Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse, by+ Kim Wickens

 

 Publication July 2023

Be still my horse-crazy girl's heart. I grew up with horses filling my days and mind and this book by Kim Wickens took me right back to those days. You could almost feel her excitement for her topic vibrating in the air. Although Wickens, who does dressage, did extensive research, which can often result in dry reading, this one captures the feel of an exciting, turbulent time, not a simple recitation of facts. In other words, a good read.

I won't attempt to summarize Lexington's entire story here. Instead, some personal reactions and things you may or may not know about horse racing "back in the day". For instance, think about what we recognize as the typical horse race nowadays. One race, then, win or lose, back to the barn. Lexington's time was different. Horses ran in heats, usually a mile. Yes, some races today are of that length. But, in Lexington's time the horses ran repeated heats with only a 45 minute rest between until one horse was successful in winning two of them. That meant some races went on for many heats. Lexington won his early fame in just that environment. Speed and endurance. Nor did they travel in leisurely style when it was time to move on to the next location, often traveling by steamboat or train or, for that matter, afoot. Lexington was definitely not the pampered race horse we might imagine. He was also going blind.

Horse racing in the mod-1800's, Lexington's time, was both a sporting and social event in the South. Then the Civil War broke out. Not to be crude, but the military was desperate for horses during that time and race horses were not excluded. The story of how Lexington's owner, Ten Broeck, struggled amidst the chaos and turbulent times to keep him safe is fascinating. Yet, at the time the book was written, 12 of 13 of the Triple Crown winners could trace their lineage back to Lexington. He was truly a remarkable horse and his story is equally remarkable.

Bottom line, whether you're drawn to this because of a love or horses, history, or just plain ol' curiosity, it's well worth a read. Seriously, I've only touched the surface. Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHousePublishingGroup - #BallantineBooks for allowing me to revisit my horse-crazy girl days.