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Published Aug 2011
352 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
Harry de Leyer first saw the horse he would name Snowman on a bleak winter afternoon between the slats of a rickety truck bound for the slaughterhouse. He recognized the spark in the eye of the beaten-up horse and bought him for eighty dollars. On Harry's modest farm on Long Island, the horse thrived. But the recent Dutch immigrant and his growing family needed money, and Harry was always on the lookout for the perfect thoroughbred to train for the show-jumping circuit - so he reluctantly sold Snowman to a farm a few miles down the road.
But Snowman had other ideas about what Harry needed. When he turned up back at Harry's barn, dragging an old tire and a broken fence board, Harry knew that he had misjudged the horse. And so he set about teaching this shaggy, easygoing horse how to fly. One show at a time, against extraordinary odds and some of the most expensive thoroughbreds alive, the pair climbed to the very top of the sport of show jumping.
Here is the dramatic and inspiring rise to stardom of an unlikely duo, based on the insight and recollections of "the Flying Dutchman" himself. Their story captured the heart of Cold War-era America - a story of unstoppable hope, inconceivable dreams, and the chance to have it all. Elizabeth Letts's message is simple: Never give up, even when the obstacles seem sky-high. There is something extraordinary in all of us.
"Letts is a solid prose stylist; her vivid descriptions of staid Long Island with its 'gentle meadows ringed by dogwood trees' provide virtual tours, but it is de Leyer's realization of the American dream that is the real story." - Publishers Weekly
"Readers skittish around sentiment may balk, but Letts's gentle touch proves entirely suitable to this genuinely sweet tale. A heartwarming story begging for the Disney treatment." - Kirkus Reviews
"A fun and wonderfully detailed story about a most remarkable bond between a man and his horse. You will fall in love with the eighty-dollar champion." - W. Bruce Cameron, author of A Dog's Purpose
"This is a wonderful book - joyous, heartfelt, and an eloquent reminder that hope can be found in the unlikeliest of places. Most of all, it's a moving testament to the incredible things that can grow from the bond between animals and humans. If you love a great animal tale, you'll love this book!" - Gwen Cooper, author of Homer's Odyssey
"A real live fairy tale about an unlikely rider and an even unlikelier horse who soared over obstacles to capture the hearts of a nation. An eloquent story about near misses and impossible odds and what can happen with a little luck and a lot of determination. I fell in love with Snowman and Harry, and so will you." - Susan Richards, author of Chosen by a Horse
This information about The Eighty-Dollar Champion was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Nora Alalou
Elizabeth Letts was born in Southern California where she spent all of her time on the back of a horse when she wasn't reading a book. She graduated from Yale with a major in history and then joined the Peace Corps. After her Peace Corps service, she studied at the Yale School of Nursing where she trained as a certified nurse-midwife. She began publishing books while working and raising four children. Her books have been Indie Next, Library Reads and Junior Library Guild selections, and a Goodreads Reader's Choice Finalist. She's been honored with the 2017 PEN USA Award for Research Non-Fiction, the Daniel P Lenehan Award for Media Excellence from the United States Equestrian Foundation, and her books have reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller lists. She lives in southern California ...
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