To follow the best selling Arkle – The Story of a Champion and the recently acclaimed The Queen Mother’s Horses Ivor Herbert’s new book The Winter Kings highlights the world of steeplechasing form the sager of lottery 130 years ago.
He has collaborated with history scholar Patricia Smyly to bring to life the great jumping heroes and the times they strove in. Admirers of Herbert’s writing will expect vivid portraits of the men and women linked with famous horses. And here they are, Lottery and dandy Jem Mason, and Captain Becher, the white pony called The Lamb; Manifesto, the Aintree legend, the Prince of Wales, Jerry M., and racing in Paris as the century dawns; Easter Hero and the arrival in ‘chasing of the first of the American millionaires ‘Jock’ Whitney; Golden Miller – the greatest till Arkle – and his wildly eccentric owner Dorothy Paget.
And so through Ireland’s wartime champion Prince Regent we come via little Hallowe’en (the finest hunter ever) to Mandarin (and Fred Winter’s incredible bridles win in Paris), and Mill House, the great horse conquered by the best, to Arkle.
Deep researching of old records, and frank interviews in Ireland and England with htose who knew The Winter Kings make this book not only the tale of twelve heroes but the story of jumping’s fantastic growth.
Hardback.