Stake Night

by Susan Archer

Stake Night is the story of a single year in the glamorous and competitive world of show horses, where the rewards are large and so are the lengths to which people will go to win. For the owners, it is about wielding power through money in their quest to proudly hold the prestigious World Championship trophy. For the riders, it is about demonstrating technical skill and nerve by out-riding their competitors and maneuvering their horse in the frenetic ring so the judges notice it. For the trainers, it is about finding the key that makes your horse out-perform others that might actually be more talented and achieving the professional recognition that leads to new clients and financial security. For everyone, it is about settling scores and finding a way to win the championship. The central character is Jennifer, a young, relatively unknown trainer. She can’t believe her luck when a rich client brings her the reigning world champion horse and tells Jennifer to prepare the horse for her timid daughter to ride. Jennifer quickly learns that this horse and rider are a dangerous and doomed combination, and she must move carefully to find an alternative that keeps her important client from leaving the barn and ruining Jennifer’s chances to finally join the ranks of the most well-known and respected trainers.

Genres: Horses

323 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2017

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing and story itself leave something to be desired, but the technical parts are an equestrian dream. This author knows her show circuits and her Saddlebreds. I learned a lot and ate it up!

[RA Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read! It took a minute to "love" the characters, but I read on and found them to be believable and I can't wait to read the next two books in the series.
I used to show American Saddlebred horses, so I am not sure if that swayed my feelings towards this book, but I think everyone would like a 'fiction' take on the horse show world.
I recommend this book and do look forward to reading the next two.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

I couldn't out it down...this book had me in tears by the final chapter. Beautiful character development; I felt like I was living the Saddlebred life right alongside everyone! Well done to the author, I can't wait to read more from her!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stake night

Sarah Archer is one of my new favourite authors. I love hoses and equine books but have not read a novel on 5 gaited horse competition. The characters - both human and horse- are well written and I would recommend the series to older kids through adults.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for horse lovers

Told in a series shows over a year, the book follows 4 very different trainers/facilities as they prepare the fancy 5 gaited Saddebreds for the years top show. While the end was somewhat predictable I couldn't put it down till the winner was crowned.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story about horses

This is a good story about horses and showing them. It gives you an idea about what showing horses is like.

[Dot Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read from beginning to end.

Awesome read from beginning to end. Looking forward to reading the next book in series. I'm just trying for more excitement in the ring.

[Bonnie Sogoloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read for a horse trainer!

[barbara dunham]

Very good book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This is a very good read. Lots of compaction on the people that she picked. Very well written. I recommend this book

[Tammy Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me.

[Beverly G. Knapp]

Fascinating ride with Saddle bred horses.

I really enjoyed learning about Saddle bred horses and their human handlers. The story and the timeline allowed me to understand some of the technical issues with training and needs of each horse. With well developed characters and story line, this book kept my interest throughout and left me wishing there was a sequel I could s t art immediately.

[Ellyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the world of Saddlebreds. I show Arabians on a national level and it was very interesting to read and learn about more of the inner workings of saddlebreds.

[Chrissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent horse story

I am not a saddlebred person but wow that life is amazing! I loved this story and felt like I got a preview of a very unique World'

[Susan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Romp through the Saddlebred Horse Show World

The author definitely has a grasp of the ASB horse show world at its highest level and weaves her tale in an entertaining way.