Main content

33. Doc and Jim: A Beautiful Partnership

Matthew Syed tells the story of an extraordinary partnership between Dr William Key and his super smart horse 'Beautiful' Jim Key, who was trained with kindness and patience.

The story of how Dr William Key and his super smart horse β€œBeautiful” Jim Key became one of the biggest acts in America, only to disappear into historical obscurity.
But not before they made a profound impact on millions of American children, who pledged to always be kind to animals, as a result of witnessing their extraordinary partnership.

Dr William Key was a former enslaved man who became a wealthy entrepreneur before turning his hand to patiently training a sickly foal to do maths and spell. They took their act on the road to the delight of millions of Americans and the attention of the American humane movement.

Matthew Syed invites us to dive into this extraordinary story of America in a moment of new understanding, and asks us to consider the possibilities offered by our relationship to animals.

With Mim Eichler Rivas, Eric Collins, Dr Bill Samuels, Dr Elizabeth Ormerod

Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer and Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Sound Design and Mix: Rob Speight
Theme tune by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Mon 14 Nov 2022 00:15

Broadcasts

  • Wed 9 Nov 2022 16:00
  • Mon 14 Nov 2022 00:15

Sideways - Articles

Sideways - Articles

Features on some of the fascinating topics from Sideways with Matthew Syed.

My last 5p: How one homeless man’s generosity led to him marrying the love of his life

My last 5p: How one homeless man’s generosity led to him marrying the love of his life

How one act of generosity can have profound consequences.

Why we all need an alter ego

Why we all need an alter ego

Matthew Syed looks at how adopting an alter ego can help us all to access confidence.

What's the secret of making a smash hit pop song?

What's the secret of making a smash hit pop song?

Exploring the success of Max Martin, the behind-the-scenes genius behind 22 No.1 hits.

Podcast