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Gary Stevens
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The Perfect Ride Paperback – January 1, 2003

by Gary Stevens (Author), Bill Shoemaker (Foreword)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 46 ratings
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The Perfect Ride is a compelling behind-the-scenes account of the racing world, told by a man who has lived it. Here is the remarkable story of American jockey Gary Stevens who has triumphed over a lifetime of adversity - injuries, extortion attempts and death threats included - to become one of the most recognisable names in international racing today. He has also found fame as a film actor with his critically acclaimed appearance in the hit film Seabiscuit.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    236 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Citadel Pr
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0806524502
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0806524504
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Citadel Pr; First Trade Paperback Ed'n, 2nd Printing edition (January 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 236 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0806524502
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0806524504
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 46 ratings

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Gary Stevens

Gary Stevens

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
46 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Craig Connell
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Insights On The Sport
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2009
Verified Purchase
Once you get past the Stevens family history and Gary begins talking about his professional riding career in California and other spots, this books picks up. The further it goes, the better it gets as Stevens relates to us a lot of inside information on what makes up a good ride, a good jockey, trainer and/or owner.

He delves into the individuality of horses and how doing your homework before a race is crucial. His stories about his relationships with various trainers and owners are very interesting, especially if you know the names. The same holds true for racetracks, as each is different, and how each country has a different set of rules and track surfaces.

Stevens may not be school-educated, but he is one smart cookie......and an honest one. There are plenty of stories in here where tells us about mistakes he made in judging some horses, along with mistakes he made in human relationships. I particularly liked his touching tribute to the late Chris Antley.

Once again, as in most horse racing books, my high opinion of jockeys is reinforced. No athletes -and Stevens is a prime example - are tougher and undergo hardships and pain like they do.
3 people found this helpful
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elaine jennings
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent candid book
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2013
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Well written, honest as tries to be, informative, and would be a good book for even one not close to horse racing. As one who has followed racing for decades and horse interests all my life, many of the stories told were new to me in knowledge and expertise as shared by the pro. The glossary is helpful for newcomers. The bits about riding techniques and insight into horses in general and those mentioned in specific are priceless examples of how the game is played from the eye of the jockey. It was also so interesting how Gary Stevens overcame many of his body's physical obstacles to keep riding, then return to riding after retirement. I also appreciated hearing him speak about how much he studied the other horses in a race in which he was riding to plan his strategy. I very much respect the effort that went into this book.
3 people found this helpful
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Cindy Lieber
5.0 out of 5 stars Great shape
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022
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Took a bit to receive but it was in great shape.
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Freehouse
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for racing fans
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2011
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If you are a racing fan this book will take you along on a fun ride with one of the toughest riders to ever hit the track. Find out which horses Gary thought were his best mounts and what lessons he learned during his excellent career.
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Howdedoo
5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2014
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I really enjoyed this book. An inside look at "life of a jockey." Before reading this book, i had no idea how much technical skill and intuition is required of a jockey to be successful. And Gary described instances in which it was better to let the horse take control. He certainly has "horse sense.". It's given me a greater appreciation of the "sport of kings" and of the jockeys' abilities.
2 people found this helpful
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Camille V. Cira
5.0 out of 5 stars A WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION TO THOROUGHBRED RACING
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2009
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As an aspiring writer of a fictional horse story involving the race track, Gary Stevens gave me all the research material I could ever wish for, from the early stages of his life (what inspired him) to the jockey room, the paddock, to thrilling descriptions of his view from the backs of too many wonderful horses to count.
2 people found this helpful
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jdhart
5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2014
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Great book , a love story about life, horses, overcoming physical challenges. This book
gives insight into the nuances of horse racing by the very charismatic author, sharing his
secret of success, love and understanding of horses
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Fran Nasiatka
5.0 out of 5 stars the rider
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2016
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I love the book and this man can ride and read a horse good I all so like what it was like to be him.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Stevens !
Reviewed in France on May 7, 2019
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Un livre passionnant, qui nous fait découvrir les courses américaines et vivre au jour le jour la vie d'un jockey vedette... avec beaucoup de sincérité, Stevens nous fait entrer dans son univers...
Sa description des courses en Angleterre, comparée à celles au USA, est hilarante !
Le livre aurait pu être mieux construit, plus concis... avec un résumé de sa carrière... son passage en France est oublié...
A lire et à prendre comme il est...
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Mukundan S. Chettiyappa
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in India on October 1, 2016
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Does not reveal much.
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Sue Grimm
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in Canada on February 18, 2013
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Excellent read. Love how Gary describes the great horses that he has ridden. It was a quick read as I didn't want to put it down!
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richard morphett
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2015
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Still to read reserve judgement
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