Freedom's Rein
Encyclopedia
Freedom’s Rein is the autobiography of American thoroughbred horseracing jockey
Shane Sellers
, co-authored by Tricia Psarreas
. It chronicles his life before and during his 26-year-long career, and also exposes the increasing problem of eating disorders among jockeys, a problem he has tried to get the racing industry to confront for many years.
, narrating how he fell in love with racing, but also an abusive childhood which continued to haunt him throughout his career. Sellers describes not only the best times of his career, but his many low points, including his attempts to fight anger issues, entering rehab after nearly overdosing, and his ultimate banishment from racing.
He also discusses his marriage to Kelli Sellers and the relationships with his children Shali, Saban, and Steiner.
horses professionally for 26 years, riding in 14 consecutive Kentucky Derby
s and winning $122.2 million in purses. The book offers his personal recollections of highlights from a stellar career of interest to any racing fan.
Of particular interest are the descriptions of his placing third in the 1993 Kentucky Derby on Wild Gale, riding Skip Away to victory at Woodbine Million Stakes in 1996 and again at MassCap in 1997, as well as being a leader rider at the Arlington Park
racecourse, Keeneland Race Course, and Churchill Downs
. He also discusses his best year, 1996, when he set a record with 1,329 mounts, 287 wins, and $12,089,428 in purse earnings. Riding fans can see these seminal events from the personal perspective of a celebrated jockey who offers many anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insights into the professional side of horse racing.
In the later part of his career, Sellers fought to increase jockey weight limits and reduce the increasing number of eating disorders. He also campaigned for the industry to allow jockeys to take endorsements in order to supplement the mere $50 per mount they received, and pushed for better insurance for the men and women who risk their lives in every race.
Especially in the later chapters, Sellers discusses his own personal fight with these problems, exposing the contradiction, for example, between an industry that did not publicly recognize the increasing problems of jockey health but installed special toilets (“heaving bowls”) to prevent vomit from backing up the pipes. He also discusses his and other jockeys’ extreme weight-control measures, including bulimia, intense saunas, and simply going without eating for long periods of time.
These issues culminate in Sellers’ ultimate banishment from the sport. Starting with his appearance in Jockey
, a 2004 HBO documentary nominated for an Emmy Award
, in which he spoke out about eating disorders, Sellers became a vocal advocate of increased health measures and better medial insurance for jockeys. His willingness to go on record with the industry’s “dirty secrets,” combined with his increasing activism pushing for the right for higher on-track insurance policies, led to a forced removal from Churchill Downs in 2004 and eventually to being blackballed from his sport.
Although Sellers obviously wants to make his case for racing’s reform, the book does not spark unwanted controversy. The authors are careful not to name names or assign blame on particular individuals, opting instead to criticism the industry’s trends in general and to point to possible solutions.
, Fox Business News, The Joey Reynolds Show, The New York Times
blog page, The Metro Spirit, The New York Daily News, The American Perspective, and the Baltimore Sun. It will be featured on The TODAY Show
in July, 2008.
(b. July 25, 1983, Lynn, Massachusetts) is an author and owner of the freelance writing company The Brighter Writer, through which she was hired to work with Sellers. Freedom’s Rein is the first book to include her name, although she has ghostwritten over a dozen other books. She is currently writing her first solo book, a fantasy novel, while speaking to high schools and colleges around the country about the health issues raised in Freedom’s Rein.
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
Shane Sellers
Shane Sellers
Shane Jude Sellers is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. At age eleven, he began working around horses and in 1983 rode his first winner at Evangeline Downs....
, co-authored by Tricia Psarreas
Tricia Psarreas
Tricia Psarreas is an author and owner of a freelance writing company. Her first book, Freedom's Rein, was published in 2008.-Biography:...
. It chronicles his life before and during his 26-year-long career, and also exposes the increasing problem of eating disorders among jockeys, a problem he has tried to get the racing industry to confront for many years.
Autobiography
The book begins with Sellers’ early life in LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, narrating how he fell in love with racing, but also an abusive childhood which continued to haunt him throughout his career. Sellers describes not only the best times of his career, but his many low points, including his attempts to fight anger issues, entering rehab after nearly overdosing, and his ultimate banishment from racing.
He also discusses his marriage to Kelli Sellers and the relationships with his children Shali, Saban, and Steiner.
Racing career
Much of the book is devoted to Sellers' racing career. He raced thoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horses professionally for 26 years, riding in 14 consecutive Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
s and winning $122.2 million in purses. The book offers his personal recollections of highlights from a stellar career of interest to any racing fan.
Of particular interest are the descriptions of his placing third in the 1993 Kentucky Derby on Wild Gale, riding Skip Away to victory at Woodbine Million Stakes in 1996 and again at MassCap in 1997, as well as being a leader rider at the Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
racecourse, Keeneland Race Course, and Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
. He also discusses his best year, 1996, when he set a record with 1,329 mounts, 287 wins, and $12,089,428 in purse earnings. Riding fans can see these seminal events from the personal perspective of a celebrated jockey who offers many anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insights into the professional side of horse racing.
Activism and Controversy
Beyond telling the story of a decorated champion rider, Freedom’s Rein discusses Sellers’ continued confrontation with the health problems and health-care issues of professional jockeys.In the later part of his career, Sellers fought to increase jockey weight limits and reduce the increasing number of eating disorders. He also campaigned for the industry to allow jockeys to take endorsements in order to supplement the mere $50 per mount they received, and pushed for better insurance for the men and women who risk their lives in every race.
Especially in the later chapters, Sellers discusses his own personal fight with these problems, exposing the contradiction, for example, between an industry that did not publicly recognize the increasing problems of jockey health but installed special toilets (“heaving bowls”) to prevent vomit from backing up the pipes. He also discusses his and other jockeys’ extreme weight-control measures, including bulimia, intense saunas, and simply going without eating for long periods of time.
These issues culminate in Sellers’ ultimate banishment from the sport. Starting with his appearance in Jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
, a 2004 HBO documentary nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, in which he spoke out about eating disorders, Sellers became a vocal advocate of increased health measures and better medial insurance for jockeys. His willingness to go on record with the industry’s “dirty secrets,” combined with his increasing activism pushing for the right for higher on-track insurance policies, led to a forced removal from Churchill Downs in 2004 and eventually to being blackballed from his sport.
Although Sellers obviously wants to make his case for racing’s reform, the book does not spark unwanted controversy. The authors are careful not to name names or assign blame on particular individuals, opting instead to criticism the industry’s trends in general and to point to possible solutions.
Reception
Freedom’s Rein has been featured in a number of print, online, and television reviews. It has received positive exposure from Thoroughbred Times, MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, Fox Business News, The Joey Reynolds Show, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
blog page, The Metro Spirit, The New York Daily News, The American Perspective, and the Baltimore Sun. It will be featured on The TODAY Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
in July, 2008.
Co-Author
Tricia PsarreasTricia Psarreas
Tricia Psarreas is an author and owner of a freelance writing company. Her first book, Freedom's Rein, was published in 2008.-Biography:...
(b. July 25, 1983, Lynn, Massachusetts) is an author and owner of the freelance writing company The Brighter Writer, through which she was hired to work with Sellers. Freedom’s Rein is the first book to include her name, although she has ghostwritten over a dozen other books. She is currently writing her first solo book, a fantasy novel, while speaking to high schools and colleges around the country about the health issues raised in Freedom’s Rein.