William John Hartack Jr. (December 9, 1932 – November 26, 2007) was a Hall of Fame

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...

 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:...

. He was born in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania

Ebensburg, Pennsylvania

Ebensburg is a borough located in, and is the seat of, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, west of Altoona and surrounded by Cambria Township. It is situated in the Alleghenies about 2025 feet above sea level. Ebensburg is located in a rich bituminous coal region. In the past, saw mills, tanneries,...

.

Referred to by the media as both "Bill" and "Willie" (actually Hartack detested being called "Willie" because of his dislike for fellow jockey Willie Shoemaker

Willie Shoemaker

William Lee Shoemaker was an American jockey.Referred to as "Bill", "Willie," and "The Shoe", William Lee Shoemaker was born in the town of Fabens, Texas. At 2.5 pounds , Shoemaker was so small at birth that he was not expected to survive the night...

) during his racing career, Hartack grew up on his widowed father's farm in the Blacklick Township area of Cambria County, Pennsylvania

Cambria County, Pennsylvania

Cambria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It comprises the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 143,679....

. Small in stature, at age 17 he stood 5 ft.