Leg Up: A Sequel to Victory Pass

by Susan Archer

Leg Up is the fourth book in a series that began with Stake Night and continued with Show Time and Victory Pass. I recommend that you read those books first to become familiar with the horse and human characters, many of whom reappear as they continue their quests to win the most coveted prize in the Saddlebred show horse industry, a World Championship. Leg Up takes place five years after the end of Victory Pass, in which our villain, Johnnie Stuart, has self-destructed at the World Championships when he is disqualified during the workout of the Five-Gaited Stake. His behavior earns him a life-time ban from the industry, and Missy Phillips goes on to win the World Championship for the second year in a row on Toreador, a horse bred and originally trained by Johnnie. In this book, we find out who fills the void left by Johnnie and whether a new generation of Saddlebreds emerges from the promise of the stallions and mares highlighted in earlier stories.

Genres: Horses

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2020

Reviews

[sarah mcdonell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series

I really enjoyed reading about !I've a unfolding in a subject dear to my heart. - 5-gaited saddlebreds.. She captures that wonderful, ecstatic rush when your horse hits a perfect rack which I won't ever forget. Nothing like it. I love the intertwining of lives.. All four books were so much fun to read and know what the characters felt. Thanks for bringing the world of saddlehorses nto a section filled with hunters, jumpers and racing. I'd love to read more about this great group of people.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book but it was not as good as the first 3. This one dealt less with the horses and more with the people. It takes place several years after the first 3 and it was interesting to see how the characters had grown and changed. However, Amber didn't match with her appearance in the earlier books. She was more tentative and less aware of her horse than in earlier books which seems unlikely with 6 more years of riding and her own horse.

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

This is a 4-star story that loses a star due to poor editing. If a horse can miss a higher ribbon because of a missed transition, so a book can lose a star for poor grammar. By the fourth book, I would expect an author to know the difference between lay and lie. Every time I was jarred out of the story. It was like hitting a pothole during an otherwise pleasant drive.

[Angela Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

More please!

I've read every book in this series and loved them all. I love the very descriptive riding elements. It brings me back to my instructor yelling (heels down!!) for the fortieth time. My only complaint is there are a couple of continuity errors. Otherwise it's well written and edited. I will be yearning for the next installment!

[Lisa Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun to read

These and all the books in the series are light and fun - they remind me of an adult version of the Saddle Club books I read as a kid. They may be a little hard to follow for people unfamiliar with Saddlebreds, but as an owner and former exhibitor of the breed I really enjoyed all of them and got invested in the stories!

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to hear more about the same characters and the continuing stories.

[Bonnie Sogoloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s about show horses so of course I liked it!