Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
. In his 1926 autobiography, ''The Spell of the Turf'', Hall of Fame trainer Sam Hildreth wrote that Shilling was the greatest rider he ever saw.
A native of Texas, Carroll Shilling was frequently referred to as "Cal". He began riding at an early age on bush tracks in the
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
and embarked on a professional riding career in 1904. The following year he moved to compete at racetracks in the
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
United States Champion Jockey by earnings There is recognition for the United States Champion Jockey by earnings but no formal award is given to the jockey whose mounts earned the most purse money in American Thoroughbred racing.Canada for the prominent stable owned by
liquor
Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard ...
magnate
Joseph E. Seagram
Joseph Emm Seagram (April 15, 1841 – August 18, 1919) was a Canadians, Canadian Distilled beverage, distillery founder, politician, philanthropist, and major owner of thoroughbred racehorses.
Early life
Joseph Seagram was born April 15, 1841 at ...
, winning a number of important races including what became one of the
Canadian Classic Races
The Canadian Triple Crown (branded as the OLG Canadian Triple Crown for sponsorship reasons) is a series of three Thoroughbred horse races run annually in Canada which is open to three-year-old horses foaled in Canada. Established in 1959, the ser ...
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
. He finished second aboard Miami in the 1909 running, then in 1912 he rode Worth to victory in what the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame describes as probably his most dramatic win.
Personal problems and ban from racing
On November 19, 1909, '' The New York Times'' reported that Shilling severely stabbed stable owner R. L. Thomas after the two got into an argument at
Sheepshead Bay Race Track
Sheepshead Bay Race Track was an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility built on the site of the Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay, New York.
Early history
The racetrack was built by a group of prominent businessmen from the New Yo ...
. In the spring of 1910, The Jockey Club (the New York-based association of racehorse owners) set aside Shilling's application for a jockey license.
The
Hart–Agnew Law
The Hart–Agnew Law was an anti-gambling bill passed into law by the Legislature of the State of New York on June 11, 1908. It was an amalgam of bills enacted as Chapter 506 and 507 which were sponsored by conservative Assemblyman Merwin K. Hart ...
, legislation outlawing parimutuel betting, was passed by the New York Legislature which resulted in the closure of all New York racetracks between 1911 and 1912. On November 2, 1911, ''The New York Times'' reported that Carroll Shilling and trainer Sam Hildreth had sailed to England aboard the
RMS Mauretania
Two ocean liners of the Cunard Line have been named RMS ''Mauretania'', after the ancient territory of Mauretania:
* , launched in 1906 and in service until 1934
* , launched in 1938 and scrapped in 1965
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mauretania, RMS
Ship na ...
with the intent of riding there for the stable of American owner Charles Kohler. On January 9, 1912, ''The New York Times'' reported that Kohler was sailing to England and would apply for a license for Shilling to ride there. However, that did not work out and the ''Times'' then reported on March 10 that Shilling would ride for Kohler's American stable under trainer David J. Leary.
In an era when jockeys commonly used dirty tactics, Shilling was notorious for his actions. In 1912, while riding at
Havre de Grace Racetrack
The Havre de Grace Racetrack was an American horse racing track on Post Road in Havre de Grace, Harford County, Maryland. Nicknamed "The Graw," it operated from August 24, 1912, to 1950. For a time, it was owned by the Harford Agricultural and B ...
in Maryland, he was banned from racing for striking another jockey with his whip during a race. The action resulted in his riding career ending after just six full years plus two partial years when the New York racing shutdown meant there was fierce competition for jockeys at tracks outside New York state.
Following his ban from riding, Shilling remained in racing as a stableman and in 1915 his application for a jockey's license was again denied. He eventually went to work for
J. K. L. Ross
Commander John Kenneth Leveson "Jack" Ross, CBE (31 March 1876 – 25 July 1951) was a Canadian businessman, sportsman, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and philanthropist. He is best remembered for winning the first United States Triple ...
, a major stable owner from Canada with racing and breeding operations there and in the United States. As an assistant to trainer
H. Guy Bedwell
Harvey Guy Bedwell (June 22, 1876 – December 31, 1951) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and owner who was the first trainer to win the U.S. Triple Crown.
Born in Roseburg, Oregon he was known by his middle name. As a ...
, Shilling helped condition
Sir Barton
Sir Barton (April 26, 1916 – October 30, 1937) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the first winner of the American Triple Crown.
Background
Sir Barton was a chestnut colt bred in 1916, in Kentucky, by John E. Madden at H ...
for his 1919 Triple Crown championship and tutored a young jockey named Earl Sande, who would go on to a Hall of Fame career of his own. However, Shilling's suspension from riding remained an issue for many years. On November 11, 1920, ''The New York Times'' reported that Ross had successfully petitioned the Maryland State Racing Commission to lift the ban on Shilling and grant him a temporary jockey's license. The Maryland Jockey Club revolted against the decision and the matter became a major public embarrassment for racing when a mob at Pimlico Race Course, who wanted Shilling to race, attacked and beat up Maryland racing commissioner Joseph P. Kennedy. The issue soon involved The Jockey Club (of New York), whose powerful president
August Belmont, Jr.
August Belmont Jr. (February 18, 1853 – December 10, 1924) was an American financier. He financed the construction of the early history of the IRT subway, original New York City subway (1900–1904) and for many years headed the Interborough R ...
lined up against the attempt by Ross to have Shilling reinstated. Bedwell, the Ross stable trainer, had testified before the Maryland State Racing Commission in support of Shilling and he too would become a central figure in the controversy. The April 21, 1921 issue of ''The New York Times'' quoted from a letter by Belmont to Ross saying "the entries of your stable will not be acceptable to this association if ex-Jockey Carroll Shilling or H. G. Bedwell is in any way connected, directly or indirectly, with the same."
The issue threatened the closure of Pimlico, the only one of the four Maryland racetracks that sided with the New York authorities. Maryland's governor, Albert Ritchie, got involved as did
state senator
A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
Description
A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
William I. Norris, who acted as legal counsel for trainer Bedwell. Pimlico president Charles E. McLane then supported Bedwell and the Maryland State Racing Commission threatened to ban members of The Jockey Club from competing in Maryland. The Commission stood its ground and on June 30, 1921, amended their temporary order to grant Shilling a permanent jockey's license. However, the Commission gave in to the unrelenting political pressure to end the inter-state dispute and on July 9, 1921 it passed a resolution that ''The New York Times'' said had the effect of making any license issued by the Commission of doubtful value because the resolution declared its licenses not to be a mandate to any of Maryland's racetracks. The effect of the resolution was that Carroll Shilling never rode again and his ordeal led to a severe
drinking problem
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...
. In their May 17, 1948, edition, '' Time'' magazine reported that in recent years he had been in and out of sanitariums. Two years later, Shilling was found dead under a horse van at
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905.
It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...
."Milestones, Jan. 23, 1950" Time. January 23, 1950.
In a short career, Carroll Shilling won 969 races and in his final three seasons, had a remarkable thirty-four percent winning percentage. In 1970, the National Museum of Racing at Saratoga Springs, New York, recognized Schilling's talent and inducted him into their Hall of Fame.