As magnificent as the champion is, the team behind him has been all too human while on the road to immortality.Written by an award-winning New York Times sportswriter, American Pharoah is the definitive account not only of how the ethereal colt won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, but how he changed lives. Through extensive interviews, Drape explores the making of an exceptional racehorse, chronicling key events en route to history. Covering everything from the flamboyant owner's successful track record, the jockey's earlier heartbreaking losses, and the Hall of Fame trainer's intensity, Drape paints a stirring portrait of a horse for the ages and the people around him.

    A single mother of three, Harris was crippled by bipolar depression, until she discovered the miraculous healing and calming effect of horses—a revelation that ultimately enabled her to manage her illness, conquer the sexism of her field, and triumph as a champion jockey in the male-dominated world of horse racing. A fascinating, courageous, and ultimately redemptive true story, Long Shot has won high praise from Phyllis Chesler Ph.D., author of Women and Madness, who says, “[Harris’s] attempt to find balance, joy, connectedness, and purpose in life constitutes a great adventure story.”

    Horse Speak can be used by anyone who works with horses, whether riding instructor, colt starter, recreational rider, or avid competitor. It promises improved understanding of what a horse is telling you, and provides simple replies you can use to tell him that you “hear” him, you “get it,” and you have ideas you want to share with him, too.The result? Time with your horse will be full of what horse trainer and equine-assisted learning instructor Sharon Wilsie of Wilsie Way Horsemanship calls Conversations, and soon the all-too-common misunderstandings that occur between horse and human will evolve into civil discussions with positive and progressive results! Learn Horse Speak in 12 easy steps; understand equine communication via breath and body language; and discover the Four Gs of Horse Speak: Greeting, Going Somewhere, Grooming, and Gone. Practice regulating your intensity, and sample dozens of ready-made Conversations with your horse, as step-by-step templates and instructional color photographs walk you through the eye-opening process of communicating on a whole new level.

    Although unable to speak since the tragedy that took place on his eighth birthday, his words reach out to people across the globe. When he learns that more than a thousand Friesian stallions are being held by the U.S. pharmaceutical company, Pilatos Industries, he knows he has to do all he can to free them. The heir to Pilatos, the cool and efficient lawyer Karen Lawford, will do everything in her power to stop him. Karen's mother, a breeder of international show jumpers, notes that, "Those stallions represent an evil at the heart of Pilatos, and one wrongdoing is usually an indication of others." The extent of that evil becomes apparent as the release date of their new drug approaches. With Pilatos relying on the success of the revolutionary Stablex, there are no limits to what they will do to ensure Lane does not interfere with the Stablex stallions, which are needed to produce the drug. Lane tries to convince Karen that the stallions at Pilatos must be given their freedom, but his beliefs are losing the battle against the Pilatos creed of greed, and it is only when she learns the shocking truth of what lies at the centre of the laboratories that any change can take place… but is it too late for Lane? Sometimes, you only know how much you love someone once you lose them. The story takes you to The Spanish Riding School, the mountains of Austria and the wilds of America and Australia as Lane tries to reawaken Karen's love of horses and bring back the colour to her grey life. He believes she is the key to saving the stallions, but, since childhood, her father has taught her to put Pilatos ahead of all else, and that loyalty appears to be an insurmountable obstacle in his mission to free the stallions. A moving love story set against the greed of the corporate world. A story that explores what is important in life as the wisdom of Lane Dimity touches all those around him. You don't need to like horses to enjoy the book, but even the most experienced horse people will appreciate the knowledge shared by Lane. Quotes from readers: "I fell in love with Lane...where can I meet him? A great love story and I learned so much about horses." "I couldn't believe what Pilatos were doing, then I looked around where I work and I realised that is exactly what they would do. Chilling, enlightening and, thankfully, uplifting." "I read it for the horses and I wasn't disappointed. Lipizzaners, Friesians, Warmbloods, mustangs and others, presented knowledgably by a writer who knows horses. It left me with a lot to think about. I loved this book."

    B & W photographs and illustrations throughout.

    Also published under the title, A Horse Called Dragon.

    But she fell in love with the young horse, who had literally been born into her arms. The breeder finally said she could keep the colt, whom she nicknamed "Baby" – but only if she raced him.It was difficult to take Baby away from the safety of his pasture. But Normile had made a promise. Besides, horseracing had always come across as a glamorous blend of mint juleps and celebrity, of equine grace and speed. It was a vision she found appealing.And she fell hard for it, this "Sport of Kings." She experienced a thrill every time Baby sprinted around the track, edging out other horses. But the magic that enchants is a veneer. For every Seabiscuit, there are tens of thousands of racehorses whose lives end in pain and despair, with indifference and corruption that runs rampant through the world of horse racing.Normile knew none of this. Not until an accident on a poorly maintained track. That's when everything changed. That's when Normile founded the most successful horse rescue in the country, an organization that would go on to save more horses than anyone else ever had. That's when she knew she had no other choice.Saving Baby is Jo Anne Normile's story of perseverance and passion. A heartbreaking and ultimately life-affirming book, it testifies to the transcending power of hope, and the unshakeable bond of love.

    a fun read' - Horse & Hound Jockey Pat Vincent has ambitions to win the best races and become a wealthy sporting hero. But Pat knows his dreams will never be fulfilled so he's devised a brilliant new scam which, if discovered, would see him warned off for life. But first it's guaranteed to make him rich.Pat's girlfriend Zoe is starting her second full season as an apprentice jockey. A talented rider, she has a chance of becoming champion apprentice, if she's not side tracked by the disasters of her sister Harriet's unhappy marriage...Along the crumbling cliffs in Somerset a man walks his dog. Every day Andy Burns - Pat's partner-in-crime, Harriet's tortured husband - wrestles with the demons that haunt his life. But Andy would be better off keeping his thoughts on the ground - it's a long way down to the beach below.

    Through many delightful anecdotes, he demonstrates the majestic yet fragile reality which is Africa. Documenting his observations and often humorous interactions with his Zulu cohorts, Connell transports the reader to the timelessness of the tawny land he is so passionate about. Set in a time and a place of racial tension, the characters are united by a common goal and respect for each other.Having embarked on the road less travelled, Connell eloquently and enthusiastically describes his adventures in breath taking detail. His tales of the animal kingdom are wonderfully entertaining and informative. A must read for Africans and non-Africans alike, Msomi and Me will delight, amuse and inform from the beginning of the dream to the poignant ending.

    Into the rarefied atmosphere of wealth and tradition comes the most unlikely of horses—a drab white former plow horse named Snowman—and his rider, Harry de Leyer. They were the longest of all longshots—and their win was the stuff of legend. Harry de Leyer first saw the horse he would name Snowman on a bleak winter afternoon between the slats of a rickety truck bound for the slaughterhouse. He recognized the spark in the eye of the beaten-up horse and bought him for eighty dollars. On Harry’s modest farm on Long Island, the horse thrived. But the recent Dutch immigrant and his growing family needed money, and Harry was always on the lookout for the perfect thoroughbred to train for the show-jumping circuit—so he reluctantly sold Snowman to a farm a few miles down the road. But Snowman had other ideas about what Harry needed. When he turned up back at Harry’s barn, dragging an old tire and a broken fence board, Harry knew that he had misjudged the horse. And so he set about teaching this shaggy, easygoing horse how to fly. One show at a time, against extraordinary odds and some of the most expensive thoroughbreds alive, the pair climbed to the very top of the sport of show jumping. Here is the dramatic and inspiring rise to stardom of an unlikely duo, based on the insight and recollections of “the Flying Dutchman” himself. Their story captured the heart of Cold War–era America—a story of unstoppable hope, inconceivable dreams, and the chance to have it all. Elizabeth Letts’s message is simple: Never give up, even when the obstacles seem sky-high. There is something extraordinary in all of us.

    Marines. I nearly ran down a dog one night on a back road during a Kentucky rainstorm. The dog, it turned out, had been made to suffer and left to die in a crate. But his will to survive, his determination to overcome the many cruelties inflicted upon him, and the ultimate and unabated goodness that abided in him afterward, are the actual reason these pages bearing my name exist at all. I was profoundly wounded of heart and empty of purpose as I drove through the Kentucky darkness that night. I had recently returned from Iraq, the lone survivor of my squad, when my headlights bore through a sweeping rain to find him there, stumbled and fallen. Both of us being on that same road, on that night, and at that moment, was not an accidental happenstance but the poetry of fate. For as much as I saved a dogs life, he saved mine.

    Starving and frostbitten, the horses have trampled the ten-foot-deep snow into a narrow white prison. Those who reach them bring hay but also a gun, in case the horses are too far gone. A glint of life in the horses' eyes earns them the hay. The harrowing yet inspiring story of their near impossible rescue -- involving the volunteer efforts of an entire village, first the excavation of a trench six feet deep and over 3280 feet long, and then a nearly 20 mile descent at negative 40 degrees -- is sure to be read in one breathless sitting.

    Focusing on the 1999 Derby winner Charismatic, Mitchell traces this horse's amazing and ultimately tragic story, from the birth of a foal through its surprising rise to fame. Mitchell also follows the major players in Charismatic's life, including the family who bred him, the trainer, the owners, and the famed jockey Chris Antley, whose own story is more tragic than that of his horse. Through these interlocking stories a sense of familiarity with the key players in the industry evolves, as well as a greater understanding of the heart and soul of a sport that has fascinated human beings for centuries.

    "Odds on Favorite," Book Two, released April 9, 2012. Dawn never meant to hurt anyone. She never meant to live a lie; she never meant to fall in love. Sometimes things just happen. As the mysteries and excitement of Thoroughbred racing unfold, so do the details of Dawn Fioritto's life and past. While covering a story for the local newspaper, Dawn becomes captivated by an enchanting old man and with life behind the scenes at Nottingham Downs. She returns under the guise of writing a novel. For two years, she comes and goes, employed as a groom in relative obscurity. No one knows who she is, or where she's been. She is an enigma, harmless and protected, in a racing world where one lives only for the moment, where yesterday is gone, and where there may be no tomorrow. Until the day, some starts asking questions.... Critically acclaimed author MaryAnn Myers has done it again! As with her previous page-turning novels, Call Me Lydia and Maple Dale, she will keep you spellbound well into the night. Give in to the magic, settle back in your favorite chair and enjoy.

    She does a wonderful job of developing the characters and deals with difficult issues in a kid-friendly way. Readers will be quickly drawn into this story and want to keep reading. There are so many dimensions to this story--it is filled with humor, action, and emotion--a great read!” --Award-winning children's book author, Crystal Bowman.When Eclair's mother leaves home, Eclair and her little sister must go live on a farm with Stella, their eccentric grandma.“More and more, grandparents today are assuming the role of part-time or even full-time caregivers for their grandkids. In Eclair Goes to Stella's, we see how one grandmother bravely and creatively steps into this role to help her family through a difficult situation. I'm certain that children everywhere will be able to relate to the range of emotions that little Éclair faces as she struggles to adjust to her new living arrangements then begins to welcome the love and care her grandmother offers.” ~ Renee Gray-Wilburn, co-author of Grandparenting Through Obstacles: Overcoming Family Challenges to Reach Your Grandchildren for Christ (Pix-N-Pens, 2012).There is a growing trend in America—grandparents raising grandchildren. According to the AARP’s Grandfacts, “Across the United States, almost 7.8 million children are living in homes where grandparents or other relatives are the householders, with more than 5.8 million children living in grandparents’ homes and nearly 2 million children living in other relatives’ homes. These families are often called grandfamilies.”