Grand Prix champion,Tracy Magness, Featured in Beloved Sport Horses

Catena Leading Rider Award at HITS Ocala

The Catena Leading Rider Award is presented each season to the rider with the most points earned in Grand Prix classes throughout the season, and for the second time in three years the award went to Tracy Magness of Hughsville, Maryland. Magness had a fantastically consistent season and placed in eight of the 11 Grand Prix that she showed in, including a first-place finish in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, during the Ocala January Festival, and three second-place finishes aboard Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko’s Tarco Van Ter Moude. (see http://www.hitsshows.com/)

Tracy is featured in my Beloved Sport Horses where she shares her story about learning to compete in Grand Prix Jumping on her beloved Paul Harvey. See my site at http://sharonminer.webstarts.com/ and e-mail me at sharonminer@yahoo.com to order an autographed copy. Visa/Master Card accepted.

Bullet Work

Bullet Work by Steve O'Brien is an excellent example of a page turning mystery set at a racetrack. The similarities to Dick Francis end there.

While Francis always wrote in first person and created a main character the reader really cared about right from the beginning, O'Brien writes a third person narration. I had trouble at first liking the main character, Dan Morgan, who is a lawyer and owner of a few Thoroughbred racehorses. Later, as he befriends a young man, AJ, who is bullied because of his special gift, my interest in Dan grew.

With AJ's help, Dan tries to discover who is killing and kidnapping horses on the backside, and running an extortion scam. The scenes are different from many mysteries but very plausible from a horse person's point of view.

Besides AJ, my favorite character was the two-year-old filly, Aly Dancer. The final race in the book was extremely well told, giving the reader a long, slow but heart-pounding climax. The ending was surprising, but satisfying.

My only fault is that halters are what horses wear in stalls and when handled for washing and other groom's chores; bridles are for riding. A horse would not have a bridle on unless it's ready to ride. In Dick Francis books, he refers to halters as headcollars, the British term.

The cover is fantastic!

P.R.E. Andalusian Horse

This author has a great networking equine site!

Doreen Austen Haggard

http://www.preandalusianhorse.com/
My website has loads of links, to some very interesting people from all round the world, with so much information, they have share on my site for all you to enjoy. Come and take a look, if you think you have something worth sharing then contact me.

www.preandalusianhorse.com

P.R.E. Andalusian horse, he is one of the oldest pure bred horses in the world.

Chancey of the Maury River

Chancey of the Maury River by Gigi Amateau is pure delight! Written in the voice of the horse, the story reminds me of a contemporary Black Beauty tale.

Chancey, an Appaloosa by blood, is born an albino and therefore not accepted by man or beast. His stoic personality helps him persevere even after his dam dies when he's a youngster. He is trained and has his work at the stable until the owner's husband dies and the woman needs to sell everything. Alas, Chancey is not wanted due to his coloring and he left alone in a field to fend for himself.

Fortunately, a kind stable owner brings him to her stable and there Chancey bonds with a young girl named Claire; both need each other and heal each other. They become close friends as they train together, ride the trails and compete at horse shows.

When Chancey physically cannot jump any longer due to joint and blindness issues, he finds a second career as a therapy horse at the same stable, with Claire and her mother assisting in the program. Some of the riders' issue are apparent and others are invisible to the eye, but all benefit from the riding therapy.

Chancey is soon matched with a sick boy who, at first, does not want anything to do with horses. Claire soon convinces him to try riding Chancey and the three form a special bond.

The emotional scenes are well written and the point of view of the horse draws in the reader right away.

A "Must Read" for any horse lover!

For more about the author, visit http://gigiamateau.com/