Animal Studies, A Primer. Case number one, dogs, fighting, race. The Facts, Background. June 2001, in his rookie year, Michael Vick buys a piece of property at 1915 Moonlight Road, in Smithfield, Virginia, with friends Peace, Phillips, and Taylor. April 2007, Blacks for Virginia. At Vick's alma matter, Virginia Tech, a lone gunman kills 32 students and faculty. Controversy erupts for the next seven years over the university's failure to notify students of the shootings in a timely manner under the Clery Act. April, 2007, Surry County, Virginia. Police raid Michael Vick's home with a warrant to search for drugs. Devon Body, a relative of Vick, who lives in the home, was arrested on April 20th outside a nightclub for possession and intent to distribute marijuana. The facts, what was discovered? Law enforcement officials with a second search warrant, specific to dog fighting evidence, observe from the first drug warrant, find between 54 and 66, accounts vary widely, dogs, some emaciated, injured and scarred on their Surry County property. Evidence of equipment related to dog fighting found on the property. Buried car axles and dogs chained to them just out of reach of one another. Blood stained fighting arena. Animal training equipment, including a rape stand, a device in which a female dog who is too aggressive to breed by herself is strapped down with her head in a restraint. A break stick used to pry open fighting dogs mouths. Treadmills used to condition dogs. Paperwork documenting involvement in a fighting dog venture. Performance enhancing drugs used to increase fighting potential. Large fence constructed to hide activities of this kennel from view. The Facts, The Federal Indictment. July 2007, Vick, along with three friends who own the property, are indicted on federal charges. The first, conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. The charge carrying of penalty of five years. They were not charged under the Animal Welfare Act, since the maximum penalty for violation is only one year. The facts, The State Indictment. Five months after Michael Vick and three associates were brought up on federal charges, Vick faced two charges from the state of Virginia. The first, to promote dogfighting for amusement, sport, or financial gain, or to possess, own, train, transport, or sell any dog intended for animal fighting. Number two, to engage in the torture, ill treatment, beating, maiming, mutilation or killing of animals. The second point will be very important later. Case number two, Horses Jockeys, Race. The facts, Race Horse Region. Virginia and North Carolina are both known as race horse states. North Carolina counties are North Hampton, Granville, Butte and Halifax. Virginia Counties are Mecklenburg and Brunswick. The black population, at that particular time, numbers 20,000 and supplied most of the jockeys. From the mid 1600's to the Civil War, roughly around the 1860s, most of the athletes involved in racing were enslaved peoples. Around 1773, thousands of women, men and children gather from near and far to witness one of the biggest and the first American sporting events. A quarter horse race between Curtis and Ned. Austin Curtis was considered the best quarter horse jockey, trainer, and groom in the country. Racing stables were the country's earliest major sports organizations. At the time of the race the nervous gelding Paoli and Curtis were owned by Willie Jones, a North Carolinian. Curtis was a mere 14 year old. The opponent was the black jockey, Ned, on the mare Bynam's Big Filly. Riders of African American descent were responsible for bringing what would become the American seat, crouch down above the horse rather than bolt upright on the horse, to the sport of racing both here and abroad. Curtis won by 23 inches ahead, but as far as we know, he received none of the purse. But he went on to train, groom, and ride Jones' horses until his death. And how it affects North Carolina in 1809. Great Black Jockeys. Austin Curtis, who rode before the revolutionary war. Simon, who took on general and future president Jackson, known for his show boating. Charles Charley Stewart. Jesse, who rode for President Andrew Jackson, architect of Indian removal. Cornelius, rider of Boston. Cato, who won his freedom and was one of the few to do so. Abe Hawkins. Sewell, one eyed, and fugitive, and fearless. Isaac Ike Murphy, who won back to back Kentucky derbies. Shelby Pike Barnes. James Soup Perkins. Willie Simms, who taught the English the Americans seats. Jimmy Winkfield, last of the great black jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby. Two cases, several horses, a few dogs, and somewhere in the middle their is race, or suitors at all. In the next segment, I'll put this rather unwieldy constellation of facts into greater context. Finding that greater context, putting it all together, is the work of American Studies.
