31 Jul Title: The Eighty Dollar Champion Author: Elizabeth Letts

The Eighty-Dollar Champion, written by Elizabeth Letts, tells the amazing true story of Grand Prix horse and rider duo Harry de Leyer and his horse Snowman. This book is all about Harry’s horse filled life, in and out of the show arena. We were able to follow every twist, turn, and hurdle in the path of these two lifelong friends on their journey to becoming champions. The Eighty-Dollar Champion showed us up close, the excitement of an equestrian life and taught us that hard work and a little luck truly can lead to success. We saw that their attitudes, and not the ribbons they won, really inspired Harry and Snowman.

We were able to read and witness the unbreakable bond between Harry and Snowman.  Our hearts filled with joy when after being sold to a neighbor, Snowman pulled tires and broken fences in an attempt to return to his true home with Harry.  Though their time together was filled with many ups and downs, Harry and Snowman always remained close and were happy to be around each other. It didn’t matter to them what the competition was or how things might look. They always tried their best and did not mind what color of the ribbon they won. It only mattered that they gave their best and came out of the ring with a smile on their faces. After all the experiences  Harry and Snowman had together, Snowman also known as Snowy, got another nickname:  The Cinderella Horse.

After finishing reading this story, we could finally appreciate being told,  “Don’t judge a book by its cover”-Anonymous.  You never know how good a rider or horse can truly be, unless you give them the chance to shine and demonstrate what they’re capable of becoming.  Be prepared for this book to inspire, encourage, and bring smiles to each reader. Overall, we deemed this remarkable story a must read for horse lovers everywhere. We give this book a five out of five horses. Ms. Elizabeth Letts, thank you for writing this book.