The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop

LoveReading4Kids Says

Young readers will gallop through Clare Balding’s utterly delightful book – in fact, they’ll be smiling from the very first sentence. Steeped in farm and family life and full of fascinating details from the world of horse racing too, it’s the rags to riches story of Charlie who buys the racehorse no-one else wants and goes on to enter him in the Derby.

With a terrific cast of characters, animal and human, it’s a properly heart-warming story. Noble Warrior isn’t the only one to prove what he’s made of thanks to the support of those who believe in him; Charlie too finds the confidence to ignore her brothers’ taunts about her thighs, and even persuades them to work as part of her team. Heaven in a feed-bucket for pony-mad readers, this will win everyone’s heart! 

To read about more determined, lively pony-mad heroines see the Jinny series by Patricia Leitch, Olivia Tuffin’s Palomino Pony books and the One Dollar Horse by Lauren St John, or classic National Velvet by Enid Bagnold. 

Reviewed by Andrea Reece
Andrea Reece has spent almost her entire working life in children’s books, first as publisher, latterly as consultant, project manager and critic.
More reviews by Andrea Reece

About The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop

Charlie Bass is a horse-mad ten-year-old who dreams of owning her own pony. So when she accidentally manages to buy a racehorse, Charlie is thrilled. The horse she buys, Noble Warrior, looks the part: strong, fit and healthy. There's just one problem - he won't gallop. In fact, he won't even leave his stable without his best friend, a naughty palomino pony called Percy.

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