Hap: The Prize Winning Horse

by Horace Crenshaw Jr.

Hap, the Prize Winning Horse is such a positive, charming tale of triumphing over obstacles. There is so much heart and dedication in this novella, and you will feel invested in Hap's journey and Kemper County.

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 being great 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.

42 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2019

Reviews

[M Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tale of Perseverance and Hope

I recently had the pleasure of reading "Hap's Triumph," and I must say it left a lasting impression on me. This heartwarming story of a young horse named Hap, raised on a modest farm in Kemper County, Mississippi, is a tale of determination and unwavering hope.
The central theme of maintaining a positive attitude, determination, and perseverance shines through the pages and serves as a powerful reminder of the human (or equine) spirit's resilience.
The characters are well-developed, and Hap's journey is filled with emotional highs and lows that keep you turning the pages.
I highly recommend to anyone seeking a heartwarming and motivational read. It's a story that lingers in your heart long after you've finished the last page, leaving you inspired to pursue your dreams with unwavering determination.

[Katarina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a good story, but the writing is not great. There is no real flow. Sentences seem abrupt and disjointed, which felt jarring and kept me from sinking into the story.
I also did not like the anthropomorphizing by the author, like describing a dream the horse Hap had, and the horse being frightened by the dream, as well as a bunch of other thoughts and feelings he supposedly had. It’s fine, if it works with the plot and writing, but in this case it didn’t. The majority of the book reads like a textbook: factual and detached, so the sudden attempts at a fictional writing style, by describing thoughts and feelings of the horse, just don’t seem to fit, and don’t seem believable.

[Sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author doesn’t seem to have had any idea of what type of book he wanted to write. It jumps around between racing history, the horse’s point of view, and the trainer’s life. None of this works to create a coherent story. The only thing good I can say about it is that it’s only about 40 pages long.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have some potential. This only qualifies as a first draft.