Free Downloads The Legend Of Zippy Chippy: Life Lessons From Horse Racing's Most Lovable Loser
From acclaimed humorist William Thomas comes the funny yet poignant story of a thoroughbred racehorse that lost 100 races in a row -- but, in everyone's eyes, became the ultimate winner.On April 20, 1991, at Capritaur Farms in Upstate New York, Zippy Chippy strolled into the world. He was born from American horse racing royalty -- Compliance (his father was Kentucky Derby-winner Northern Dancer; his great-grandfather Native Dancer, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner) and Listen Lady (great-granddaughter of Native Dancer). Even before his birth, the hopes (not to mention the bill for his planned production) for Zippy Chippy were high. His pedigree was horse racing gold: Northern Dancer, Man o' War, Count Fleet, Bold Ruler, War Admiral, and Buckpasser were all ancestors. His success and glory seemed inevitable. But moments after his birth, Zippy Chippy struggled to his feet, took two steps forward . . . and stopped dead in his tracks. He looked around, took in his surroundings, maybe indulged in a little daydream, then promptly lay down for a nap in the straw. And thus began Zippy Chippy's storied racing career. Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time, famously said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." These words have become the battle cry of athletes, coaches, and teams everywhere, but over the years, sports have taken on a literal interpretation of Lombardi's mantra. Match-fixing, doping, sabotage, cocky and mean sportsmanship, all in the name of winning, have infiltrated and scandalized games, teams, reputations, and newspaper headlines. Yet, since his first moments in the world, Zippy Chippy ignored Lombardi and turned his nose at the concept of winning-at-all-costs. In fact, he decided to not win at all, losing, over the course of his career, 100 consecutive races, at some of the greatest tracks in the country: Belmont Park, Aqueduct, Finger Lakes, and Suffolk Downs among them. And he did so with his owner, Felix Monserrate, by his side -- a man who refused to sell Zippy, or even retire him, simply because he couldn't come in first. Soon, Zippy's cheering squad grew to include people who, enchanted by his story, would travel from all over North America to watch him lose but then happily gallop back to his stable. To them, Zippy Chippy was just like them; someone who wasn't an athlete with a million-dollar contract, or someone with movie star looks -- he was a creature who struggled, who lost, and who failed even the lowest of expectations. But, somehow, he found a way to enjoy himself and eagerly return for the next race. Told with laugh-out-loud wit and a lot of heart, The Legend of Zippy Chippy is the story of the losing-est racehorse in North American history -- a perpetual loser who would become the winning thoroughbred in professional horse racing to steal peoples' hearts.
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart (April 5, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0771081596
ISBN-13: 978-0771081590
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #186,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #33 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Horses > Racing #43 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Sports #192 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Cats, Dogs & Animals
First off, the story of Zippy Chippy and the ineptitude of his career is borderline unbelievable--but it's all true! It really is astounding that his trainer kept going and kept going he did. And that's what makes this such a charming story because, although Zippy may have never won a race, he won hearts all over the world. And that is an achievement we all can appreciate.But more importantly, this is a hilarious book. What makes this truly standout is that Mr. Thomas doesn't just recount the tale--I mean legend--of Zippy Chippy. No, he also weaves in the foibles and peccadillos of all those who struggled, lost and some who even try to bend the rules or simply cheated (see how that worked out!). The author, William Thomas, is a humorist and just adds to the absurdity with his hysterical insights and witty observations. He brings the funny in spades.The Legend of Zippy Chippy is a winner.
With the Kentucky Derby running this Saturday, one could have read a book about the great champion race horses - Secretariat, Man O' War, Bold Ruler, et al. Instead, I read this book by William Thomas about the oh for one hundred Zippy Chippy. If you are a racing fan or not, this is a fun book. It mixes racing history, sport anecdotes, and the intriguing story of the Zipster and his faithful trainer who never gave up on him. It is funny and heartfelt. There is much to learn from losing. Zippy loved to run and always showed up for work, even if he dwelt in the gate a few times. I have been to the Finger Lakes racetrack several times so I could really picture him running there. Zippy did turn out to be a winner. His memorabilia outsells stuff from champion horses like Funny Cide. He is retired and hangs out with his best horse friend at a farm in New York. I highly recommend this book.
I enjoyed this book and found it humorous, but the story was heavily added with tales of other sports. While these were amusing and analogous to Zippy Chippy, it broke up the flow of the story a bit.Any fan of the underdog, humor or sports will find reading this a charming way to pass the time.
I have come to know this horse personally. He is a resident at Old Friends at Cabin Creek, where I volunteer as a tour guide. I also remember him racing at Finger Lakes race course. You will love reading about this wonderful horse !!
I loved this book! It was a laugh out loud read, throughout its entirety! If you know and love horses, as I do, you won't be able to put this down.
Great story about a racehorse who unfortunately never won a race after 100 attempts despite racing his heart out. A lovable horse who now is living his last years out at Old Friends, New York.
Entertaining story. I also really enjoyed the history and background on racing since I don't have any direct experience into that world.
Good read, but too lengthy, seemed to go on and on, but considering Zippy ran and lost 100 races maybe not. Loved the characters, and trainers love for the horse.
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