Six Semifinalists Names For Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award

[Wandering Eyes]

Six semifinalists for the 19th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award have been selected, by a panel of judges, representing excellence in thoroughbred sports literature published in 2024, Castleton Lyons announced Tuesday. These six titles illustrate the scope of the Book Award, including histories, biographies, a memoir, and two works of fiction. Per Castleton Lyons's release, the books “were chosen from nearly 20 submissions, an indicator that literature on horse racing remains very much alive despite thoroughbred industry controversies and the global economic hardships of recent years.”

Three finalists will be announced in coming weeks and a winner, who will receive a $10,000 prize, will be crowned this fall at a cocktail reception at Castleton Lyons farm near Lexington.

Following is a synopsis of the six semifinalists published during the 2024 calendar year, listed alphabetically by title.

• Beggar's Ride, by John Perrotta. Author Perrotta's latest mystery is a sequel to his 2015 novel If Wishes Were Horses, in which he introduced runaway teenager and New York backstretch worker Hamilton Greer.
• Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption, by Arthur B. Hancock III. Dark Horses is the story of a pre-eminent racing family, a legendary Thoroughbred farm, a personal and profound fall from grace, and, ultimately, a triumphant redemption–one that propelled Arthur B. Hancock III to the heights of the Thoroughbred industry.
• The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects, by Kentucky Derby Museum and Jessica K. Whitehead. Released in time for the sesquicentennial celebration of the Kentucky Derby, this lovely coffee-table book tells the fascinating story of America's longest continuously held sporting event.
• Jockey Queen: Lillian Jenkinson Holder, Horse Racing's Fearless Lady, by Roger Peach. Long before women were licensed to ride in American parimutuel races, a girl from Nebraska was tearing up the rough, tough bush tracks of the Midwest, often putting chauvinistic male riders to shame.
• Letters From Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man o' War, and the Founding of Maryland's Oldest Thoroughbred Farm, by Josh Pons. Josh Pons is a two-time Eclipse Award-winning writer, third-generation horseman, and co-owner of Maryland's famed Country Life Farm. In 2016 he uncovered a treasure trove of letters in the century-old farmhouse basement–trunks packed with correspondence to his grandfather Adolphe Pons. Those letters provided a rare glimpse into the life of a special man, told by voices from the deep past
• What Horses Do After Racing: The Story of Good Carma, by Jay Privman. Long passionate about Thoroughbred aftercare, Privman has become increasingly involved in that arena. His latest literary effort, What Horses Do After Racing: The Story of Good Carma, features four ex-racehorses who dream of what their second careers might be–whether show jumping, trail riding, dressage, or therapy.

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