Book 51 - Ruffian: Burning from the Start

Title: Ruffian: Burning from the Start
Author: Jane Schwartz
Pages: 322
Grade: A+

Summary: (From Library Journal)
Ruffian: the name stands out among a handful of great racehorses. Ruffian: the name conjures memories of a tough competitor, a tomboy. Ruffian: the name synonymous with the pinnacle of glory and the nadir of tragedy. Schwartz ( Caught , Ballantine, 1987) eloquently captures the spirit and style of this undefeated filly who beat all comers save death. In the 1975 match race against the colt Foolish Pleasure, viewed by a televised audience of 18 million, Ruffian broke down while leading and later had to be destroyed. Schwartz tells Ruffian's story from her birth, breaking, training, and racing, to the day of the ill-fated "battle of the sexes" through the eyes of her handlers, grooms, jockeys, and trainer.

My thoughts: This book broke my heart. I knew what was coming. I knew it was real. And with every page, a small tiny part of me still hoped it wouldn't. Ruffian was a miracle horse...everything she did was magic. And then it just ended, abruptly, for reasons I still think are ridiculous in retrospect but it's an 'if only'. Ruffian was not a horse who had anything to prove. She was and undoubtedly always will be, one of the most amazing fillies to grace horse racing. And I think the book more than did tribute to her and those who cared for her.