Richards Vidmer elevated the craft of sportswriting with the simple approach of amusing and entertaining his readers. His colorful prose enhanced the story but never overstated the message he was attempting to convey. Vidmer never took himself, or sports, too seriously. In the twenty years he reported sports he maintained a crisp, innovative approach, endowing almost every story he wrote with a fresh angle.

Richards Vidmer was born on 7 October 1898 in Washington, D.C. He was the second child of George Vidmer and Carol Richards Vidmer. George Vidmer was a captain of cavalry in the U.S. Army at the time of Richards's birth. A poised career officer, George reached the rank of general and served as superintendent of West Point. Richards grew up on horseback and played polo. This familiarity with horses later enhanced his sportswriting when he reported on polo matches for The New York Times...