Horse Sports

Discover the thrilling world of horse racing in Britain and Ireland. This comprehensive guide takes you from paddock to winner's circle, offering unparalleled insight into the Sport of Kings. Written by a lifelong racing enthusiast, bridging insider knowledge with public understanding. From the Grand National to bloodstock breeding, every aspect receives thoughtful analysis. Whether understanding bloodlines, picking winners, or appreciating cultural significance, this definitive guide delivers. Essential for racing libraries and perfect for newcomers.

In the late 1980s, a spectacular three-year-old female racehorse named Winning Colors was being groomed for success under her famous Hollywood trainer D. Wayne Lukas and the billionaire owner of the San Diego Chargers pro-football team Eugene Klein. Meanwhile, three fun-loving gamblers Miami Paul, Dino Mateo, and Big Bernie believed that Winning Colors could be the unlikely female winner of the 1988 Kentucky Derby.

There is no question that horses are fascinating, but diving in to the world of horseback riding can be daunting. There are so many options to starting to ride and so many conflicting sources of information from stables that it can make your head spin. Take a step back and get some unbiased answers. This book will look at how to go about finding a place to ride, the criteria to look for in a riding stable, questions to ask both your potential instructor and yourself, and how to think about your early riding lessons.

At the age of 19, Lara Prior-Palmer discovered a website devoted to "the world's longest, toughest horse race" - an annual competition of endurance and skill that involves dozens of riders racing a series of 25 wild ponies across 1,000 kilometers of Mongolian grassland. On a whim, she decided to enter the race. Riders often spend years preparing to compete in the Mongol Derby, and many fail to finish. Rough Magic captures the extraordinary story of one young woman who forged ahead, against all odds, to become the first female winner of this breathtaking race.

Last Ride of the Iron Horse tells the tale of Lou Gehrig's final year in the Yankee lineup, as he dealt with early effects of the deadly disease ALS. For much of the 1938 season, Gehrig - dubbed the Iron Horse for his strength and reliability - struggled with slumps and a mystifying loss of power. Fans booed, and sportswriters called for him to be benched.

This time, Jules might finally be in over her head. Pete is away in California, and Jules’ promising new horse, Confident Liar, is proving to be a tough ride. Not to mention, her employers are putting the pressure on, expecting more from Jules than she can possibly provide. And Evan Folkes is dangling a shot at international competition that Jules is hard-pressed to resist. She has the support of her old friends and her beloved students, but she’s being pulled in a million different directions.

Among the earliest known works on choosing, caring for, and riding horses, this book is still hailed--2,300 years after it was written - as one of the most complete, thoughtful, and accessible guides of its type. Civilization has changed radically in the centuries since it was written, but the equestrian arts have remained essentially the same. Much of what we presently accept as common wisdom about horsemanship derives from this volume.

In the bestselling tradition ofthe The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the propulsive, inspiring Cinderella story of Stymie, an unwanted Thoroughbred, and Hirsch Jacobs, the once dirt-poor trainer who bought the colt on the cheap and molded him into the most popular horse of his time and the richest...

Understand what your horse is saying to you and build a profound and lasting connection. If you ever thought that some people were “natural-born horse communicators,” know that all of them have honed their abilities through experience, observation, and the understanding that each horse is a unique being. This guide seeks to help you strengthen your connection and build trust with your horse.

Molly has always dreamed of taking horseback riding lessons, but the lessons were too expensive. Until now! A new stable has opened up in town, and Molly convinces her parents to let her sign up for classes. Everything is great, except that two girls at school keep making fun of Molly. She'll need to figure out a way to keep her confidence both in and out of the saddle.

The fifth book in Natalie Keller Reinert’s beloved Eventing Series, set in the high-stakes world of three-day eventing, now reimagined with an all-new recording! If Jules was sure about one thing, it was that she would never become a riding instructor. But suddenly she is the lead instructor...

Although Thoroughbreds are hot-blooded, most are pretty calm and easy going when asked to do a job off the track, provided they get enough exercise. Where the problems arise is when people don't understand how racers have been trained and handled. Often OTTBs are merely responding to what they think the rider wants from the cues he is giving. With some smart handling and understanding, most people can enjoy Thoroughbreds as steady, safe and responsive companions in just about any industry discipline.

In the second story of the highly acclaimed Horse Gone Silent Trilogy, sweet Emma Sterling is living a storybook life filled by horses, friends, and her loving parents Julia and Chase. Then, without warning, young Emma’s heart is shattered when her father returns home from military duty a completely changed person. Emma’s innocence and family’s future are threatened as her mother desperately attempts to save them from a viscous emotional struggle that may destroy them all.

It was a cold and foggy February night in 1983 when a group of armed thieves crept onto Ballymany Stud, near The Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland, to steal Shergar, one of the thoroughbred industry's most renowned stallions. The thieves demanded a hefty ransom for the safe return of one of the most valuable Thoroughbreds in the world, but the ransom was never paid and Shergar's remains have never been found.

Following a successful afternoon at Beverley races, Jack and Cam, a pair of Malton-based apprentice jockeys, head for a big night out in Scarborough. They return to their digs confused and unable to recall much about their evening on the town. So, nothing strange there! But within days, one has uncharacteristically sought to throw a race, and the other collides with a trainer while riding work on the Wold gallops. The racing authorities come sniffing around, sensing something is amiss. Suddenly, both their race-riding careers are in jeopardy.

In more than a century of American Thoroughbred racing, only 13 horses have won the Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, all won in the same season). Veteran turf writer and racing historian Edward L. Bowen takes us through the rich history of one of the most formidable and exciting challenges in all of sport. Bowen covers the trainers, owners, and jockeys who etched their names into the annals of thoroughbred racing, and the “lucky 13” who captured all three jewels of the Triple Crown, racing’s most prestigious prize.

The father of the Kentucky Derby called him "the greatest all-around Thoroughbred in American racing history". Sportswriter Grantland Rice simply called him "the greatest racehorse". Now Eliza McGraw tells the story of how a gangling, long-shot Kentucky Derby winner named Exterminator became one of the most beloved racehorses of all time.

From the author of the popular Eventing Series, a brand-new and much anticipated standalone hardcover, set in Florida horse country and featuring a fresh set of unforgettable characters Brooke Haskell’s got big dreams . . . and she’s running out of time. The equestrian life Brooke craves has...

The seventh book in Natalie Keller Reinert’s beloved Eventing Series, set in the high-stakes world of three-day eventing, now reimagined with an all-new recording! Though Jules has spent her adult life bouncing from one farm to another, it never mattered: home was always where her horses were...

When Casey started riding again, she thought she'd nailed the tough part. That was before she tried starting over at a new farm, with a new job, in a new city. Casey's horse, James, seems happy enough at Twin Palms Ranch. And Casey's boyfriend, Brandon, is loving his dream job saving the ocean. Casey knows she should love her job marketing for a growing horse show organization. If only she had known how fast they'd be growing!