Ruffian: Burning from the Start by Jane Schwartz
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Book Reviews of Ruffian: Burning from the Start
Book Review: Touching
Summary: 5 Stars
A really touching story, really grabs you. Tells the story of huge hearted horse that shows what girls are really made of. This book deserves 100%, Ruffian deserves no less.Book Review: (4.5) A touching tribute to one of racing's greatest fillies
Summary: 4 Stars
Born in the spring of 1972, Ruffian was one of the greatest fillies the Thoroughbred racing world has ever known. Her size (she was larger than most fillies, and as a yearling had a girth greater than Secretariat's at the same age) and her effortless, ground-eating stride made the nearly black daughter of Reviewer (by Bold Ruler) and Shenanigans an imposing figure on the track. She broke her maiden the first time out, obliterating the field with a 15-length lead. Ruffian went on to win each one of her next nine races over the course of her two- and three-year-old seasons, making her ten for ten by the time she was to face the colt Foolish Pleasure (1975 Kentucky Derby winner) in one of history's most highly publicized match races. Unfortunately, no one would ever know who was the greater horse - Ruffian broke down during the race, her right foreleg shattered to pieces. She was half a length in front when the leg snapped. Though her chances were incredibly slim, veterinarians operated on the filly throughout the night on the faint hope that they might be able to save her. It was not to be, however. The surgery was a failure, and Ruffian was put down, at only three years of age.This book is an excellent, moving account of this great filly's brief, success-filled career, and her tragic death. Schwartz writes in a narrative style, drawing on information from her research and numerous interviews with Ruffian's "inner circle" of humans. In preparation for the book, she spoke with trainer Frank Whiteley Jr., jockeys Jacinto Vasquez and Vince Braciale Jr., exercise riders John "Squeaky" Truesdale and Yates Kennedy, groom Minnor Massey, and many others. The book contains a wealth of information about the filly, presented in a simple, easy-to-read language.
My only criticism of the book (and it is a minor one) is its organization. Schwartz has divided the book into five parts, each one containing several chapters. At the beginning of each section, the story jumps ahead to the great Match Race for a chapter, and then jumps back to talk about Ruffian's earlier life and career, and so on back and forth. This can be confusing at times, and it would have been better, I believe, to write the story in purely chronological order. The interspersion of chapters dealing with the fateful match race do give the book a sense of tension and impending doom, which I think is what Schwartz was trying to do, but the effect could still have been achieved by writing in a linear fashion. As it is, the last twelve chapters of the book are dedicated to Ruffian's final race, and the chapters stuck in earlier could easily have been included at the end instead.
On the whole, however, this is an excellent book. It is well-researched, well-written, and well-editted. The writing is easy to read (I finished the book in a little over a day), yet remains detailed and emotional. The reader can really feel for this great filly - exhilaration with her triumphs and heartbreak at her premature breakdown and death. Eight black and white photos of Ruffian are included at the end, showing her in various stages of work and repose with the people that were closest to her. This book does Ruffian the highest justice, and I would recommend it to any horse racing enthusiast.
Book Review: I read this slowly, slowly...
Summary: 4 Stars
because I knew where we were going, and I could not bear it. But it happened, it was Ruffian's story, and I had to make it to the end, just as she did. Horses work for us and they die for us. The least we can do is take note of their passing, hats off, eyes down in respect. Jane Schwartz is no Laura Hillenbrand, but she's good enough. Four stars for the skill in writing, for the way she constructed her story, and the will to write it, TEN stars for the greatest filly to ever set foot on a racetrack. Ruffian broke my heart.Book Review: Wonderfrul story
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit, the writing style of this book paled in comparison, but oh what an wonderful story nonetheless. Ruffian's lightening speed frightened those closest to her; trainer, owner and jockey. For those who love a good true horse story of a thoroughbred filly who is faster than the "jocks" I highly recommend this book!Book Review: Breaking point
Summary: 3 Stars
If you want to know the facts about the breakdowns in horse racing like the one that killed Ruffian, get a copy of the November 1, 1993 issue of Sports Illustrated and read "Breaking Point", William Nack's searing indictment of the industry. There are reasons behind these tragedies, things the average race aficionado may not always be aware of.
Horses don't just break their ankles (actually their sesamoid and cannon bones) for no reason, and they don't keep on running only because they have great heart and are driven to win (although this can be a factor). They also keep running because that's what they've been trained to do -- to finish the race -- and they often don't feel the pain at first, either due to natural adrenaline or to the drugs they're given or both. They overstress themselves (like any athlete), but the main reasons for breakdowns are the arduous training at too early an age, the unnatural conditions, the "toe grab" shoe (now known to be a cause of many such injuries) and especially the drugging which is still going on. Over 800 horses die on the track each year. The only difference between them and Ruffian is that Ruffian effectively died on nationwide TV in front of millions of horrified viewers.
Race horses often run on hairline fractures that go undetected. The trainers who suspected Ruffian was "not herself today" should have checked for such a thing. However, it's very likely that all that would have been done is to give her a corticosteroid shot so that she could run without feeling the pain. Ruffian didn't have to die. They could have rescheduled the race. But there was too much money riding on this event -- it couldn't be postponed for a mere thing like the health of one of the participants.
It is a mistake to start horses racing too early. At two years old, their bones and joints are not finished developing. It's exactly like the problems child athletes are facing today. By being pushed to excel before their bodies are ready, they face a much greater risk of injury that will put them out of the running for good before they even really get started. A large percentage of horses just as beautiful and intelligent as Ruffian who are tried out for racing fail to come up to standard. We never see them because they are slaughtered and sold for human consumption overseas. This even happens to some winners when they are over the hill.
If you love horses and racing, look into the facts behind the legend. Horse racing needs strict reform and regulation and doesn't have it, because the men who own these lovely creatures treat them as investments in an industry rather than as living beings. It's happening today, this minute, as I write this, with Barbaro. He may be dead before the day's over.
There should be as much concern for the animals' health and safety on the track as there is now in the movie industry. Some readers have called for a film version of this book, and I'm sure one will be made, and it'll say "No animals were injured in the making of this film". Too bad we can't say the same for racing.
(2008 update: Eight Belles. I have nothing more to say.)