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  • The Eighty-Dollar Champion

  • Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation
  • By: Elizabeth Letts
  • Narrated by: Arthur Morey
  • Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (22 ratings)

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The Eighty-Dollar Champion

By: Elizabeth Letts
Narrated by: Arthur Morey
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Publisher's Summary

Number one New York Times best seller

November 1958: the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Into the rarefied atmosphere of wealth and tradition comes the most unlikely of horses - a drab white former plow horse named Snowman - and his rider, Harry de Leyer. They were the longest of all longshots - and their win was the stuff of legend.

Harry de Leyer first saw the horse he would name Snowman on a bleak winter afternoon between the slats of a rickety truck bound for the slaughterhouse. He recognized the spark in the eye of the beaten-up horse and bought him for 80 dollars. On Harry’s modest farm on Long Island, the horse thrived. But the recent Dutch immigrant and his growing family needed money, and Harry was always on the lookout for the perfect thoroughbred to train for the show-jumping circuit - so he reluctantly sold Snowman to a farm a few miles down the road. 

But Snowman had other ideas about what Harry needed. When he turned up back at Harry’s barn, dragging an old tire and a broken fence board, Harry knew that he had misjudged the horse. And so he set about teaching this shaggy, easygoing horse how to fly. One show at a time, against extraordinary odds and some of the most expensive thoroughbreds alive, the pair climbed to the very top of the sport of show jumping. 

Here is the dramatic and inspiring rise to stardom of an unlikely duo, based on the insight and recollections of “the Flying Dutchman” himself. Their story captured the heart of Cold War-era America - a story of unstoppable hope, inconceivable dreams, and the chance to have it all. Elizabeth Letts’s message is simple: Never give up, even when the obstacles seem sky-high. There is something extraordinary in all of us.

©2011 Elizabeth Letts (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

“This is a wonderful book - joyous, heartfelt, and an eloquent reminder that hope can be found in the unlikeliest of places. Most of all, it’s a moving testament to the incredible things that can grow from the bond between animals and humans. If you love a great animal tale, you’ll love this book!” (Gwen Cooper, author of Homer’s Odyssey)

“The moving story of an indomitable immigrant farmer, his equally spirited horse, and their against-the-odds journey all the way to the winner’s circle, The Eighty-Dollar Champion fascinates from the first page to the last. Elizabeth Letts has uncovered a forgotten slice of American history and brought it to magical life.” (Karen Abbott, author of American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee)

“There is something magical about stories in which humans and animals team up to combine their courage, intelligence, determination, physical prowess, and instincts to scale the heights, touch our hearts deeply, and inspire us in the most profound ways. Those are the best stories there are, I think, and The Eighty-Dollar Champion joins their ranks. There is a lot of wonderful emotion in this book, and it left me awestruck once more at the wondrous things animals and people can do when they join together to make some great and beautiful noise in the world.” (Jon Katz, author of Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm

What listeners say about The Eighty-Dollar Champion

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Nice story, lacked facts

This was a nice cover of the story of Snowman & Harry. Missed a lot of facts about Harry, threw in a quick divorce with no explanation, despite being most about the man. Pretty much everything glossed over so if you’re looking for the real story forget it, treat it as a novel

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Must read

Thank you for an amazing story.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this true story with so much heart and kindness.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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One of my favourites

I absolutely loved this book, I’m horse crazy but I think it would be suitable for people who are not.
I love that there is truth to the story and that makes it even more valuable. A real insight into the hard times of the depression and how a story can hold community’s together.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

If you love horses, this is the book for you

I really enjoyed this story. The only criticism is that it is slow to start and very basic for anyone who is involved with horses. The author has had to make it basic at the start to cater to people who do not have any horse knowledge however that does make the first few chapters hard going for those of us that know horses. Stick with it!!! It will break your heart at the end but it's based on fact and horses don't have a long life span.
As an Australian I did not know about this great horse and I am very pleased that I found this book. I had to google him to find photos, there are lots out there its well worth having a look.

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