Deerfoot facts for kids
Deerfoot (born 1828 – died 18 January 1896) was a famous Seneca runner from America. He became most well-known for his amazing running achievements in England. He lived on the Cattaraugus Reservation in New York.
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Who Was Deerfoot?
Deerfoot, whose real name was Hut-goh-so-do-neh in his native Seneca language, was also known as Lewis Bennett. He was born into the Seneca tribe on the Cattaraugus Reservation. While some records say he was born in 1828, other sources suggest it might have been 1825, 1826, or 1830.
Deerfoot first showed his running talent in 1856. He won a five-mile race in Fredonia at the Chautauqua County Fair. He finished the race in exactly 25 minutes and won $50. Sometimes, Deerfoot raced under the nickname "Red Jacket." This name honored a respected Seneca chief. It also referred to the bright, colorful outfits he often wore for races.
Deerfoot's Big Tour in England
Deerfoot gained a lot of attention in New York City. He raced against the English national running team. Their coach, George Martin, later became Deerfoot's manager. In 1861, Deerfoot traveled to England with Martin. He began a 20-month running tour there.
During this tour, Deerfoot competed against the best long-distance runners in the world. He won almost all of his races. He lost a six-mile race to Edward (Teddy) Mills in September 1861. But just a few days later, he beat John (Jack) White, known as "the Gateshead Clipper," in a four-mile race. Soon after, he outran both of them in a 10-mile championship.
He also defeated John Levett and Mills in a 12-mile race in Dublin, Ireland. He won $500 for this race, finishing in 65 minutes. In London, he beat Howitt, who was called the "American Deer," in a four-mile race. Deerfoot even set new world records during his tour. He ran 10 miles in 51 minutes and 26 seconds. He also ran 12 miles in 1 hour, 2 minutes, and 2 seconds.
Deerfoot's only loss in the United States happened in 1859. He lost to Dave Ford from Wilmington, Delaware. This race took place at the Old Scheutzen Park, now called Wawa Set Park. Deerfoot lost by 2 minutes and 3 seconds. This event was reported in the Delmarva Star newspaper.
While in England, Deerfoot won many races with a unique style. He also had an active social life outside of racing. This helped him maintain his "exotic" image, which gained him many fans.
Deerfoot's Family Life
Deerfoot had four children with Ida Yellow Blanket. She was also from the Cattaraugus Reservation. They had three sons and one daughter: Augustus, Julia, Dwight, and Heenan Bennett. All of their children were born between 1852 and 1857.
Deerfoot's Running Style and Fame
Deerfoot became very famous in England for several reasons. His incredibly fast times and his unusual running tactics drew a lot of attention. One race was so popular that 13,000 fans watched it. An extra 2,000 people arrived by train just for the event!
Deerfoot's races were never boring. His tactics often made his opponents angry but excited the crowd. Here's how he would run:
- He would follow his opponent closely.
- Once he felt he could take the lead, he would quickly pass them.
- Then, he would slow down just enough for his opponent to catch up.
- After that, he would pull ahead again.
- He would repeat this cycle of slowing down and speeding up until the end of the race.
Running with such an inconsistent pace was very unusual back then. This often made his opponents lose their own rhythm early in the race. This gave Deerfoot a clear advantage. This "cat and mouse" game thrilled the fans. It also meant Deerfoot only ran as hard as he needed to win. This saved his energy for his very busy running tours across England.
His Public Image and True Self
Much of Deerfoot's popularity came from keeping up his "savage" image. His manager encouraged him to do certain things to impress important guests. In one famous example, Deerfoot would sit at a bar with a special guest late into the night. Then, he would let people watch him go to his hotel room. He would refuse to sleep in the bed and instead wrap himself in a bear skin on the floor. In other situations, Deerfoot was encouraged to let out "warrior-whoops" for the public. Stories about these acts often became very dramatic and exaggerated.
While many of these actions were staged for publicity, Deerfoot truly preferred his traditional moccasins. This was unusual because track spikes had been invented in the 1850s and were becoming popular. Spikes were useful because tracks at that time were often made of soft mulch, not compacted materials like today.
Away from the public eye, Deerfoot was known to be a simple, quiet, humble, and shy person.
There's a legend from his local Snipe Clan of the Seneca tribe. It tells a story where Deerfoot outran a horse on such a long run that the animal died from exhaustion.
Keeping His Champion Status
To keep Deerfoot known as the best runner in the world, his manager, George Martin, created a running group called the "Deerfoot Troupe." This group toured England. They used other well-known runners to help maintain Deerfoot's excellent reputation. The troupe raced every day except Sunday. The runners sometimes had to walk long distances to get to the races.
The public soon realized that the tour was not always fair. Even though the tour continued, Martin pushed the runners to keep going. At this point, Deerfoot decided he needed to leave the troupe. He wanted to compete in real races again. His goal was to win gold and trophies to bring home to his Seneca tribe.
The public began betting against him. Deerfoot first lost a race. But then, he regained his champion form. He started beating both new and old top runners in England.
Deerfoot's very last race ended with him dropping out after three laps. He watched two men, Jack White and William Lang, easily pass him after having already lapped him twice. His manager was very angry that Deerfoot lost so badly. Deerfoot reportedly replied, "I have never trained." He was referring to his manager's habit of scheduling his tours so tightly that he had no time to rest or train. After this race, Deerfoot collected his significant winnings and quietly returned to America.
Deerfoot's Legacy
Deerfoot's death was reported in The New York Times. This shows how famous he was around the world during his lifetime, even though most of his great achievements happened in England.
In 1901, Deerfoot's grave was moved. He was moved from an unmarked grave to his current resting place. He is now buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.
Images for kids
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The bones of Deerfoot, the famous Indian runner, lie no longer in an unmarked grave on the Cattaraugus Reservation, but have been brought to Buffalo and sleep beside those of Red Jacket, Gen. Barker, and other Iroquois chiefs. The transfer was made between March 27th and 29th, the burial in the grave taking place on the latter date. Joseph Keppler of Puck, a member of the Wolf clan of Senecas, was the one through whom the change was made, and Mrs. Harriet Maxwell Converse had charge of the ceremony of the burial. Deerfoot, or Lewis Bennett, has been dead for 5 years. He won prize after prize by his fleetness. He appeared first on the racetrack in 1865. England as well as America admired this Indian runner and yielded him championships. He was born in 1830.
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Deerfoot's gravestone at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York
See also
- Deerfoot of the Shawnee, a fictional Indian brave based on the historical Deerfoot
- Deerfoot-Bad Meat, a long-distance runner of the Blackfoot tribe named in his honor
