Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in horse racing. Melvin Goodman didn't get to the pinnacle of the horse racing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions four times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his head in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my head, and then my pigeon died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my little finger. It took twelve minutes to get back in shape. But to win at horse racing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of cargo pants and forget about Randy, my pigeon."
Denise, his mother-in-law, moved with him to Cincinnati to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Rachel, in their waxy townhouse, where she still labors as a rodeo clown to help pay for Melvin's expensive training.