What do you think?
Rate this book
Hap: The Prize Winning Horse
There was once a horse named, Hap. He was purchased along with several other horses by Bennett Wingate and he grew up on a farm in Kemper County, Mississippi. When Hap was young, he had aspirations of beinggreat and becoming a great race horse. However, his owners, the Windgates, did not have much money to put him in the best races nor train him to compete for the big prize (s). These setbacks did not stop Hap from dreaming. He knew that if he kept the faith and maintained his determination that one day his dreams would be accomplished. This is a story of triumph over many obstacles and tragedies. But, the central theme throughout the story is that if you maintain a positive attitude, determination, hope, and perseverance you can dream big and those dreams can become a reality.
69 pages, Paperback
Published November 8, 2019
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 13, 2019
I picked up this book as I liked the sound of the premise. A little horse that faced and beat the odds to become a prize winning racehorse. The first few pages showed promise, but then it was all downhill from there.
This book doesn't know what it wants to be, a kids book, a history lesson, a non fiction book about horse racing, or a social commentary. It jumped from one to the other without rhyme or reason, and ended up failing at them all. At first I thought it just badly needed editing, but by the end I realised that the whole thing should be scrapped and started over with more of an idea of what it wanted to be. The author seems to have just jotted down his rambling thoughts and left it at that.
The author also needs to get his facts straight on horse racing. The horse in the book is ridden around the farm by his owners for several years and runs in the county fair. OK fair enough. The next year he is sold, then he gets broken in (!) and runs in a steeplechase. After that he is going to be set for the Breeders Cup, which is held at the end of the year, and then the Triple Crown, a series for three year olds! Seriously!
The only reason I finished this book is I wanted to see how much worse it could get. It didn't fail me. So, unless there's a major overhaul of this book, do yourselves a favour and steer clear.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book doesn't know what it wants to be, a kids book, a history lesson, a non fiction book about horse racing, or a social commentary. It jumped from one to the other without rhyme or reason, and ended up failing at them all. At first I thought it just badly needed editing, but by the end I realised that the whole thing should be scrapped and started over with more of an idea of what it wanted to be. The author seems to have just jotted down his rambling thoughts and left it at that.
The author also needs to get his facts straight on horse racing. The horse in the book is ridden around the farm by his owners for several years and runs in the county fair. OK fair enough. The next year he is sold, then he gets broken in (!) and runs in a steeplechase. After that he is going to be set for the Breeders Cup, which is held at the end of the year, and then the Triple Crown, a series for three year olds! Seriously!
The only reason I finished this book is I wanted to see how much worse it could get. It didn't fail me. So, unless there's a major overhaul of this book, do yourselves a favour and steer clear.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2019
Set against a fascinating background, Crenshaw brings out mystique of horses and rustic simplicity of Mississippi life in his debut novella.
After a tragic incident, Hap, the young horse, starts his training as a racehorse. It’s easy to race in country fairs and win, but competing in a professional tournament is entirely another thing. It’s up to Hap now to make his lifelong dream come true.
Crenshaw explores a number of themes other than horse training: the redeeming power of resilience, positive attitude, determination and hard work and keeping faith in the face of difficulties. The scenes of horse training are at once genuinely fresh and informative.
Crenshaw’s prose is simple, and his vivid descriptions of Kemper County in Mississippi are realistic, but it is the realization of one’s dream in the face of obstacles that stays at the heart of this lovely novella.
After a tragic incident, Hap, the young horse, starts his training as a racehorse. It’s easy to race in country fairs and win, but competing in a professional tournament is entirely another thing. It’s up to Hap now to make his lifelong dream come true.
Crenshaw explores a number of themes other than horse training: the redeeming power of resilience, positive attitude, determination and hard work and keeping faith in the face of difficulties. The scenes of horse training are at once genuinely fresh and informative.
Crenshaw’s prose is simple, and his vivid descriptions of Kemper County in Mississippi are realistic, but it is the realization of one’s dream in the face of obstacles that stays at the heart of this lovely novella.
August 22, 2022
It is a story of victory over many drawbacks. The book draws attention to the themes of resilience, devotion, confidence, and perseverance. The author hopes that anyone who reads this book will truly be inspired and know they can overcome any challenge they face in life.
READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE: https://tinyurl.com/cxm8sbxp
READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE: https://tinyurl.com/cxm8sbxp
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews