Dying for the sake of victory: Frank Hayes is the only deceased person in history to win a race (7 photos)

Many sports push the body to its limits, and for some, these stresses can be fatal. Frank Hayes was one such victim, and while there have been many before and after him, Hayes was an exception: he emerged victorious, despite dying in the process.





Frank Hayes was born in 1901 in Ireland. In 1916, as a teenager, he emigrated to the United States with his family. They lived in Brooklyn, and Hayes found work as a groom for horse breeder James C. L. Frayling. Hayes kept stables, trained horses, and did other jobs, but secretly he dreamed of becoming a jockey himself.



Hayes finally got his chance on June 4, 1923, at Belmont Park in New York City, after he convinced his employer to let him ride a horse named Sweet Kiss. ​​Neither Hayes nor Sweet Kiss had ever raced in an official race before, and with odds of 5-1, the rookie duo were unlikely to win.





Despite the odds being stacked against him, Hayes managed to pull ahead. As the finish line approached, spectators saw him leaning over his horse's back, tugging on the bridle with one hand. Many thought the young man was just showing off until the horse crossed the finish line. It galloped another hundred meters and stopped.

The 22-year-old rider leaned forward, slowly leaned over his horse's sides, and fell face-first onto the ground. "The applause of the crowd turned momentarily to laughter as the jockey appeared to have fallen awkwardly from his horse," the Buffalo Morning Express reported. "Then the tragedy quickly dawned on the crowd as the figure of the jockey, in his bright silk suit, lay motionless where he had fallen."



Track physician Dr. John A. H. Voorhees rushed to the scene, believing Hayes to have been injured. He administered first aid, but it was too late. Frank Hayes was dead.



Hayes apparently died of a heart attack, brought on by the intense regimen he had been putting himself through in preparation for the race, as well as the stress of the stress. It was reported that Hayes had been trying to lose weight to meet the demands of the race. He had spent several hours training the morning of the race, running and depriving himself of water. When he mounted, he was weak and tired.

Hayes had a weak heart, as his mother Margaret testified. She did not want her son to become a jockey, as she feared for his life, knowing his condition.



Frank Hayes was buried three days later in full racing attire, in the presence of six of his closest friends. In his obituary, The Times Union wrote:

He fell victim to his almost fanatical enthusiasm and worship of horsemanship. According to his mother, Frank had been interested in horses since early childhood, and his main ambition was to become a jockey, a career he chose against her advice. He worked as a trainer for three years before Mr. Frayling agreed to his request to ride.



One thing is clear in this story: the guy fulfilled his dream, although, alas, he did not learn about his first brilliant victory, which turned out to be his last.