Changing your mind after reading an autobiography - equine riders

Wasn't too keen on Sir Mark Todd's, seemed a bit heartless when talking about the horses and selling them etc..

Loved Mary Kings, boy she worked hard.

Clare Baldings was brilliant, read it in a day or two.

WFP's was alright, didn't feel any different towards him

Pippa's bored me a bit, but she loves her horses and really gets attatched to them.

Ian starks was quite good.

i quite liked AP McCoys.
 
I didn't think Mary's book was that badly written so that wasn't what put me off. I really can't explain it but it left me with a cold feeling about her. The whole smiley persona just seems fake to me now. I've read All the King's Horse's too and did like her prior to reading the autobiography.

I've read Pippa and WFP's too and enjoyed them. I think Nick Skelton's was one of my favourites; I hope he does another.

I found Leslie Law's incredibly dry and boring; it was a struggle to finish it.

I read Mark Todd's first one. Although I enjoyed it and I'm a huge admirer of his the latter past didn't thing true. There was no mention of the NOTW "bust" and, to me, it made the family man image seem really hollow. I dont expect rider autobiographies to be like Jordan/Jodie et al but if you're going to write one surely it should be truthful? I've not read his new one but sure I will at some point.

I was given Claire's for Christmas; looking forward to starting it after the reviews on here. I've also added Tim's to my wish list after this thread.
 
TPO said:
I read Mark Todd's first one. Although I enjoyed it and I'm a huge admirer of his the latter past didn't thing true. There was no mention of the NOTW "bust" and, to me, it made the family man image seem really hollow.
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I have no idea what NOTW "bust" means but am intregued!!

Would love to know why people found Mary's cold, I didn't at all, other that perhaps the bit where Imp Cavalier died. I just found it duller as she has had a pretty steady life after her early start, rather than the affairs and divorces etc some of the others had! I went to a demo of hers in Spring, and she was really lovely.
 
Sam_J said:
I loved Lucinda Greene's (or P-P as she was then) biography of Be Fair. It was called "Up, up and away" and I thought it was fantastic. Would love to find it again, but I think it's out of print now.
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I was brought a first edition for my birthday last year, best present ever. Chuffed as nuts!
I actually didnt really like Pippa Funnells book though.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Clodagh said:
Good, the sort of day we have all had with the weather today is beyond a joke, we all need cheering up.

There is nothing on the telly this evening so I think I am going to retrieve Mick from under the pillow and have another go.
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That and your previous posts just made me laugh lots :D

Anyway back to the op's question:

I liked Mary King/ Pippa Funnell and William Fox Pitt's auto biographies.

Tony Mccoy's surprised me with regards to how he felt about the horses who had been killed, I had him as being detached about them until I read it tbh.

Paul Nicholls was a bit too much about the success side.

Also liked Tom Daley's, he came across as how he did in the TV documentaries about him & his dad. The photos are also rather good ;)

Being a Man Utd fan am also surprised how much I enjoyed Kenny Dalglish's autobiography, was very interesting & his accounts of Hillsborough were v moving.
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I must be the only one who was dissapointed with Claire Baldings book. I read it in two days and felt it lacked any real insight and I did not come away feeling that I knew more about her than I did before reading it.
 
Sam_J said:
I loved Lucinda Greene's (or P-P as she was then) biography of Be Fair. It was called "Up, up and away" and I thought it was fantastic. Would love to find it again, but I think it's out of print now.
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Me too! It's gives me hope my cheap awkward little horse might one day make it to the olympics. Can't recommend it enough. I came accross my copy at a car boot and have lent it to someone now.

Also agree with the others that said Mary Kings wasn't great. I just found it too matter of fact, especially when she talks about horses being put down.

I enjoyed Claire Baldings and that's about as many as I've read, despite them all being on my xmas list for the last few years:rolleyes:
 
I think it's more the fault of whoever the ghost writer was for Mary Kings book than her, they let her personality down.

I just thought the writing was very flat and boring. Even when writing about when she used to drive HGV's through the night and ride etc in the day, and competing when pregnant, which is very impressive...it was all very flat.

I'm sure I remember seeing it was someone who writes for H&H.
 
I kind of thought the Mary King thing too, as did my mum although we read it separately along the lines of unfortunately that one broke so I needed a new one. To the average hobby rider who will keep their horses forever it could be read as a bit callous
 
ester said:
I kind of thought the Mary King thing too, as did my mum although we read it separately along the lines of unfortunately that one broke so I needed a new one. To the average hobby rider who will keep their horses forever it could be read as a bit callous
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Exactly! You have hit the nail on the head.
 
LeneHorse said:
I read Mark Todd's and felt that he came across as quite a ruthless character - success at any price and the horses were a means to an end. I didn't get the impression he had much emotional attachment to them at all.
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i bought a horse off mark....so went to his yard and met his staff

yard is run like a proffessional office, everything runs like clockwork and everyone knows their job....AMAZING!
success at any price....very large price ;)
they, at the time, had a yard of 18 horses, with mark and 2 staff riding them (so 6 horses each a day).
a horse was treated as a horse...no 'human contact' and was a 'tool' to the goal - mucked out, tacked up, ridden, untacked, feed was the general day - ....they were'nt mistreated - anything but! - but didnt get 'cuddles' or a random groom. the horses had no personality, and with a yard of 18 you couldnt have an attachment to any of them - it was a strictly proffessional enviroment and horses were treated as such.
 
Lynds said:
I was brought a first edition for my birthday last year, best present ever. Chuffed as nuts!
I actually didnt really like Pippa Funnells book though.
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I am sooooo jealous of your birthday present! No, Pippa Funnell's didn't really do a lot for me either.
 
There is a bit in WFP's that I think is odious.... when someone complained that the kids had nearly ridden a pony till it was exhausted by jumping it over and over and over.... and ok if mummy had stuck up for the kids at the time - i expected him to get a whalling when he got home... but no so i was a bit dissapointed in this.
 
Crimbowitch said:
There is a bit in WFP's that I think is odious.... when someone complained that the kids had nearly ridden a pony till it was exhausted by jumping it over and over and over.... and ok if mummy had stuck up for the kids at the time - i expected him to get a whalling when he got home... but no so i was a bit dissapointed in this.
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Someone complained- didn't necessarily mean it happened like that...

I also wasn't keen on Mary King's.
 
Hmmm just noticed spelling mistakes in MK's. She talks about a holiday to South Africa and about traveling through Transky (should be Transkei) and visiting Nisna (should be Knysna). Not the end of the world but a bit sloppy 😯
 
ester said:
I kind of thought the Mary King thing too, as did my mum although we read it separately along the lines of unfortunately that one broke so I needed a new one. To the average hobby rider who will keep their horses forever it could be read as a bit callous
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What on earth else would she say?! It's her job.

I think it's a shame that horsey folk can't be honest about the business side of things without other horse people saying they're callous. They'd hardly get where they are now by keeping every bit of rubbish they ever sat on or trying to fix every crocky horse.

Surely people know that about pro riders before they start reading and it shouldn't be a revelation? :confused:

I have only read Pippa's as frankly I am just not interested in that sort of thing. I enjoy watching the eventing but I don't care that much about the personalities who are riding. I'm probably a bit callous too in that respect ;)
 
Sam_J said:
I loved Lucinda Greene's (or P-P as she was then) biography of Be Fair. It was called "Up, up and away" and I thought it was fantastic. Would love to find it again, but I think it's out of print now.
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I agree - Lucinda Green's (Prior Palmer) book about her wonderful horse Be Fair is the absolute best book ever.

I recently bought another copy from eBay for £2.99 - a bargain - there are a few copies listed at the moment.
 
I've read Mary's and I definitely think it's the ghost writer that lets her down. As an example, I don't know where it was but I was watching an interview with her the other day and she breaks down crying talking about Cavvy dying, 4yrs after it happened. She's certainly not a cold person by any stretch of the imagination, and from meeting and spending time with her in person the book certainly didn't get her true personality across as well as it should have. I enjoyed reading the account of how she made it from nothing so to speak and did all of the hard work herself.

I thought Pippa Funnell's was honest, the mention of her marriage break, her serious issues with nerves and the attachment to her horses made it a nice personal read, a side I didn't expect before reading it.

Hoping to read Clare Balding's soon especially as everyone says how good it is.
 
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