Book Review: The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, The Horse that Inspired A Nation

I just recently finished reading The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, The Horse that Inspired a Nation and I LOVED IT!  I normally read fiction books, but this book caught my attention because it is a true story about a horse that was based in New York, right where I live.

This book was a quick read, because I instantly got sucked into the story, which is such a Cinderella story that you forget that you’re reading a non-fiction book!

For me, it was so interesting to look back in the sport and see how it was to be at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden at that time.  The book is full of names that you will probably recognize today, such as George Morris.

It is definitely inspiring as well, that with some hard work and determination, this newcomer into the horse show scene, Harry DeLeyer, and his cheap “plow horse”, Snowman, became champions.

I especially thought it was cool that a lot of the barns referenced in the book, including the school that Harry DeLeyer teaches at are still here where I live today.  Even cooler, the DeLeyer children that were mentioned in the book are local trainers, and are a fixture at all the big shows by me.

There is also a movie in the works, which I am very excited to see!