FICTION:
HUNT
by Jan Neuharth (Paper Chase Farms Publishing Group, 2003)
With hounds in full cry, this murder mystery set in the Virginia hunt country takes the reader on a wild gallop from page one to the final period. Doug Cummings, lawyer and horseman, becomes the target of a perverted scheme to frame him for a brutal homicide. Death spirals out of control as three more murders shock the community while a mean-spirited cop with a personal vendetta against the elite, horsy-set leads the investigation, exacerbating the rising tide of fear in the community. A little girl is kidnapped and held as bait while the murderer seeks personal revenge. Finally, even Doug Cummings’ lawyer begins to doubt his innocence – despite the passion building between them. Is the spilt blood the product of a serial killer or Doug’s latent sexual desire? Horses, hounds and the lore of foxhunting keeps the reader riding straight-on as the plot twists, circles back, and runs under the tangled brush of love, scandal, and vengeance.
HORSEPLAY: A NOVEL
by Judy Reene Singer (Broadway, Sept. 2004)
“Men are like horses. If they’re even-tempered and sweet you stay on for a ride. If they buck around, you get off before you get hurt.” So says Judy Van Brunt, as she leaves her philandering husband (his third infidelity) to head for a horse stable in the hills of North Carolina, singing along to Will Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.” Arriving at Sankt Mai Stables, she lives with – and finds solace – with three other women, a rude teenage, and a barn full of horses. She discovers the glamorous world of competitive horse shows as well as the grimy underbelly. Despite the fact, Judy has sworn men off, they keep coming and Judy finds herself on one side of a love triangle that threatens to unseat her. Singer’s debut novel, “Horseplay,” will strike a note with those that have found animals to be the best friend and anchor in their lives. It’s a tale that resonates with wit and the special wisdom found only among independent women in the company of horses.
BLUE HORSE DREAMING
by Melaine Wallace (MacAdam/Cage Publishing, Oct. 2003)
According to Indian legend, the blue roan horse is dreamed into existence, lives with the dreamer and departs with the dreamer. And so it is for Abigail Burwell. Abused by her father and later her husband, Abigail is captured by the Indians along with another white woman. While Abigail survives by finding renewal with the Indians, the other captive endures by spite. Both live and are finally traded back into the white man’s world at a forsaken frontier outpost. Riding her blue roan into the fort, pregnant Abigail sees white society as punitive, culturally inferior and barbaric. Re-integration is not possible. She begins her long journey toward isolation despite the efforts of the sympathetic but impotent commanding officer and the fort farrier. Abigail believes her time with the Indians to be the span in which she was born (or reborn) and when she lived – an entire lifetime on the open prairie compressed in a few short years. The tale, well written, marches to a harsh dirge, yet acknowledges the dignity of the human condition even when it spirals downward.
HOTSPUR
By Rita Mae Brown (Ballantine Books, Nov. 2002)
From the rolling hills of Virginia, Brown has crafted yet another novel of the foxhunting set with all of its people, horses, dogs, cats and wild creatures. When the MFH Jane “Sister” Arnold of Jefferson Hunt begins burying a dead horse, she finds a human skeleton in the intended gravesite. Could this be Nola Bancroft, the philandering beauty who disappeared 21 years earlier? Sister and her huntsman set out to unravel the old mystery, uncovering along the way the body of Guy Ramy, Nola’s lover from years past. Then, the murderer surfaces, killing again and in the killing tips the scales of justice. Brown’s foxhunting series is a favorite of mine, rich in the lore and tradition of foxhunting. Her animal characters talk with each other and ultimately help the humans unravel any mystery. Brown captures the petty politics of class in a small town, the camaraderie among hunt members, and the nuances of hunting with hounds. “Hotspur” reads well for those that enjoy a good mystery or those that thrill to a strike hound’s opening bay. Brown’s latest Jefferson County novel is a must-read page-turner.
INSIDE TRACK
by Francone, John (St. Martin's Minotaur October 2004)
Like Dick Francis? Then grab John Francone’s book. It’s a race from beginning to end. Jamie Hutchinson has just been released from prison for killing a teenager while driving drunk. He wants to pick up the reins of his life by returning to the steeplechase circuit. But, in the meantime, there’s the drug dealer and his girlfriend who are slaughtered in the first few pages, the traumatized father of the teen that Jamie killed, and the mysterious deaths of those that might remember how the teenager really died. In the middle of it all, Jamie, hounded and beset with guilt, struggles to rebuild his life. While this is a standard mystery, it infused with adrenaline-pumping chapters that make for a great read for those that enjoy the world of horses and jockeys.
AT RISK
by Kit Ehrman (I Books, October 2003)
Another good mystery for crime fans, this time set on a Maryland horse farm among the hunter-jumper set. Stephen Cline takes on the job of barn manager at Foxdale Farm after his father disowns him. While medicating a sick horse late one night, Stephen interrupts a gang of horse thieves making off with several of his thoroughbreds. Abducted, Stephen manages to escape and decides he must track down the thieves before they strike again – or come after him. His friends come to his aid in their various ways. There is his buddy Marty who is somewhat girl-crazy, Mrs. Hill who acts as farm manager and ersatz-while mother figure, and love interest Rachel, a boarder at the stable. The reader can almost smell the horses, hay and sweat as the plot gallops forward. Author Kit Ehrman spent years in the company of horses as a groom, veterinary assistant and barn manager before picking up the pen. His love and knowledge of horses permeates his writing.
NON-FICTION:
AN ACCIDENTAL COWBOY
by Jameson Parker (Thomas Dunne Books, October 2003)
Remember a star of the 1980s TV show “Simon and Simon,” Jameson Parker? When Parker was actually shot by a crazed neighbor, he left Hollywood for ranch life, physically recovered but psychologically wounded. This is his memoir of how, as an urban man, he returned from near death and depression to ride the range with modern day cowboys. Written with toughness and poignancy, the “Accidental Cowboy” captures more than the path to recovery. It reflects the search for self and soul on the land, among and with animals, marching to a less harried drummer. A good read for anyone who has considered leaving city life behind for the open range and ranch living. It’s not easy.
101 JUMPING EXERCISES FOR HORSE & RIDER
by Allen, Linda L. with Dennis, Dianna R. (Storey Books, 2002)
A straightforward “how to” workbook that begins with walk-trot exercises for riders new to jumping and continues with exercises for veteran competition riders seeking a new perspective or tune-up. Intermediate exercises, advanced jumping patterns and gymnastic exercises are included to help the horse and rider work as a team to build skills and confidence. Each exercise includes a setup diagram and written instructions on how to ride the pattern with a step-by-step explanation. Exercise benefits are succinctly stated and boxed in the margins for ready reference – and for keeping the rider on track. Drawings of the correct position for the rider as well as a diagram of the exercise are included. Spiral bound, the book has holes in the top of the exercise pages for ease of hanging in a barn or riding arena. A glossary of terms and an index round out the information. “101 Jumping Exercises” is an excellent reference book for the professional horsemen, riding instructor as well as the beginning rider over fences.
COWGIRLS: EARLY IMAGES AND COLLECTIBLES
by Judy Crandall (Scheffer Publishing Ltd., 1994)
Not entirely new but still a great gift, this coffee table book is a fun sash-shay through western memorabilia. Images included herein are from that age when cowgirls competed in rodeo events alongside men. There are also biographical sketches of many of the gals that rode, roped, and ranched between 1900 –1940. Old sepia postcards, once commonly sold at the rodeo or local drugstore, are presented as collectors’ items. Pictures of saddles and memorabilia of rodeos long past, in full color, further offer a nostalgic trot through the west that was.
WAR ADMIRAL
by Edward L. Bowen (Blood-Horse, Inc., June 2002)
Number seventeen in the Thoroughbred legend series, this account of War Admiral is well researched and presents the little brown horse as a paradox extraordinary. War Admiral, an unprepossessing diminutive brown colt, did not favor his famous chestnut sire, Man O’ War, in size, looks or presence. Voted Horse of the Year in 1937, the Admiral won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. Yet it is for his loss in the 1938 match race to Seabiscuit that is most often remembered with ‘Biscuit winning by four lengths as he set a new track record. At stud, however, War Admiral did pass on his proud heritage by siring 40 stakes winners. Other books in the Thoroughbred series include “John Henry,” “Ruffian,” “Affirmed and Alydar.” For racing fans, this series tacks-up with solid facts, gallops forward with a concise racing record and crosses the finish line as a plain good read. Each author for the various books is a knowledgeable and articulate horseman.
A HORSE FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING AND OTHER STORIES
by Gordon Grand (Durydale Press, 2001)
Originally penned for the author’s family and friends at Christmas, this lovely collection of letters, notes and essays has been gathered into one volume and published for the general horse lover. The book is filled with good old-fashioned morality tales with children, animals and adults combining their lives in heart-warming ways that will bring a catch to your throat, a tear to your eye or a smile to your face. An entertaining and maybe nostalgic read for a winter afternoon or as a gift for a horse lover in your circle.
MAJESTIC HORSE
by Gabriele Boiselle (Barnes & Noble Books, 2004)
A coffee table photographic display of horses from lands far and near, breeds common and exotic. Described and captured herein is the Baputo pony of the Bantu tribe in Africa, Criollos of the Argentinean gauchos, Marwari horses of Rajasthan, India, bred for war and sporting unique curving ears. There are pictures of the Comtois draught horses with their huge shoulders and gentle giant ways from the French Swiss border as well as the more common Belgium draught. A book sure to fascinate those that enjoy looking at horses from different base stock, other lands and different working roles.
A YEAR AT THE RACES
by Jane Smiley (Knopf, April 2004)
Smiley, author of the wildly popular “Horse Heaven” and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Literature for “A Thousand Acres,” records her observations and comments on the horses and racetrack backside. Smiley examines the nuances of horses and the people who build their lives around them. She leads the reader into the individuality of each horse giving an irresistible account of her equine love affair. “Horse Heaven” is based, in part, on this collection. Smiley owns a string of racehorses that she manages with a mixture of business acumen, gut-level impulse and racing dreams. It is one of my favorite non-fiction reads this year.
IN SERVICE TO THE HORSE: CHRONICLES OF A LABOR OF LOVE
by Susan Nusser (Little Brown, April 2004)
Nusser was the groom and later chief groom to the horses in the stable of David and Karen O’Connor, equestrian Olympian medal winners. Her account of her years with the O’Connors is indeed a labor of love. According to one study, the horse industry in the United States equates to $25.3 billion, which, simply, put is a lot of love and a lot of labor. Nusser covers the behind-the-scenes grit and grime of the highly competitive circuit along which eventers gallop. Like most people, Nusser cannot articulate why she loves horses, she just does. This book will add to the lore and knowledge of the horse world, especially the world of three day-eventing. It touches on the privileged, their money, and the simple horse-human relationship.
HORSE PEOPLE: SCENES FROM THE RIDING LIFE
by Michael Korda (HarperCollins, October 2003)
From his youth into adulthood, Korda had an enchantment and growing involvement with horses. In this collection of essays, Korda generally ignores the usual social and political symbolism of the horse. Instead he opts to provide the reader with anecdotes gathered from a lifetime involvement with horses and the famous as well as the not so famous in the horse world. Korda apparently views the horse as neither pet nor working animal but as an entity that has not only survived but thrives in the modern world somehow enriching the lives of humans along the way. Korda’s accounts take the reader from hacks in New York’s Central Park to the Mecca of the horsy-set Middleburg, Virginia, and even south on vacation to Mexico.
THE DIVORCE SEEKERS: A PHOTO MEMOIR OF A NEVADA DUDE WRANGLER
by William and Sandra McGee (BMC Publications, 2004)
Here is an unusual peek into the west that was. During the mid-1900s, Reno, Nevada, became the epicenter for two uniquely western industries: dude ranching and the divorce trade. After a mere six weeks of residency, a person could untie, and retie if they choose to, the marital knot in hours. Dubbed the divorce capitol of the world, Reno became “home” to the rich, the famous, and the infamous. Some came to establish residency while others just enjoyed dropping in for a drink or spending a few days with the cowboys and horses on the Flying M E Ranch. Names like Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Joan Allison and others peppered the guest list. This American West epoch may have passed into dust but William L. McGee and his wife artfully capture and preserve this slice of western history. McGee worked as wrangler on the Flying M E Ranch, an exclusive dude ranch that catered to wealthy Easterners and Hollywood celebrities. He has collected over 500 photographs chronicling those halcyon days and written memories and stories of the guests – some personal and others just entertaining. Included are snippets from newspapers, diaries, and conversations that illustrate the west as it metamorphosed from wild to dude to urban sprawl. McGee writes of memories of trail rides, breakfasts cooked on the open range, rodeos, favorite guest “watering holes”, the mountains, the ranch and the rolling land with humor, poignancy, and care. A good coffee table book with more than just pretty pictures.