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Barbaro: The Horse Who Captured America's Heart
Book by Clancy, Sean
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 12, 2008
Beautiful...my favorite book about this famous racehorse. It is a good read and has wonderful pictures...whenever i am having trouble with drawing a racehorse i refereance this book. RIP Barbaro Wonder horse!
November 25, 2011
I knew this book would be a very difficult one for me to read, as it had taken me 5 years to read anything about Barbaro. I had just about given up on on a Triple Crown winner, thinking that the Thoroughbred was too inbred to produce a horse capable of winning the 3 grueling races.
I heard the buzz about the undefeated Barbaro, even before the Kentucky Derby as I live near the Fair Hill Training Center (and did 4-H horse camps there in the past.) I was also a fan of his trainer, Michael Matz, from his career as a showjumper and an Olympic rider. I knew, just like millions of people in America, when I watched him blow away the competition in the Derby, that I was in the presence of greatness. There was just something majestic and beautiful about him. I was a believer again.
That fateful day in May 2006 at the Preakness, well what can I say. I was glad to finally understand exactly what happened that day and during Barbaro's amazing fight to survive. I really liked that the author focused on each person who was a part of bringing Barbaro in the spotlight, the owners, the jockey, the trainers, and Michael Matz. They all loved him too. I was also glad to know how hard the vet/surgeon at New Bolton, the Jackson's (owners), and Michael Matz fought to save this horse because they loved him too and saw the greatness in him. He really was the horse that captured America's heart.
This book brought back those thoughts, "What if he hadn't broken his leg at Pimlico?", "what if he had produced beautiful babies just like him?", "what if he had lived?"....
I heard the buzz about the undefeated Barbaro, even before the Kentucky Derby as I live near the Fair Hill Training Center (and did 4-H horse camps there in the past.) I was also a fan of his trainer, Michael Matz, from his career as a showjumper and an Olympic rider. I knew, just like millions of people in America, when I watched him blow away the competition in the Derby, that I was in the presence of greatness. There was just something majestic and beautiful about him. I was a believer again.
That fateful day in May 2006 at the Preakness, well what can I say. I was glad to finally understand exactly what happened that day and during Barbaro's amazing fight to survive. I really liked that the author focused on each person who was a part of bringing Barbaro in the spotlight, the owners, the jockey, the trainers, and Michael Matz. They all loved him too. I was also glad to know how hard the vet/surgeon at New Bolton, the Jackson's (owners), and Michael Matz fought to save this horse because they loved him too and saw the greatness in him. He really was the horse that captured America's heart.
This book brought back those thoughts, "What if he hadn't broken his leg at Pimlico?", "what if he had produced beautiful babies just like him?", "what if he had lived?"....
December 21, 2011
Wonderful thinnish coffee table book - beautiful pictures and a well written history of the too short life of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro whose life met a heartbreaking end after months of treatment and recovery after a fall in second triple crown race The Preakness just two weeks after his stunning Derby win. (sorry for the run-on sentence). I read this book awhile ago, but I remember total strangers' immediate reactions to seeing the horse fall was to offer to pay the vet bills in an attempt to ensure that Barbaro would not automatically be destroyed, as often happens to horses with broken legs, champions or not. As he recovered, we saw news stories about his healing, seeing him being hot walked with his legs in bandages, etc. Thousands of cards, flowers, treats, etc. were sent to him and his caregivers by people from all over America who had fallen in love with him and wished him well. This book superbly captures the story, the love and the ultimate passing of a true champion. A beautiful gift book with substance for any horse lover.
October 7, 2011
This book is definitely a 'coffee-table' book--it's pretty big! You'll need to lay it down to read it, because you won't be able to hold it for too long unless you're an oarsman/woman or something.
It's worth it, though. The pictures are much bigger and clearer than in any other book about Barbaro, and there are a few I hadn't seen in any other books, magazines or other media.
As always, his story is moving and tragic no matter how you tell it, and honestly the writing isn't the main attraction anyway.
It's worth it, though. The pictures are much bigger and clearer than in any other book about Barbaro, and there are a few I hadn't seen in any other books, magazines or other media.
As always, his story is moving and tragic no matter how you tell it, and honestly the writing isn't the main attraction anyway.
October 23, 2008
Another brother book - made me cry. For anyone who's ever loved and lost an animal/pet.
January 14, 2013
Notes:
lots of photos
excellent story for age 8+
lots of photos
excellent story for age 8+
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews