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My Life in 12 Horses by Nicky Henderson

Martha Terry Martha Terry

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    • My Life in 12 Horses by Nicky Henderson

    Score

    10/10

    Price as reviewed:

    £17.59 for hardcover

    Title: My Life in 12 Horses
    Author: Nicky Henderson with Kate Johnson
    Published: 25 September 2023

    Available as hardcover
    View now at amazon.co.uk

    About My Life in 12 Horses 

    National Hunt champion trainer Nicky Henderson OBE shares behind-the-scenes stories of the dozen most extraordinary thoroughbreds that have defined his glittering career.

    After his early days as an amateur jockey and assistant to Fred Winter, Nicky started his own training yard, which would become the home of such great riders as Sir AP McCoy, Barry Geraghty, John Francome, Mick Fitzgerald, Sam Waley-Cohen, Richard Dunwoody, Nico de Boinville and many others.

    From his triple Champion Hurdle-winner See You Then, Remittance Man and Nobby the sheep, record-setting Altior, Sprinter Sacre and the greatest comeback in jump racing history, to his new star Constitution Hill, the Henderson yard has been a breeding ground for success.

    Through exclusive interviews with Nicky and his jockeys, Nicky Henderson: My Life in 12 Horses schools us on life, sport, magic, courage, loss, hope and love.

    Review

    A delightful and revealing biography, which is told via 12 special horses (the title of each chapter) in Nicky Henderson’s life. Starting with Happy Warrior, “his beloved beserker”, who gave him several memorable wins as an amateur jockey, the book tracks through stars such as See You Then, Long Run, Sprinter Sacre and Altior. Author Kate Johnson has compiled the book together with Nicky, and it is both beautifully and evocatively written.

    With Nicky still very much training at the peak of his powers, the all-conquering Constitution Hill only squeaks in as an “afterword” – though crammed with both character and excitement – yet this is a full, personable and bewitching account of the genius that is the six-time champion jumps trainer.

    This book is not only revealing for what it tells us about Nicky, his astounding natural horsemanship skills and empathy for the horses in his care, but I loved the input from other greats of the game. Luminaries such as John Francome and Steve Smith-Eccles shed light on various aspects of Nicky’s career, which adds such insight.

    We learn about his inspirations, his friends, and those, like Corky Brown, who’ve helped make Nicky into the success story he is. There are also quotes from Nicky’s family, such as his sister sharing the emotion of their mother’s sudden death, so painful even 50 years later. All in all, it provides a thorough and fascinating account of this brilliant man, and wonderful anecdotes about his great horses, their personalities brought to light so beautifully.

    Despite Nicky’s incomparable achievements that so few trainers will ever match, his biography has a heartwarming (at times heartbreaking), down-to-earth feel. We live the highs and lows with him, feel his thrills and his pain. Most of all, in an era when antis try to point the finger at racing, it brings home just how much these horses are loved, cared for, cherished – Nicky’s every waking thought for so many decades has revolved around their wellbeing.

    While this is a must-read for racing fans, I’d recommend it to anyone who has ever loved an animal. As Richard Phillips says of Nicky’s career: “Before anything else, it’s an emotional relationship between Nicky and his horses… That’s probably why Nicky’s so good at what he does, he gets quite attached to them. All the best trainers are emotional people, wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Being emotional means understanding how horses think.”

    Verdict

    A thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening read about one of the greatest trainers of all time. It gives brilliant insight to the rollercoaster thrills of Nicky Henderson’s outstanding (and still strongly ongoing) career and the personalities behind some of the biggest equine names in National Hunt history, from the “hell-cat” See You Then to the “glittering athlete” Sprinter Sacre. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried, and it made me feel I loved the greatest game more than ever.

    View now at amazon.co.uk

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    Martha Terry
    Martha Terry

    H&H features editor
    Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on dogs of all shapes and sizes. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs, one a street dog from Gambia who was abandoned at three weeks old. Now, her constant companion, whether by her feet at her desk or walking cross-country courses, is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
    Martha Terry

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