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Thoroughbred #22
Arabian Challenge
Will Cindy win her biggest race as a jockey?
For as long as she can remember, Cindy McLean has longed to ride a Thoroughbred in a world-class race. And now that she's sixteen, Cindy's dream is finally coming true. She'll ride Wonder's Champion, the Triple Crown winner, in Arabia's Dubai Cup!
Cindy will have tough competition. She'll be racing not only against the best horses and jockeys in the world but also against her friend and teacher, Ashleigh Griffen! Is Cindy ready for the challenge of her life?
Read all the books in the Thoroughbred series and experience the thrill of riding and racing, along with Ashleigh Griffen, Samantha McLean, Cindy McLean, and their beloved horses.
For as long as she can remember, Cindy McLean has longed to ride a Thoroughbred in a world-class race. And now that she's sixteen, Cindy's dream is finally coming true. She'll ride Wonder's Champion, the Triple Crown winner, in Arabia's Dubai Cup!
Cindy will have tough competition. She'll be racing not only against the best horses and jockeys in the world but also against her friend and teacher, Ashleigh Griffen! Is Cindy ready for the challenge of her life?
Read all the books in the Thoroughbred series and experience the thrill of riding and racing, along with Ashleigh Griffen, Samantha McLean, Cindy McLean, and their beloved horses.
201 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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April 27, 2024****DNF****
Cindy basically turns into a brat 2.0 and does the same exact things she did in Book 18 which means she’s learned nothing and is just sassier about it now.
Cindy basically turns into a brat 2.0 and does the same exact things she did in Book 18 which means she’s learned nothing and is just sassier about it now.
October 1, 2012
I never liked Cindy, but she really does take it to a whole new level this one. She has got to be the most spoiled, snobby, ignorant brat i have ever encountered in a book. Really Bentley, you want kids to have HER to look up to? I am completely out of words .. Think i might just skip the next one with Cindy in it, my GOD she is awful.
July 8, 2008
Definitely reminiscent of the Black Stallion.
March 7, 2015
I loved the racing excitement in this book; it really shows what it means to be a jockey.
November 24, 2024
This was undoubtedly the worst book Karen Bently wrote in her time in the Thoroughbred saddle. It was as if she just didn't give a damn anymore, which was probably true. Original writer Joanna Campbell (real name Jo Ann Simon) left due to burnout, and the same thing seemed to happen to Bently. Unlike Campbell/Simon, Bently only received a flat fee and no royalties from her Thoroughbred books, so why give a damn?
This was written when the Dubai World Cup was the world's richest race -- and one of the newest Grade I races, since this was published just one year after the first running. Champion is four, and Limitless Time has also been invited to the prestigious race. The time frame of the Champion books suggests that this was set in 1997. In reality, the 1997 Dubai World Cup was horrible, with the Japanese entrant breaking down in a two-horse crash, and dying. The winner was Singspeil, owned by the then Prince, now ruler of Dubai.
This book was like a bad dream caused by dehydration from severe food poisoning. Bently was shameless in how ridiculous this was. Although the scene on the cover does not happen in the book, something similar does -- a trail ride in the desert with a Dubai prince, clearly based on Singspeil's owner -- RIDING THEIR ENTRIES FOR THE RACE.
You just don't take racehorses trail riding, unless it's on your own property. It's just too risky. Bently's done this crap before, but in reality, trail riding in the desert of a foreign country is a big NON STARTER for a Thoroughbred in training for a multimillion dollar race.
About the cover -- that's an Arabian that the artist based Champion on. This horse, in the same pose, shows up again on the cover of Rising Star. Because, you know, once wasn't bad enough. Champion here is shown in the wrong color. He's repeatedly referred to as being such a dark chestnut, he's almost black. And, he's supposed to have a snip.
The rest of this book is just too stupid for words. Bently had zero knowledge of Dubai. I still can't come to grips when Cindy decided to try and give a secret unscheduled workout to Champion just before the race. When Ashleigh finds out, all she does is say to Cindy, "I'm very disappointed in you."
FFS -- this is not a kid caught opening the presents before Christmas. THIS IS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR INTERNATIONALLY TELEVISED RACE SHE'S NEARLY BLOWN. This is like the star quarterback going drunk driving the night before the Super Bowl. The entire reputation of Whitebrook is riding on Champion and Limitless Time, as well as the huge purse, and subsequent rise in stud fees for Champion and Limitless Time.
Anyway, other horses mentioned here include Blue Note and Black Reason, who disappear from the series. Honor Bright, Just Desserts and even Wonder herself put in cameo appearances.
This was written when the Dubai World Cup was the world's richest race -- and one of the newest Grade I races, since this was published just one year after the first running. Champion is four, and Limitless Time has also been invited to the prestigious race. The time frame of the Champion books suggests that this was set in 1997. In reality, the 1997 Dubai World Cup was horrible, with the Japanese entrant breaking down in a two-horse crash, and dying. The winner was Singspeil, owned by the then Prince, now ruler of Dubai.
This book was like a bad dream caused by dehydration from severe food poisoning. Bently was shameless in how ridiculous this was. Although the scene on the cover does not happen in the book, something similar does -- a trail ride in the desert with a Dubai prince, clearly based on Singspeil's owner -- RIDING THEIR ENTRIES FOR THE RACE.
You just don't take racehorses trail riding, unless it's on your own property. It's just too risky. Bently's done this crap before, but in reality, trail riding in the desert of a foreign country is a big NON STARTER for a Thoroughbred in training for a multimillion dollar race.
About the cover -- that's an Arabian that the artist based Champion on. This horse, in the same pose, shows up again on the cover of Rising Star. Because, you know, once wasn't bad enough. Champion here is shown in the wrong color. He's repeatedly referred to as being such a dark chestnut, he's almost black. And, he's supposed to have a snip.
The rest of this book is just too stupid for words. Bently had zero knowledge of Dubai. I still can't come to grips when Cindy decided to try and give a secret unscheduled workout to Champion just before the race. When Ashleigh finds out, all she does is say to Cindy, "I'm very disappointed in you."
FFS -- this is not a kid caught opening the presents before Christmas. THIS IS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR INTERNATIONALLY TELEVISED RACE SHE'S NEARLY BLOWN. This is like the star quarterback going drunk driving the night before the Super Bowl. The entire reputation of Whitebrook is riding on Champion and Limitless Time, as well as the huge purse, and subsequent rise in stud fees for Champion and Limitless Time.
Anyway, other horses mentioned here include Blue Note and Black Reason, who disappear from the series. Honor Bright, Just Desserts and even Wonder herself put in cameo appearances.
January 1, 2023
This was an amazing adventure book set in Arabia. I could not seem to put it down, and I loved to pretend that I was one of the jockeys racing alongside Cindy. I have always enjoyed Joanna Campbell's Thoroughbred series, even as the main characters have changed. Rating - 4 stars due to excellent writing
October 6, 2025
Childhood favourite series (haven't read in a long time) giving all four stars unless it was a favourite as a child.
February 4, 2017
In this book, Champion and Cindy travel to Arabia for the Dubai Cup. Cindy gets her jockeys license and races Champion in the Dubai Cup. It is tough competition alone, but Cindy will also race against Ashleigh Griffin, her teacher and friend. Champion & Cindy beat Ashleigh, who was racing Limitless, another Whitebrook horse. After the win, Champion was called the Horse of the World.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews