Author Description

Experience the sheer thrill and joy of national hunt racing as an American novelist follows three horses and their Irish trainers on their annual pilgrimage to the Cheltenham Festival, in this evocative book on the jumps and the Irish love of horse racing. In the spring of 2001, author Bill Barich moved to Dublin from his native USA. By chance he found himself in a local betting shop where he was persuaded to indulge in something completely new to him. As his growing enthusiasm for racing became shared with other passionate fans, he found people willing to talk to him about other things as well -- and learned many home truths about an Ireland denied to most casual visitors. The Jumps explores this world and what it reveals. It's an honest rather than a pure romantic portrait: the annual Irish pilgrimage to the Cheltenham Festival is the centrepiece of the book, but there is also the historical, political and part-autobiographical elements that combine to form a rich tapestry underlining a unique culture. From the start of the National Hunt season in October through to Cheltenham week in March -- and encompassing some 27 racecourses scattered throughout the province -- Barich follow