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Raja, Story of a Racehorse

Raja, Story of a Racehorse

Current price: $12.95
Publication Date: December 1st, 2011
Publisher:
Old Bow Publishing
ISBN:
9780615540290
Pages:
272

Description

IPPY Award Bronze Medalist for Juvenile Fiction

Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist for Young Readers Fiction (8-12)

Winner of Mom's Choice Gold Medal

Kirkus 2012 Best of Indie Selection

 

Written from the horse’s point of view and filled with authentic details, this young adult novel chronicles the life of a well-bred Thoroughbred racehorse destined for greatness. After a promising—and winning—start on the path to the Triple Crown, a series of bad-luck events end Raja’s racing career, and he finds himself pulled into the random world of off-the-track Thoroughbreds. His odyssey takes him from the breeding farms of Ocala, Florida, to the stakes races on the Kentucky Derby trail; from competing as a show jumper on the “A” show circuit to becoming a member of the New York City Mounted Police and witnessing the horrors of the livestock auction. Finally, Raja finds himself in a stable belonging to a retired steeplechase jockey and his 16-year-old niece, where he finally has a chance to realize his destiny.

About the Author

Anne Hambleton has been involved with horses for more than 40 years as a trainer, amateur steeplechase jockey, and show jumper. She lives in Weybridge, Vermont. Margaret Kauffman is an illustrator, sculptor, and portrait artist who has received awards from the American Academy of Equine Art and the Kentucky Derby Museum. Her work has appeared on the cover of Chronicle of the Horse and in Abroad magazine, Country magazine, Equine Images, and Spur. She lives in Millerton, New York.

Praise for Raja, Story of a Racehorse

“Lifelong equestrian Hambleton makes an impressive outing as a first-time author of juvenile fiction, weaving her knowledge and love of horses, horsemanship, and the world of competitive racing into a moving narrative that will keep fellow horse-loving readers of any age enthralled.”  —Kirkus

“A compelling tale of the courage and resilience of a great Thoroughbred, my favorite breed.”  —Michael Matz, Hall of Fame show jumper, Olympic medalist, and trainer of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro

“An authentic story. Most authors haven’t ridden what they write. Anne Hambleton has. She knows what it feels like to gallop down to the post of the Maryland Hunt Cup, and she conveys those sensations to her readers with a sharp immediacy that is certain to delight and enthrall.”  —Denny Emerson, Hall of Fame three-day-event rider/trainer and author, How Good Riders Get Good

 “This book is full of heart. I got swept up in the story and the world of racing and show jumping and steeplechase, and couldn’t put it down.”  —Peter Heller, author, Kook and The Whale Warriors