Hey guys- if you look in Jody’s third book, “In Colt Blood” you’ll see an in loving memory to Brenda Starr. She went to wait at the rainbow bridge in 1997. (for those of you who have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, go to the thread concerning with how to deal with an aging or dying horse)
still here Kat! it always take a minute or so for me to actually break away from the BB!
But i’m leaving soon…
My favorite D. Francis books (can’t recall the titled, anyone help?) to recommend:
The one about the semi-estranged son whose wealthy father who decides to buy part of a racehorse… and someone seems to be trying to kill the dad and he asks the son to help protect him? And the dad has a couple of ex-wives and several kids who may be suspects?
And…
The one about the colt who is syndicated at stud and his foals start being born deformed? That was a good one.
JenniferS
That’s HOT MONEY, JenniferS…W.
[This message has been edited by Weatherford (edited 05-27-2000).]
About the Jilly Cooper novel Riders. yes, it is based on British riders, and yes, some of them are still riding. Just look really carefully at the british team and you can start to figure out who is who. FYI, the character of Jake was loosely based on a rider from Europe who did run off with another team members wife.
The story is that the british equestrian community gave Cooper “cart blanche” at shows, to totally immerse herself in the equestrian experience. When the book came out, several riders, who the characters are based on, were so upset that they tried to stop further publication of the book. She was cut off from the show jumping community in the UK. There is a BBC mini-series based on the book which would be an absolute hoot to see. So, yes, the characters in the book are totally based on UK riders! My mother-in-law, who is Irish told me this. She thinks Eddie Macken is God!
GailD–that’s a very good, but also very unsentimental book! Changes the way you look at things, too, at least IMHO.
I agree that Sweet William is a wonderful, if sad/bittersweet, book. I also liked Cormac MacCarthey’s (spelling?) All the Pretty Horses. This is a coming-of-age novel about an adolescent boy in the west (somewhat like My Friend Flicka), but it’s a grown-up book and well-written.
Regarding an earlier post, the Mignon Eberhart novel is “Hunt with the Hounds” a murder mystery set in Middleburg. The color & details are right on (for the late 50’s when it was written) but anyone expecting a strong heroine will be disappointed. A copy is available in a tack shop in VA that carries used horse books.
Cat lovers will also like “Ring of Fear” by MacCaffrey (mentioned above); one of the main characters is a Maine Coon Cat! I fell in love with the breed all due to the authors discription of that cat!
Sky Rocket by Self is set in the Essex Junior Cavalry which Self ran. Wonderful if you can find it.
Show Gypsies by Leigh Brown is HOT HOT HOT on eBay. I sold my copy, good w/ dust jacket torn privately for $125!! It’s a good read, probably way too familiar for some of you! LOL
I got the entire video of Riders last week. All 210 minutes of it. It’s a bit kitsch, it’s VERY pretty, the acting isn’t too wonderful and the hairnets are from the 15th century, but oooooooh do they have some nice horses. Of course, they’re only jumping about 4-4 1/2’, but as “horsey” films go it wasn’t too bad.
The other Books threads:
(The best one!)http://www.chronofhorse.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000360.html http://www.chronofhorse.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000431.html http://www.chronofhorse.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000742.html http://www.chronofhorse.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000902.html
Anne-
it was carolyn banks i was thinking of but i’m glad you brought up the jody jaffe books. there is a character in one of her books that is based loosely on one of my good friend’s mother! first and last name rhyme, I believe. I meant to pick up one of those from the good friend but forgot about it entirely until you mentioned it.Thanks!
Finzean, whaddaya think about this: We start a horse story thread, and then everyone adds to it. Ideally, it would be funny, yet readable by teenagers, NO smut. Moesha might have to dial back a bit. Think it could work?
Maybe this is a stab in the dark, but here goes. The farm that was burned down contained very nice, very expensive show horses (the book uses Morgans) and the owner of the farm was a black man very deeply involved in the entertainment industry. The detectives initially wondered if the fire wasn’t set by some good old boy who didn’t appreciate a rich, black man owning such a nice piece of Virginia (very much a southern state). So, I guess I should reword this and ask does anyone think maybe P. Cornwell used Slamander Farm as her inspiration for her farm owner. Not so much that the book itself is about Salamander Farm. I hope I’m right in thinking this is the farm owned by the BET exec…if I’m wrong, let me know, I’ll be in my closet looking for the hair shirt! 
John Francombe/James MacGregor also writes horsey books in the style of DF. Good reading! They are out of print according to amazon.com but if you check out the used book stores you might find a few. Tiles are Riding High, Stud Poker, Blood Stock and a few others.
I really loved Horse Heaven and have given it as “thank you” gifts to trainers and to friends. Everyone loves it. I’m also working on my own book (targeted at pre-teens/early teens) on the horse show world, competition, horsemanship, and friendship–nothing syrupy, slice of life (I am, however, omitting the x-rated stuff…). Wish me luck (I’m fitting this into a 60 hour work week, and of course, life as PonyMom!
Did anyone ever read a torrid romance novel steeped in the European show jumping scene titled “Riders.” ?? It was ala Danielle Steele romance novel, but some of my friends in “the know” swore many of the characters were very closely linked to active riders – at that time. This was a good ten years ago, but it was an entertaining read. Howeve, some of the classics, like the Rudyard Kipling about the polo pony are great. Love Dick Francis too.
Oh, man. Now I have to find time in the next few days to make a Barnes and Noble run. My vote for “Fun (but mindless) adult horse book” is “Fall”, by Kai Maristad. I believe her son is/was an eq. rider, so the details are great. Loosely based on the horse killings. It was actually in stock at the bookstore when I went looking, so I imagine it would be easy to find.
LoriO, I went to Amazon.com and could not find Endless Summer by Elizabeth Lowell; I did, however, find Remember Summer by her…blurb said teenage son killed in riding accident??? Is this the one?
I had nearly forgotten … Margaret Cabell Self’s “Sky Rocket: The Story of a Little Bay Horse” is a fine read, nice and long, and unusually good. Also lovely illustrations by Sam Savitt.
I have to thank you guys for “clueing” me in to Jody Jaffe’s books!! They are great reads, its the first time I’ve been able to truly enjoy a book with anytype of horse theme without cringing!!! I too wish she’s write again, maybe someday…
All the Jilly Cooper books make you start looking at the British team “a little differently” … um, who is who. It was THE hot topic for quite a while over the pond as to who was what character. I’ve also read Traveller by Richard Adams (Watership Down), it is a very moving and entertaining tale about Rbt E. Lee from the viewpoint of his horse. The ending is especially touching!
