Northern Dancer: The Legend and His Legacy - Hardcover

Lennox, Muriel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0969902506 ISBN 13: 9780969902508

Publisher: Beach House Boks, 1998

Synopsis

When Northern Dancer won the Kentucky Derby in 1964, Canadians poured into the streets to celebrate. Later, he became one of the greatest thoroughbred sires in modern history. This book explores the sport, Northern Dancer, his ancestors and his decendants.

About this title

Review:

Every sport has its unlikely legends. In horse racing, there is Northern Dancer.

This is the fast-moving story of a horse that, against the odds, has had a massive influence on the sport of kings--both on and off the track. Northern Dancer's success on the racecourse was in itself a remarkable tale of triumph in adversity.

Although small in size, he turned out to be larger than life, proving the cynics totally wrong by winning the 1964 Kentucky Derby in the fastest time in history. It also represented a marvellous achievement for his famous owner E.P.Taylor, who showed that great horses could be born and bred in Canada. And, while far from being the best looking of thoroughbreds, the success story continued after Northern Dancer's racing days were over. He is one of the most successful thoroughbred sires in racing history, with his descendants including the brilliant Nijinsky.

Author Muriel Lennox gives a splendid, vivid account of Northern Dancer's life both on and off the racecourse, as well as providing an intriguing insight into the character of owner E.P.Taylor. Clearly somebody who has witnessed much of what she talks about at close hand, she intersperses her well-told story with shorter pieces which act as useful summaries. The middle of the book includes some superb equine pictures, some of them action shots made more dramatic by being in black and white. And towards the tail-end, there are the impressive details of Northern Dancer's probably unparalleled record as a sire which takes the reader cantering through to the finish.

This may be the story of a horse that raced three decades ago, but the legend is still alive today and that comes across in this book. Through his many, successful descendants, the legacy of Northern Dancer relentlessly gallops on.

About the Author:

Muriel Lennox has worked as a sports reporter, a financial writer, a television reviewer and the editor of the thoroughbred racing magazine Canadian Horse. Her articles have appeared in The Toronto Star, Report on Business, Toronto Life, City and Country Home, The Globe and Mail and Starweek, and is the author of E.P. Taylor: A Horseman and his Horses.

About this edition

• Publisher: Beach House Boks
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0969902506
• ISBN 13: 9780969902508
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 222