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 centre 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 a compelling insight into an esoteric world where the high-stepping American Saddlebred is king.
~Susanna Forrest, author of The Age of the Horse and If Wishes Were Horses
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
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 which 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
Whether they rack, race, or roll, horses are still an integral part of our lives and the stories of the great ones draw us in like few others. Hudelson's Sky Watch shares not only the story of this champion Saddlebred and his great career in the ring, drawing us into this rich world of both splendor and power, 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 Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha, & the Quest for the Triple Crown
