There is an interesting article in the NY Times about the subject of the book A Very Young Dancer, and how her life changed after the book came out. It would be so great if they did a group of articles about the subjects of all the books in that series.
Oh wow, I was obsessed with A Very Young Rider back in the late 70’s! I wanted to be her. Wish I still had the book actually. Can someone fill me in on how her career developed (if it did).
This article is a couple years old but basically gives an update to the story!!!
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In the 2006? reprint of A Very Young Rider they included the article that CoTH did on Vivi Malloy. That article is online if you google A Very Young Rider Grows Up. Vivi seemed to come through pretty well. They also included Ready Penny’s obituary. I was living in Hawaii in the early 90’s and was at the barn and picked up a Chronicle someone had left behind. When I saw Penny’s obit I burst into tears. People asked me what was wrong, and all I could sob was “Penny died!”. Keep in mind I was 19 when the book came out and was in my 30’s when Penny died. Book had an impact on my life? I’d say so!
A girl I went to summer camp with was a friend of the girl featured in A Very Young Gymnast. I thought it was very cool that I knew Susie 
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Vivi’s older sister Debbie passed away after a riding accident last winter. Very sad.
COTH thread:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=293781
I read all of those books when I was young and purchased A Very Young Rider a couple of years ago when they reprinted it to give to my then seven year old young rider. I got so choked up reading the part about Vivi outgrowing Penny to her. I have wondered how the little girl, Torrance York, from A Very Young Gymnast ended up. I would love to see a follow up series.
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I still think it is beyond cool that Ready Penny ended up at our very own Virginia Bred’s Otteridge Farm. 
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[QUOTE=Limerick;5966909]
I still think it is beyond cool that Ready Penny ended up at our very own Virginia Bred’s Otteridge Farm. [/QUOTE]
Yes, very cool!
I remember Vivi and Debbie when I was young and Mrs. Malloy as well… Their farm was not that far from Coach House Stables (The Jungherr’s farm in Westchester, NY) where I spent every waking hour:)
I well remember Penny too and seeing the Malloys at the horses shows…and their dark green horse van with Edition Farm on the side.
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Here’s a link to a promotional article about Torrance York, she’s now a photographer: http://www.mofflymedia.com/Moffly-Publications/New-Canaan-Darien-Magazine/April-2008/Torrance-York/
However, they also talk about her gymnastics career in the book “Until It Hurts” about the damage that intensive sports training and competition have on children.
Here’s the wedding announcement from the NY Times in 2001:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/13/style/weddings-torrance-york-gregory-walters.html
Does anyone remember a similar book about a girl that went on to the Maclay’s on a thoroughbred off the track? (at least…my recollection was that he was off the track) It had a blue border and was a big square book with lots of pictures. She was older though, not a little kid…a teenager.
I’d love to find that one to put on my “favorite horsebooks that I read obsessively as a kid” shelf!
[QUOTE=OneGrayPony;5967625]
Does anyone remember a similar book about a girl that went on to the Maclay’s on a thoroughbred off the track? (at least…my recollection was that he was off the track) It had a blue border and was a big square book with lots of pictures. She was older though, not a little kid…a teenager.
I’d love to find that one to put on my “favorite horsebooks that I read obsessively as a kid” shelf![/QUOTE]
I’m pretty sure it’s called “Show Rider” - the one with a girl named Kerri and her horse Cinema I. I have it at home on my shelf of cool older horse books (along with A Very Young Rider).
YES! That’s IT!!!
Yay!!! Someone else remembers it. That makes me very very happy.
<now goes off to search for a copy>
<I’m pretty sure it’s called “Show Rider” - the one with a girl named Kerri and her horse Cinema I.>
I remember that book too!!
Who wrote “Show Rider”?
Yes, a favorite from when I was young.
Tx.
Was Show Rider the book that had a drawing of a horse and rider on the cover, rider had the round number that you put in the back collar of your jacket?
I am remembering him as a grey?
What was the name of the skater in “A Very Young Skater”?
I actually only ever read A Very Young Rider. I’m kind of surprised that the Dancer turned out to be really such a flash in the pan choice. I know from Suzanne Farrel’s book what SAB’s rules about attending class are, and they aren’t kidding about not skipping.
I just thought it was awesome she had all those ribbons in her room and coveted the barn her pony lived in…
Katherine Healy was the focus of “A Very Young Skater”.
So interesting how these kids in the The Very Young Series seem to have it all yet a couple ended up resenting their books. I know Vivi Malloy said in the re-published edition of A Very Young Rider that her life was different after the book came out and she seemed to resent the book, just like Stephanie resented her ballet book.
MHM, your thread has prompted many to read A Young Rider Grows up- it’s currently one of the most popular articles.
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I think it must be hard for anyone to imagine how much an experience like that could change things. I’m sure it sounded innocuous enough at the time when the author approached each family. Then after the book drew so much attention, it was too late to wonder if the child would have been better off maintaining more privacy.
Think of Lindsay Lohan and so many of her type, though of course the child actors became famous on a much bigger scale.
MHM, your thread has prompted many to read A Young Rider Grows up- it’s currently one of the most popular articles.
Too funny. If anybody tracks things like that, that person must be scratching his/her head! :lol:
Though that article could use a little update in light of more recent events.
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;5968128]
Was Show Rider the book that had a drawing of a horse and rider on the cover, rider had the round number that you put in the back collar of your jacket?
I am remembering him as a grey?[/QUOTE]
The horse in Show Rider was a Chestnut. The cover is blue and has a photo of Kerri & Cinema on it.
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