Secretariat's Meadow

Reviews

THE LATEST REVIEWS OF SECRETARIAT'S MEADOW

 We got a mention in Publishers Weekly!  Here's the item: 

The Disney movie Secretariat opens today. The official tie-in is Secretariat by William Nack (Hyperion, ISBN 978-1401324018), but a related title is Secretariat's Meadow by Kate Chenery Tweedy, daughter of Penny Chenery (played by Diane Lane in the movie). Penny wrote the book’s foreword and is touring with Kate to promote the book, and Disney is featuring this book at movie openings. Dementi Milestone Publishing is the publisher (ISBN: 978-0982701904).  The book was also mentioned in the trade press in Shelf Awareness.

 

Just got a glowing review from Frank Mitchell of the Daily Racing Form! 

He said, in part: "It is a lovely book, full of color and character, and of course, there are many photos of His Chestnut Perfection. What more could anyone ask?  ....It makes a grand and moving story and is told with warmth. Beautifully illustrated and produced, Secretariat’s Meadow is a pleasure for readers and fans of racing."

Here's the link to the whole review: http://fmitchell07.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/book-review-secretariats-meadow/

 

 

Here's an excerpt of a review from the Sacramento Book Review...

"Here is a heartwarming overview of a racing dynasty that produced one of, if not the most famous thoroughbred racing horse of all time – Secretariat. This coffee table-sized, visually appealing book focuses on the history of the Chenery family and their meadow, the Virginia breeding farm where many top thoroughbreds got their start. From the Civil War-era to the 1970s when Secretariat became their Triple Crown winner, the stories and photos of the family and their farm are unique and fascinating, sure to appeal to history buffs, horse breeders, and just plain horse lovers everywhere. One enlightening chapter is devoted to the African-American stable hands who did everything from mucking out stalls to training the colts, to working as exercise jockeys, to handling valuable breeding stallions (often not an easy task), and finally, to being head groom and companion to the big red horse that captured not only a nation, but the world."          Reviewed by Christina Forsythe

 

This is from Midwest Book Review:

 

"Secretariat's Meadow: The Land, The Family, The Legend is a gorgeous coffee table book, illustrated throughout with black-and-white and color photography and images, detailing the history behind the famous Triple Crown-winning racehorse Secretariat, his birthplace, and the family that raised and raced him. The genesis of the modern racehorse legend and the people responsible for his care stretches back hundreds of years, but Secretariat's Meadow especially focuses upon Christopher Chenery, who masterminded the transformation of a humble farm into the genesis of a legendary champion. Any reader with an avid interest in the history of championship horse racing is sure to delight in this accessible, insightful, and candid tour."

 

Horse-races.net gave us 5 stars (actually 5 horseshoes!) and said:

 

"Kate Chenery Tweedy has produced a very fitting tribute not only to Secretariat, but to her late grandfather Christopher Chenery, her mother Penny Chenery, and everybody who had a part in the success of the Meadow Stable, especially the many African-American grooms who worked at the farm. This book is strongly recommended to racing fans especially history aficionados, as it tells such an important story of the American turf. Secretariat fans who could tell his story on their own will truly enjoy Tweedy’s first-hand account, as someone fortunate to have personally witnessed greatness in her family, their farm, and their horses."   Here's the link to the entire review:

 

http://www.horse-races.net/library/review-080610.htm

 

 

About.com said: "Secretariat is one of the greatest racehorses of all time. However, we may never have had a "Big Red" if not for many events that happened dating back to before the Civil War, that led to Christopher Chenery establishing the Meadow Stable. Tweedy's book is a tribute to her grandfather, her mother Penny, and the many people behind The Meadow especially the grooms. Secretariat fans who could tell his story on their own will truly enjoy Tweedy’s first-hand account, as someone fortunate to have personally witnessed greatness in her family, their farm, and their horses. This is such an important story of the American turf."    Here's the link:

http://horseracing.about.com/od/bookreviews/gr/aa-secretariats-meadow-review.htm

 

Thoroughbred Daily News said: "Secretariat’s Meadow is an informative rags-to-riches story, rooted in reality and historical fact...Tweedy leaves no stone unturned in her pursuit to provide an accurate account of what happened at Meadow Stable, before and after Secretariat’s birth...(Secretariat’s Meadow)...benefits enormously by coming from a direct family source, with the series of illustrations and photographs enhancing the overall reading experience. It will ensure that the Chenery family, and their affiliation with Secretariat, will remain etched in the memory for years to come.


 

PRAISE FROM BILL NACK

We were extremely honored that renowned turf writer, Bill Nack, author of "Secretariat - The Making of A Champion," praised our book. Bill said: 

 

“Kate Tweedy and Leeanne Ladin take the reader on a romantic journey filled with stories about the people and the horses who turned this land into a flourishing mecca of Thoroughbred breeding. Well written and beautifully illustrated with a gallery of old prints and photographs, Secretariat’s Meadow is an artful contribution to the history of the America turf.” 

 

 Bill was also a consultant for the upcoming Disney movie Secretariat.

 

Ron Turcotte's review

Ron Turcotte, who rode both Secretariat and Riva Ridge for Meadow Stable, said:

 

"Many books and articles have been written about Secretariat, but what makes Secretariat’s Meadow unique is that instead of all those dry statistics, it gives you a glimpse behind the scenes at all the human interest stories from the family’s own perspective. It is a book well worth reading and for me, it brought back many a fond memory.”

Jim Gaffney, Former Exercise Rider

“I am thrilled and honored to have been a part of Secretariat’s life and I feel I have been touched by greatness. I loved him dearly, tears filled my eyes when he won and when he lost. It is fitting that the greatest Thoroughbred racehorse of all time is having skilled and dedicated workers that were with Secretariat tell their stories of his early days at the Meadow. Leeanne Ladin and Kate Tweedy have done a marvelous job of putting together a story of Secretariat’s birthplace. The State Fair of Virginia is now on the grounds of the Meadow Stable.  The barn in which Secretariat was born will become a permanent memorial for this great champion.

 

This book will lead us to his marvelous journey to become a racing legend and always be a household name. This book will also be a pathfinder for us to see and enjoy the upcoming Walt Disney Movie of Secretariat to be released October 8th, 2010.”