No comments about Trailer Loading Success: A Step by Step Guide for Training Horses to Load.

5 comments about Funny Cide.

1. This book was made for me, and people like me. As a kid I read every horse book I could find, and as an adult, I own a Thoroughbred in New York. I loved this story about honest and hardworking people and their nondescript horse who surprised everyone. The twists of fate are delightful: how the stable got the cash to buy Funny Cide; how Jose Santos came to be the jockey; how they came to ride a yellow school bus to Churchill Downs. I couldn't put it down.



2. This is a modern day David and Goliath story, only with horses. A bunch of high school buddies pool their money and open a stable, competing with ultra rich Sheiks and bluebloods. And who wins the KY Derby--the little guys with their great horse Funny Cide. The best thing about this story is that it's true. A wonderful read.



3. Partnerships for owning Thoroughbred racers can cost as little as a few hundred dollars to (fill in your own number, and it isn't small). There are roughly 35,000 Thoroughbreds foaled each year and by their three-year-old season, only a maximum of 20 can reach the starting gate in the Kentucky Derby. At the end of that race, only one runner will emerge as a possible Triple Crown winner.
   
   There is a saying in the sport that how a person becomes a millionaire in Thoroughbred racing is to initially be a multi-millionaire. But for a group of friends who pooled their money together to purchase what was then considered a modestly-bred runner with the goal of trying to find success on the solid New York racing scene, well, let's just say they didn't just catch lightning in a jar; they caught the entire storm front and slammed it into the container.
   
   Funny Cide, the members of the partnership group, trainer Barclay Tagg and assistant trainer Robin Smullen captivated sports fans worldwide in 2003 when the gelded colt captured the first two legs of the Triple Crown, only to fall short of immortality on a muddy track at Belmont Park.
   
   Author Sally Jenkins has penned a highly readable and enjoyable account of everyone involved. And through it all, it is Funny Cide who did the most talking, with a solid two-year-old season - though it is fashionable to say he "emerged" literally out of nowhere to win the Kentucky Derby - and several gutsy performances at three that put him solidly into the mix of possible contenders on the Triple Crown trail.
   
   Funny Cide was marketed like a rock star in the few weeks leading up to the Belmont Stakes - after winning the Preakness Stakes in convincing fashion - with hats, shirts and buttons being quickly produced and bought up by fans, along with the future plans for a Funny Cide beer. Even in 2006, the New York Racing Association handed out Funny Cide pictures to race fans on a special day honoring his achievements.
   
   Though Funny Cide has had a very rocky racing career since the Triple Crown chase, the highlight being a commanding stretch drive performance to win the 2004 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Jenkins writes about that moment in time when a special runner took fans for a great ride in a sport which is not built on, but can sometimes produce, the best memories from modest beginnings.



4. Okay, parts of the book about the owners may be a bit boring, but the storyline about this horse and his trainer make your heart sing. It is so refreshing to hear/read a story about folks putting the animal's welfare above profit in current times. I hope a movie is made of this wonderful tale that will rival the story of Seabiscuit. Invest the few bucks and a couple hours of your time-you will be rewarded!



5. FUNNCY CIDE, the book, is not literature like perhaps SEABISCUIT is, but in its own way, it is easier to read and more satisfying. FUNNY CIDE is the once-in-a-generation, heart-warming story of a long-shot horse who broke though and made it big. FUNNY CIDE is not only the story of the horse but also of his Ordinary Joe owners, his has-been jockey, and his cranky trainer. Several times I had to put the book aside and wipe my eyes, blow my nose and otherwise compose myself after reading FUNNY CIDE. And you will, too. It just that kind of book, that kind of story of how hard work and persistance truly can pay off. FUNNY CIDE's success was not a freak but the result of dedicated trainers and vets, risk-taking owners and a talented jockey and, above all, a talented horse. If you like horse racing, you will love this book. If you just like stories of success against overwhelming odds, then FUNNY CIDE is also for you. For horse players, a useful tip from the book: the Belmont Stakes does not favor favorites supposedly because winners coming off the Preakness a couple weeks earlier may be too tired to go the extra distance Belmont demands. Thus Belmont Stakes long shots may be better choices. This book is a winner and would make the perfect gift for that horse player in your life.

No comments about The New Pony (A Little Golden Book, 410).

No comments about Your Problem Horse.

1 comments about Midnight, champion bucking horse.

1. This was one of my very favorite books in about 5th and 6th grade. I can't count how many times I read it. I'm from a rural area where rodeo is an extremely popular pasttime for many people. Rather than focusing on the PEOPLE involved in rodeo, this one uses the people to tell the story of an amazing HORSE in rodeo history. The illustrations by Sam Savitt add to this beautiful book.

No comments about The conquest of the horse;.

No comments about Training and Gaiting, Volume Two (Training and Gaiting, Volume Two).

No comments about Manning's guide to college (and secondary school) equestrian programs.

No comments about An Illustrated International Encyclopaedia of Horse Breeds and Breeding.

No comments about The Miniature Horse (The Library of Horses).