What is more compelling than a remarkable horse making history? In this engaging first-person narrative, Emma Hudelson weaves the rise of show horse Sky Watch with a portrait of the magical, mysterious world of American Saddlebred horses and her own powerful story with the breed. Beautiful horses and masterful showmanship abound, but ultimately this is a story about love—in all its forms.
~Kristen Iversen, author of Full Body Burden and Molly Brown
Great horses live at the center of many stories—their own, those of their keepers, those of their fans. Sometimes they even shape the times in which they live. Sky Watch's constellation of tales is plotted with great skill and energy by Hudelson, giving us compelling insight into an esoteric world where the high-stepping American Saddlebred is king.
~Susanna Forrest, author of The Age of the Horse: An Equine Journey through Human History and If Wishes Were Horses: A Memoir of Equine Obsession
Emma Hudelson's Sky Watch is a beautiful braided memoir deftly weaving the dramatic story of Saddlebred horses' biggest star, Sky Watch; the history of horsemanship; and Hudelson's own life with horses. I loved being immersed in this world and was moved by the obsession, adventure, and the biggest delight of all—how we care for one another, allowing what's brightest about those we love, both human and animal, to shine.
~Tessa Fontaine, author of The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts
With the heart and humor of Susan Orlean and the research chops of Laura Hillenbrand, Hudelson has written a chronicle and a testament to the American Saddlebred that will surely enter the canon of great equestrian writing. Framing a three-generation love for horses around the storied rise of the five-gaited champion, Sky Watch makes for a story that is at once educational, propulsive, and immensely entertaining. This book made a railbird out of me—I couldn't look away!
~Courtney Maum, author of The Year of the Horses
Sky Watch shares not only the story of this champion Saddlebred and his great career in the ring, but also one woman's contemplation of the role horses have played and will continue to play as she enters a new phase in her life. From the first page to the final one, Sky Watch is an utterly fascinating look at a classic equine world that will leave you rushing to learn more about Saddlebreds while also running to hug your favorite equine friend.
~Jennifer Kelly, author of The Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha, and the Quest for the Triple Crown
In the tradition of great human-animal nonfiction such as Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk and Lyanda Lynn Haupt's Mozart's Starling, Hudelson seamlessly weaves her own story alongside the historical account of a famed animal, sharing both the coming-of-age tale of Sky Watch, a champion Saddlebred horse, and Hudelson's own coming-of-age story as a horsewoman and a mother. A beautiful showing of love and passion between humans and non-humans, Hudelson embraces generations of both horses and horsewomen.... A must-read for anyone who loves animals, but especially for those who are wading into parenthood or who have wanted to pursue a passion that feels like a fantasy.
~E.B. Bartels, author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter
Hudelson tells a big, complex story about our families, our culture, and a powerful and intelligent species-other, and she tells it beautifully: the weave of personal memoir and historical reconstruction, the multi-dimensional characterization of both humans and horses, the skillful pacing and searching and empathic narrative persona all make Sky Watch wonderfully informative and a pleasure to read.
~Andrew Levy, author of Huck Finn's America: Mark Twain and the Era That Shaped His Masterpiece and Brain Wider Than the Sky: A Migraine Diary
The story of Sky Watch is irresistible. It has drama, surprise, intrigue, and a cast of compelling figures, none more remarkable than our four-legged hero. Hudelson is the perfect guide—knowledgeable and determined, adept with narrative and deeply engaged. Her passion for both Sky Watch and the American Saddlebred is clear, contagious, and propulsive. I loved learning about this horse and this world.
~Chris Bachelder, coauthor of Dayswork and author of The Throwback Special
Anyone who loves horses will love Sky Watch, which tells the tale of one of the greatest American Saddlebreds of all time. Through meticulous research and beautiful, down-to-earth prose, Hudelson places me ringside, letting me relive the drama and excitement of the 1980s show horse world exactly as it happened. All horse enthusiasts have their own Sky Watch, a horse who inspires them for decades to come. This book is their story, too.
~William Marple, American Saddlebred historian
In meticulously reported detail, Emma Hudelson details her 'horse-sized love' for a legendary stallion. Interwoven in this biography of an equine athlete is Hudelson's journey to motherhood, and ultimately how reclaiming horses after a misspent youth helped her make 'amends to myself.' Hudelson's flair for writing and deeply researched history make her own story and this legendary horse's come movingly alive.
~Sarah Maslin Nir, two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and author of Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal and the Once Upon a Horse series
A love story with many deep levels—from the research into champion Sky Watch and the breed of the American Saddlebred, to the love of young girls and horses, to the love of mothers and daughters—Emma Hudelson's book is well-researched, thoughtful, engaging, smart, and lively. As a horse lover and a reader, I adored it. If you love animals, don't miss this gem.
~Annie Hartnett, author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals
In Sky Watch, Hudelson takes us to a place outside of time as she paints a portrait of a legendary horse, a story filled with setbacks, victories, and a great rivalry, and then deftly weaves in her own love of the Saddlebred and its beauty, a love passed down from her mother and offered now to the next generation.
~Susan Neville, author of The Town of Whispering Dolls and Sailing the Inland Sea: On Writing, Literature, and Land
In Hudelson's personal, lyrical, and ultimately brave explanation of how a great horse like Sky Watch became a magical and redemptive force in her own life, she makes him that for the rest of us as well. This book will be enjoyed and cherished by anyone whose life has been changed for the better through their love of a horse.
~Mary Perdue, author of Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew's First Champion
