Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in horse racing. Hugo Abrams didn't get to the pinnacle of the horse racing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions four times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his scalp 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 scalp, and then my hamster died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hair. It took fourteen lifetimes 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 handcuffs and forget about Cecelia, my hamster."
Bridget, his sister, moved with him to Pittsburgh to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Kellen, in their new condominium, where he still labors as a professor to help pay for Hugo's expensive training.