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The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts


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The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts (2011, Ballantine Books) was an enjoyable read from start to finish. It's a good story about a flea-bitten gray grade horse who was bought off a killer's truck and became a girl' school lesson-horse, and a national show-jumping champion.

 

The story is well-told, with good pacing and the right amount of sentiment. You really root for the horse and his Dutch-immigrant owner, and never feel sticky from too much sweetness and light.

 

The photos are great, (though there could have been more of them) but the book is a real page-turner. If you weep at the end, it will be with happiness.

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Is it a true story?

 

For those who like that sort of thing, I can recommend two books that are based on true stories or experiences:

 

1. Skyrocket: The Story of a Little Bay Horse, by Margaret Cabell Self. I first read this as a child and when I tried to find it again as an adult, I had to do a lot of searching. It didn't help that I couldn't remember the author. I finally find a used former library copy and was glad to read it again. It's illustrated by Sam Savitt, whose work Marguerite Henry fans will recognize. This is a work of fiction, but is based on real-life experiences of the author, a well-known horsewoman.

 

2. Renegade Champion: The Unlikely Rise of Fitzrada by Richard Rust. This is a true story told by the son of Jane Pohl, whose father bought her the renegade Fitzrada when he was about to be destroyed by the U.S. Army in Hawaii (he had started out as a promising Army mount, but mistreatment and overuse turned him into the renegade of the title). Through patience and perserverance, Jane is able to turn Fitzrada around and together they became famous as cross-overs from the hunter ring (where women were largely relegated at that time) to the show jumper ring, which was considered the purview of men (this was when the Olympic equestrian teams were all fielded by the various nations' armies). It's likely the Richard Rust has filled in some blanks, so the book can't necessarily be considered completely factual, but especially for folks who love horses and show jumping and know of the places mentioned in the book (the family ended up in Leesburg, VA, so much of the story takes place in and around Virginia), it's definitely a good read. My sister was here weekend before last and couldn't put it down....

 

J.

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It's illustrated by Sam Savitt, whose work Marguerite Henry fans will recognize.

 

A bit off the main topic, but Wesley Dennis was the primary illustrator for Marguerite's work. Sam and Wesley both frequently used a loose pencil sketch style (not sure of the proper term), which is probably why you were thinking of Sam.

 

I :wub: them both, along with C.W. Anderson. :)

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Is it a true story?

 

For those who like that sort of thing, I can recommend two books that are based on true stories or experiences:

 

1. Skyrocket: The Story of a Little Bay Horse, by Margaret Cabell Self. I first read this as a child and when I tried to find it again as an adult, I had to do a lot of searching. It didn't help that I couldn't remember the author. I finally find a used former library copy and was glad to read it again. It's illustrated by Sam Savitt, whose work Marguerite Henry fans will recognize. This is a work of fiction, but is based on real-life experiences of the author, a well-known horsewoman.

 

2. Renegade Champion: The Unlikely Rise of Fitzrada by Richard Rust. This is a true story told by the son of Jane Pohl, whose father bought her the renegade Fitzrada when he was about to be destroyed by the U.S. Army in Hawaii (he had started out as a promising Army mount, but mistreatment and overuse turned him into the renegade of the title). Through patience and perserverance, Jane is able to turn Fitzrada around and together they became famous as cross-overs from the hunter ring (where women were largely relegated at that time) to the show jumper ring, which was considered the purview of men (this was when the Olympic equestrian teams were all fielded by the various nations' armies). It's likely the Richard Rust has filled in some blanks, so the book can't necessarily be considered completely factual, but especially for folks who love horses and show jumping and know of the places mentioned in the book (the family ended up in Leesburg, VA, so much of the story takes place in and around Virginia), it's definitely a good read. My sister was here weekend before last and couldn't put it down....

 

J.

It is a true story - in all it's particulars. I remember the pictorial articles in LIFE magazine. (Yeah, I am that old...)

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You're right Megan, and as I wrote that I thought, "Am I thinking of the right illustrator?" Obviously I wasn't, lol! I know we had his posters and probably some of his prints too, as children.

 

P.S. I loved CW Andedrson too. My mother was an artist and lover of horses and as a consequence we were raised with horses and of course they were one of the first things I learned to draw.

 

J.

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A bit off the main topic, but Wesley Dennis was the primary illustrator for Marguerite's work. Sam and Wesley both frequently used a loose pencil sketch style (not sure of the proper term), which is probably why you were thinking of Sam.

 

I :wub: them both, along with C.W. Anderson. :)

 

I love the Billy and Blaze books!! Stories are great, drawing are amazing!

 

I always look for those (along with the old hard cover Marguerite Henry books) when I go to library or school book sales.

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  • 3 months later...

I really enjoyed reading this book! I grew up loving horses from day one, and got sucked into the world of hunter-jumpers. I remember watching Harry De Leyer competing when the big "A-rated" show took place in the summer. By then, Snowman was long retired, but it was still thrilling watching Harry ride in the Grand Prix. It was so interesting reading about his life leading up to his career as a professional horseman.

 

Also, in response to the other posts, I must have read every book by Marguerite Henry and C.W. Anderson when I was growing up. I also practiced a lot of drawing and painting of horses based on C.W.'s, Sam Savitt and Wesley Dennis's work. Paul Brown, too - remember him?

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