Poles and Gridwork bible!!, 20 Mar 2007
Hoorah! Something which I can understand without being too basic to understand the set up and how to ride with poles and gridwork!
There's hope for the 2'6" Showjumping class yet!
Thank you very much for a great book and a good and speedy delivery.
Very Helpful and Useful Book, 11 Dec 2001
I have been riding for over 30 years, but could never get the right lengths between the jumps/poles. I have found this book very helpful and would recommend it to any rider. From beginners to Advanced.
Mnemonic hell!!, 04 Mar 2008
Noooo - I can see what Hugh is trying to achieve but this book is far too complicated and the Mnemonics are even harder to remember than the lessons. Nice photos but both myself and my husband gave up reading it. And we have been playing for a long time and understand the game, heaven help a beginner who tries to understand this!
brilliant!, 25 Jan 2006
Fantastic reading, i thoroughly enjoyed this book, it gives great strategies and plays. I would dislike to play against some-one who has read this book. It is,however, for people who can play polo, do not buy this book if you are a beginner, in my opinion you would have to be a very mature -1 verging on a good 0, you should also have a good understanding of rules,match and team play before attempting to read it. 10/10.
Peter gives a much more thorough review, but..., 27 Mar 2004
...put simply this is an absolutely compelling, comprehensive and complete (as far as possible) history of the world's finest racecourse from its 18th century beginnings to the present day. A "must buy" for anyone building a racing library, a "must read" for anyone at all interested in the history of racing.
Brilliantly written and lavishly illustrated, 15 Apr 2003
Sir Peter O'Sulleven claims, in the foreword to this book, that Ascot is the most famous racecourse in the world. Whether it is or not, it has established itself as one of the most important racecourses in Britain over the past 200 years.
Ascot's history begins almost 300 years ago, in 1711, but took a long time to establish itself. Documentation of the early history is incomplete - for example, the result of the first race staged there is not known, although a list of all the horses competing was preserved. Apparently, the person who was supposed to record the result didn't turn up to see the race. Such modest beginnings contrast sharply with what Ascot later became.
This book, written with the co-operation of the royal family, explains their role down the years. You are not left in any doubt which kings and queens enjoyed horse racing and which ones were uninterested.
Ascot only really started to blossom in the reign of King George III, who was the subject of the movie The madness of King George. The king was not interested in horse racing, but his son the Prince Regent was, and it was he (who eventually became King George IV) who made Ascot into a major racecourse, which it has remained ever since. The prince was also responsible for beginning all the pageantry that has now become part of the Ascot scene every June.
Despite the royal patronage and the fashions, ultimately it is the racing that most of us are really interested in. Many champion racehorses have competed at Ascot and their exploits are given plenty of coverage. Although not a champion in the true sense of the word, Brown Jack was a very popular horse in the 1920's and a whole chapter is devoted to his exploits.
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was inaugurated in 1951 and has now become Ascot's most prestigious race. Run at the end of July, it has been won by some great champions including Ribot, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Dahlia (twice), Shergar, Dancing Brave, Lammtarra, Swain (twice), Daylami and Galileo. Plenty of coverage is given to this great race, including the exciting finish in which Grundy beat Bustino.
Traditionally, the Gold Cup was Ascot's most prestigious race. Staged on the Thursday of the royal meeting in June, it is run over two and a half miles. It is still a race worth winning, but despite some popular winners such as Sagaro (who won three Gold Cups) and Double Trigger, this race is not particularly important these days. In the nineteenth century, horses who won the Epsom Derby as three-year-olds sometimes ran in the Gold Cup as four-year-olds. They did not always win, but many did, notably Isinglass, the Triple Crown winner of 1893, as a five-year-old in 1895. No modern Epsom Derby winner would attempt to win the Gold Cup; the last one to try was the 1969 winner, Blakeney. The Gold Cup is given plenty of coverage in the book.
Ascot has also seen plenty of champion milers, including Brigadier Gerard, Kris, Rose Bowl, Warning and Dubai Millenium, while steeplechasing and hurdling also get covered. Desert Orchid won eight times there, including his thrilling victory over Panto Prince in the 1989 Victor Chandler.
A chapter is devoted to the extraordinary day in 1996 when Frankie Dettori rode all seven winners, a feat unlikely to be matched in my lifetime.
This is a magnificent book, well worth the price, which tells you everything you need to know about one of the greatest racecourses in the world.
Bizzare sports and weirder travel., 29 May 2004
If the title of this book isn't enough in and of itself then may I say that if you like strangers coming up to you to ask what your reading, this is a must.
Ulak Tartish is a real game involving men on horseback racing to grapple and grab a headless goat, then hurtle down the field to score a goal! Sounds surreal! That's just one of the bizarre sports Emma Levine witnesses as she pinball's her way through Central Asia, Pakistan, India, Turkey, and Iran. From Camel wrestling to Donkey racing and guys smearing themselves in olive oil before wrestling bouts, it's all fascinating.
There are many facets to this book apart from the sports themselves (pictures included) with their ancient roots. For example it looks at how people try to maintain their traditions in spite of government indifference. Sadly, these games, that were once embedded in the fabric of a society, may be lost as that older society appears to be falling apart.
Then there are the difficulties the author faced in order to get a glimpse of what is in the main a very male world. Being a young white female seems to have helped as much as it did hinder, but Ms. Levine sails through with a boundless enthusiasm for sport and travel, not to mention a wicked sense of humour.
This book was used for the basis of a National Geographic series (A Different Ball Game) of which I've seen a couple. It's not as raw as the book but it is good to see all the action, so check it out if you can. There is also a version of the book in Dutch!
