes Handicap (1944) (1945)Beverly Handicap (1945) Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (1945) Santa Anita Derby
| |
| Significant horses | |
| Seabiscuit, Kayak II, Bold Venture, Challedon Alsab, Pavot, Whirlaway, Devil Diver |
George Monroe Woolf (May 31, 1910 – January 4, 1946), nicknamed "The Iceman", was a Canadian
After his early death resulting from a racing accident, Woolf was inducted into newly founded honorary institutions: the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Early life and education
Woolf was born on a
George's mother, Rosina Parker, was born in Wales, and his maternal grandmother was from England. His father, Frank Henry Woolf, was a Utah pioneer born before 1869 and an Alberta pioneer coming to Canada before 1890. His paternal grandfather Absalom Woolf and great-grandfather J.A. Woolf were Mormon pioneers, both settlers of Cache Valley, Utah. Absalom Woolf was a soldier in the Utah militia serving in the Walkara Indian War and also the Utah War.
Woolf's ancestor, Peter Woolf, was an early settler of New York, immigrating from Germany.
On the Newell and Olmstead side of his family, Woolf was related to the fur trapper and mountain man Robert "Doc" Newell, and related as well to Charles O. Card, the founder of the town of Cardston, Alberta.
Woolf's rodeo and horse training associates included the Bascom brothers - Raymond, Melvin, Earl and Weldon Bascom.
Career
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2017) |
He began racing thoroughbreds professionally in 1928 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also raced in Tijuana, Mexico before going to Arcadia, California, where he made his permanent home.
Using Santa Anita Park as his home base, Woolf became one of the premier jockeys of his era; he was known by fellow jockeys and fans as "The Iceman". He earned the nickname for displaying the patience in waiting for the right time to have his horse make a move in a race, as well as his calm attitude before major races, when he could take a nap while other jockeys nervously paced about.
While establishing himself as one of America's leading jockeys, he was diagnosed with what is now known as
He made history in 1935 when he rode Azucar to victory in the first $100,000 horse race, the Santa Anita Handicap, defeating such greats as Equipoise and Twenty Grand. Woolf finished second twice at the Kentucky Derby and won the 1936 Preakness Stakes.
He is remembered for his tactical performance in the 1938
Death
During the running of the fourth race at Santa Anita Park on January 3, 1946, Woolf fell from his horse, Please Me, as he rounded the clubhouse turn. Suffering from a concussion, he was taken to the hospital, where he died the following day. The jockeys in the race and the track stewards reported that they had not witnessed any incident during the race to have caused such a fall. Most observers think his diabetic condition may have resulted in his suffering a dizzy spell or
Woolf was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in The Great Mausoleum, Gardenia Terrace, the Sanctuary of Providence, Mausoleum Crypt 9707 in Glendale, California.[2] Western singing star Gene Autry sang at his funeral service.[1]
Legacy and honors
The death at age 35 of one of the country's best and most respected jockeys, and a favorite of fans, led to the creation of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. During his career (1928–1946), Woolf had 3,784 mounts, 721 wins (19.1%), 589 seconds and 468 thirds, finishing in the money 46% of the time.
- In 1950, a life-size bronze statue of Woolf was erected in his honor near the walking ring at Santa Anita Park. It was funded by donations from fans starting in 1948.[3]
- In 1955 Woolf was an inaugural inductee into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.[4]
- In 1956 he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.[5]
- In 1976, he was one of the inaugural class inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.[6]
- On July 17, 2010, marking the 100th anniversary of Woolf's birth, a life-size equestrian statue was erected in his home town of Cardston, Alberta at its Remington Carriage Museum. The bronze work was donated by ranchers Jack and Ida Lowe, who had it made by the sculptor Don Toney. It depicts Woolf riding Seabiscuit to victory in the 1938 match race upset against War Admiral.[7]
Representation in other media
- Woolf is mentioned as one of the greatest jockeys of all times in the movie The Black Stallion (1979), directed by Carroll Ballard. The film was adapted from Walter Farley's 1941 children's novel of the same name.
- In the film, Seabiscuit (2003), Woolf was portrayed by the jockey Gary Stevens, who has also been inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Stevens had won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1996.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Biography: George Woolf". Seabiscuit . American Experience . WGBH. PBS. 2003. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
- ^ "George Monroe "The Iceman" Woolf (1910–1946) – Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
- ^ "Memorial Statue to Honor George Woolf", Los Angeles Times, 16 March 1948, accessed 9 April 2012
- ^ "George Woolf". Racingmuseum.org. 1955-01-01. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- ^ "George Woolf". Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. 1956-01-01. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- ^ Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Archived 2009-02-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Seabiscuit bronze unveiled at Alberta museum", CBC News, 17 July 2010
External links
- "George Woolf/Seabiscuit memorial statue unveiling – July 17, 2010", What's new at the Museum?, see Woolf/Seabiscuit statue on this page, Remington Carriage Museum