Horse Sports

Isaac Murphy, born enslaved in 1861, still reigns as one of the greatest jockeys in American history. Black jockeys like Murphy were at the top of the most popular sport in America at the end of the nineteenth century. They were internationally famous, the first African American superstar athletes—and with wins in three Kentucky Derbies and countless other prestigious races, Murphy was the greatest of them all.

As the woman who trained the great Best Mate to win three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups, no one could be better qualified than Henrietta Knight to discover what makes today's top jumps trainers succeed. From eccentric, outspoken Yorkshireman Mick Easterby to elegant, aristocratic Venetia Williams; from Irish wizard Willie Mullins to perfectionist champion trainer Paul Nicholls and young pretender Dan Skelton, here is a dazzling cast of extraordinary characters, all with their quirks and foibles but with one single-minded ambition - finding first-class horses and training them.

Tony (A. P.) McCoy has collected a record 20 consecutive jump jockey titles to date, and since 1992 he has ridden over 4,300 winners. This powerfully honest memoir looks at life at the very top in National Hunt racing - and beyond, discussing fatherhood, writing novels and his decision to retire while he's still a long way ahead. It is a definitive autobiography that is themed around A. P.'s 10 most important races: his first ride, first race, first fall, first win, greatest disappointment - and greatest triumph.

Barry Geraghty is an Irish horseracing legend. From his first win in 1997 he has gone on to ride almost 2,000 winners, making him the fourth most accomplished rider of all time. With more wins at Cheltenham than any other jockey riding today, he has worked with all the greats - Moscow Flyer, Kicking King, Monty’s Pass. But while they have retired, he has kept on going....

Who hasn't felt lost, unwanted, or worthless? Sabre felt all of those things and more...until he met a force more powerful, moving, and awe inspiring than any other power that exists in the universe....

The forthright, fascinating memoir of Peter Moody, trainer of Black Caviar and one of Australia's most high-profile and best-liked racing identities. The classic story of a boy from the bush who worked his way from outback Queensland all the way to Royal Ascot. As a kid growing up in tiny Wyandra, Peter Moody learned to ride almost before he could walk. Horses were part of life, and as a teenager working for local trainers he learned many lessons - some of them painful - as he built his understanding of them. A mate's introduction got him a stablehand's job for the legendary trainer Tommy Smith in Sydney, and his life changed forever.

Kieren Fallon was one of the world's greatest jockeys, but his career was littered with controversial incidents. Now, in his powerful and honest autobiography, he tells all. Unabridged audio read by Frank Grimes. British Champion Jockey six times - without terrifying injury and mental trauma it could have been many more - he won more than 2,250 races, including the Derby three times, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe twice, and more 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas (nine) than anyone else in the history of the sport.

This wonderful 1980 horse racing classic never loses its luster or charm. Author Bill Barich explores the day-to-day internal world of horse racing - from the backside to the backstretch. This entertaining story of the lives and tribulations of various racetrack personalities is sure to extract every human emotion. The author's summer adventure after a family tragedy finds him living the life many diehard racing enthusiasts wish they could.

A quarter of a million people braved miserable conditions at Epsom Downs on June 2, 1954, to see the 175th running of the prestigious Derby Stakes. Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Winston Churchill were in attendance, along with thousands of Britons who were all convinced of the unfailing superiority of English bloodstock and eager to see a British colt take the victory. They were shocked when a Kentucky-born chestnut named Never Say Die galloped to a two-length triumph at odds of 33-1.

It was the upset to end all upsets. On 8 April 1967 at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, a 100-1 outsider in peculiar blinkers sidestepped chaos extraordinary even by the Grand National's standards and won the world's toughest steeplechase. The jumps-racing establishment - and Gregory Peck, the Hollywood actor whose much-fancied horse was reduced to the status of an also-ran - took a dim view. But Foinavon, the dogged victor, and Susie, the white nanny goat who accompanied him everywhere, became instant celebrities.

Tausende von Likes hat die Social Media-Seite vom Arschlochpferd, die augenzwinkernd die Online- und Offline-Gemeinschaft der Reiterinnen und Reiter beleuchtet - dieses Buch präsentiert das Phänomen in gedruckter Form mit komplett neuen, witzigen und auch herrlich bissigen Beiträgen. Denn heutzutage ist es mit Reitstunden und Boxenmisten längst nicht mehr getan. Inzwischen scheint es so, dass die gemeinen Reiterinnen und Reiter mehr damit beschäftigt sind, sich selbst in den sozialen Netzwerken zu präsentieren.

Each year on the first Saturday in May, the world turns its attention to the twin spires of Churchill Downs for the high-stakes excitement of the "greatest two minutes in sports," the Kentucky Derby. No American sporting event can claim the history, tradition, or pageantry that the Kentucky Derby holds. For more than 130 years, spectators have been fascinated by the magnificent horses that run the Louisville track. Thoroughbreds such as Secretariat and Barbaro have earned instant international fame.

In Praise of Famous Horses is an A-Z companion to perhaps the most loved of all domesticated animals. The book's entries include a wealth of unexpected, fascinating and serendipitous information, from horse-slang phrases to horses in British pub signs and from the horse in advertising to the horse as a food item. Themes such as the horse in warfare and the horse in folklore abound.

Emma Sterling is back, and she brings with her a surprise that shocks everyone who knows her - even Ophelia! This exciting conclusion to the highly acclaimed Horse Gone Silent trilogy will satisfy you and warm your heart, as you return to the stable at Hound Hollow and Emma’s hometown, then make an unpredictable stop with new characters that will have you raving for Brielle’s Promise.

Pferde verstehen, erziehen und trainieren - Das große Pferdehörbuch. Gerade Anfänger, Kinder und Jugendliche, die bisher wenig Erfahrung mit dem Reitsport machen konnten, sind oft von vielen Fragen und Zweifeln geplagt: Ist Reiten wirklich mein neues Hobby? Wie finde ich das richtige Pferd für mich? Welche Ausrüstung benötige ich? Wie halte ich ein Pferd artgerecht und naturnah? Kann ich mir das Reiten überhaupt leisten? Vertrauen auch Sie auf diesen 360-Grad-Pferderatgeber und vermeiden Sie alle Anfängerfehler.

Jockeys who earn a living race riding on racehorses are a remarkable group. They are fiercely competitive on the racecourse but enjoy a tribal kinship in the weighing room. This book celebrates these warriors on horseback, both old and new. The book takes a tour of Aintree's weighing room, tracks a day in the life of a Derby-winning jockey and investigates the twin challenges faced by jockeys: inevitable injuries and 24/7 weight management.

Being a stable lass is probably one of the hardest jobs in the country, and yet for Gemma Hogg it is the most rewarding. She works in the beautiful Yorkshire market town of Middleham, and if her colleagues are occasionally challenging, then the horses are downright astonishing. Now, in Stable Lass, she takes us into the closed world of a top racing yard, from the elation of having several winners in one day to the almost indescribable grief of losing a horse.

Was einst mit einem Satire-Projekt auf Social Media begonnen hat, ist mit über 50.000 Followern und tausenden von verkauften Büchern längst zum Kultphänomen in der Reiterwelt geworden. Immer noch nimmt der Blog Arschlochpferd täglich die Online- und Offline-Gemeinschaft der Reiterinnen und Reiter aufs Korn – und auch diese Fortsetzung vom Buch zur Seite präsentiert wieder brandneue, urkomisch-bissige Geschichten über die Kuriositäten des Reiterlebens. Denn ein Pferd zu haben oder zu betreuen reicht in Zeiten der sozialen Netzwerke bekanntlich noch lange nicht.

The story of one of racing's earliest dynasties, the historic Belair Stud, began with William Woodward's childhood memories of grand days at the racetrack, inspiring dreams of breeding a champion or two of his own. Woodward turned those dreams into reality, building Belair Stud on his family's Maryland estate, launching what would become the preeminent thoroughbred breeding and racing empire in America and chasing racing's biggest prizes in both the United States and England.

When asked in an interview what he most liked about rodeo, three-time world champion saddle-bronc rider “Cody” Bill Smith said simply, “Horses that buck.” Smith redefined the image of America’s iconic cowboy. Determined as a boy to escape a miner’s life in Montana, he fantasized a life in rodeo and went on to earn thirteen trips to the national finals, becoming one of the greatest of all riders.