Raja: Story of a Racehorse, Anne Hambleton, Old Bow Publishing, 2011, 250 pages, illustrated by Peggy Kaufmann, $14.95The fictional adventures and travails of a well-bred Thoroughbred foal are chronicled from the early days by his dam’s side to a Grade 1 Stakes win, to the jumpers in the “A” circuit, to the New York City Mounted Police, to foxhunting with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds, to the Blue Ridge Hunt point-to-point, and finally to the Maryland Hunt Cup. As a foal, Raja is cursed with a phobia for lightning—the recurring source of his many troubles along the way in achieving his potential.
This may be Anne Hambleton’s first novel, but she has had plenty of practice honing her writing skills in the business side of her life. On the equine side, Hambleton is a horsewoman who knows all the disciplines intimately, and Raja’s adventures unfold believably and with authority. The characters in the story—both animal and human—are well-crafted, and we care about them.
Hambleton takes a page from Felix Salten who wrote Bambi to discourage young readers from hunting. The recurring theme throughout Hambleton’s book is a crusade against horse slaughter. As did Salten, Hambleton humanizes her animals with conversation and understanding to drive her point home.
There are some who will automatically condemn this book because it attempts to manipulate the reader’s feelings about a controversial issue. Whatever your position, this is no reason not to read a good book! Heck, I read Bambi as a child and loved it. Yes, I was moved by the characters and their plight, but I knew it was a story, and it didn’t stop me from growing up and hunting.
Notwithstanding arguments that may be made to the effect that without horse slaughter, unwanted horses are suffering more from neglect and starvation than ever before, ideology aside this is a wonderful book. I read it through in two nights, much of the time with a lump in my throat because it is a well-crafted and well-told story of triumph over adversity—the necessary ingredients of any great story.
Raja’s adventures take him through most of the horse countries in the eastern U.S.: the training and racing venues of Ocala, Saratoga Springs, Belmont, and Gulfstream; the jumper venues of Fairfield County and Wellington; the Cheshire hunting country of Pennsylvania, the point-to-point circuit in Virginia; and the Maryland Hunt Cup in Glyndon, Maryland.
The book is graced by ten illustrations by Peggy Kaufmann, internationally known for her painting and sculpture. It also includes a glossary of horse terms. The author has committed to donate a portion of sales revenue to Thoroughbred retirement efforts.
Publication date is scheduled for December 12, 2011. Advance orders may be placed at the Vermont Bookshop, Strafford Saddlery, Old Bow Publishing, and Amazon.
Advertised as a book for young readers (eleven and up), I enjoyed it thoroughly from cover to cover. And, folks, I’m no young reader!
Posted October 5, 2011
Anne Hambleton is a foxhunter and former amateur steeplechase jockey. She lives in Vermont with her family and her animals. Raja is her first novel. / Douglas Lees photo