Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award Winner Announced

Edited Press Release

Veteran turf writer Mark Shrager has won the 15th Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by Castleton Lyons, for Diane Crump, A Horse-Racing Pioneer's Life in the Saddle. The winner was announced on May 10 via Zoom conference for the second straight year due to pandemic concerns.

Shrager, a previous Book Award finalist for The Great Sweepstakes of 1877, took top honors for his biography of Crump, who represented the face of hope for aspiring young women in the Sport of Kings in the late 1960s. She would become the first of her gender to ride in a sanctioned North American pari-mutuel race, the first to compete in the Kentucky Derby, and the first to win a stakes event.

As winner of the 2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, Shrager will receive a check for $10,000, along with a Tipperary crystal replica of Castleton Lyons' iconic stone tower.

Other finalists were: Linda Shantz for her novel Good Things Come, and Vicky Moon for the biography Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop Had a Way With Horses, both of whom will receive $1,000 and a crystal trophy.

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Three Finalists Named For Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award

Three finalists have been selected for the 15th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award from more than a dozen quality submissions published in 2020. These include two comprehensive biographies about barrier-breaking women and an engaging novel of hope and heartbreak.

“This was the year of debut authors, including the fiction finalist,” said judge Kay Coyte, a former Washington Post and racing publications editor. “Part of the mission of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award is to encourage new writers to cover the sport he so loved. To have this many in 2020 would have delighted him.”

The award, founded by the late Dr. Ryan in 2006, has annually honored the best in longform writing about a topic or tale related to horse racing. Its $10,000 winner's prize remains among the largest in the literary world, matching that of the prestigious National Book Award. Following Dr. Ryan's 2007 passing, this celebration of racing literature has been continued each year by his son, Shane, current president of the Ryan family's Castleton Lyons farm near Lexington.

Past winners have represented a broad range of genres reflecting the breadth and width of this great sport — including fiction, short story collections, histories, and biographies. In addition to the $10,000 winner's prize, two additional finalists receive checks for $1,000, while all three take home Tipperary crystal statuettes of the farm's iconic stone tower.

Due to pandemic precautions, for the second straight year the winner's announcement cannot follow the traditional format of an in-person reception at Castleton Lyons, but will instead be announced via Zoom conference—scheduled during the heart of America's classic season, on May 10 at 5 p.m. ET.

Below are the three finalists for the 2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award honoring excellence in Thoroughbred racing literature (in alphabetical order):

Diane Crump, A Horse-Racing Pioneer's Life in the Saddle, by Mark Shrager.
This exceptional biography follows the life path of Diane Crump from a horse-crazy child to the courageous young woman who forever altered the course of racing. Crump's dream was to be a jockey at a time when that was not considered possible for a female. She fought back hard against discrimination while enduring boycotts, insults, and even threats of violence. In 1969 Crump became the first woman to ride in a pari-mutuel race in the U.S., the first to win a stakes, and the first to compete in the Kentucky Derby. Crump blew doors wide open for future generations of horse-loving girls to live their dreams at the racetrack.

Good Things Come, by Linda Shantz.
Mixing together optimism, heartbreak, and romance, a dash of rivalry, and a great deal of excitement, Good Things Come delivers all the goods in terms of top-notch fiction. Set in the world of Canadian racing, the story is that of an intense young woman, a troubled young man, and the quirky but talented filly that brought them together. This is the first book written by an accomplished equine artist and former backside worker who knows her subject well and tells it with a master's hand.

Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop Had a Way With Horses, by Vicky Moon.
Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop is not a widely familiar name, but she was a true racing pioneer. She climbed a mountain of adversity growing up in the Jim Crow South, and later fought relentless battles against sexism and racism to become the first black woman in the United States to obtain a trainer's license. Journalist Vicky Moon's meticulously researched work tells the story of America while tracing the life of this most remarkable woman—from her blue-collar childhood in West Virginia, to her start as a racetrack groom during the Great Depression, to the saddling of her final winner at age 80.

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Six Semi-Finalists For Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award Announced

Even as a deadly pandemic stopped the world in its tracks, the business of horse racing continued — and thankfully, so too did the art of writing about it. The year 2021 brings with it the 15th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, once again recognizing the best long-form writing the world of racing has to offer. Despite strict limitations set by COVID-19, authors continued to ply their trade, as evidenced by the exciting crop of racing-themed books that arrived last winter in the offices of Book Award sponsor Castleton Lyons.

As always, submissions represented multiple genres, from story collections to biographies, to works of fiction. Remarkably, nearly half of the 2020 submissions fell in the latter category, a strong group that served up mysteries and romance, misfits and second chances, crime, heartache, and equine greatness. Several of the titles represented excellent efforts by first-time authors.

After reading steadily through early spring, the Book Award judges selected six semi-finalists, including four fictional volumes and two stand-out biographies of trail-blazing women in racing.

A by-invitation reception has been held at Castleton Lyons' Kentucky farm each April since the award's inception in 2006. It had become a rite of spring until last year when the pandemic upended everything. The 2020 winner's announcement was by necessity moved back to November and was conducted remotely for the first time, via Zoom conference. That will likely be the format again this year, with a tentative target date of late April.

Below are the semi-finalists for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for excellence in thoroughbred racing literature published in 2020:

A Hole Through the Wind, by Alan Patterson.

This improbable but engaging semi-autobiographical tale of twin colts—one, big and handsome, the other a tiny castoff—is revealed through the diary and reminiscences of an old horseman. Written by an ex-jockey, the story centers around a young black man, the kindly farm manager and his daughter who take him in, and the undersized colt with an outsized heart they all believe in. It is a simple, feel-good tale for troubled times.

Diane Crump, A Horse-Racing Pioneer's Life in the Saddle, by Mark Shrager.

This exceptional biography follows the life path of Diane Crump from a horse-crazy child to the courageous young woman who forever altered the course of racing. Crump's dream was to be a jockey at a time when that was not considered possible for a female. She fought back hard against discrimination while enduring boycotts, insults, and even threats of violence. In 1969 Crump became the first woman to ride in a pari-mutuel race in the U.S., the first to win a stakes, and the first to compete in the Kentucky Derby. Crump blew doors wide open for future generations of horse-loving girls to live their dreams at the racetrack.

First-Time Starter, by Stan D. Jensen.

This charming novella, penned by a former owner, jockey's agent, and published author, reminds one how wonderful racing can be. It centers around a beautiful but seemingly incorrigible filly, her old-school trainer, a loving groom, and a has-been jockey. As the story develops, the filly transforms from an angry, vicious, untrusting animal into the glorious racehorse she was meant to be. First-Time Starter is a short, quick read encompassing a single day in the life of its cast of characters, and it leaves you wanting more.

Good Things Come, by Linda Shantz.

Mixing together hope, heartbreak, and romance, a dash of rivalry, and a great deal of excitement, Good Things Come delivers all the goods in terms of top-notch racing fiction. Set in the world of Canadian racing, the story is that of an intense young woman, a troubled young man, and the quirky but talented filly they both love. This is the first book written by an accomplished equine artist and former backside worker who knows her subject well and tells it with a master's hand.

Ruffian, by Precious McKenzie.

This fictionalized account of the life of Ruffian as seen through the eyes of a young girl is a well-penned read for older children and young adults, as well as a broader audience. No one who lived through the brilliant career and untimely death of this immortal filly could forget Ruffian. And those who came later will learn from these pages of her all-too-brief life and those of the people who surrounded and loved her.

Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop Had a Way With Horses, by Vicky Moon.

Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop is not a widely familiar name, but she was a true racing pioneer. She climbed a mountain of adversity growing up in the Jim Crow South, and later fought relentless battles against sexism and racism to become the first black woman in the United States to obtain a trainer's license. Journalist Vicky Moon's meticulously researched work tells the story of America while tracing the life of this most remarkable woman—from her blue-collar childhood in West Virginia, to her start as a racetrack groom during the Great Depression, to the saddling of her final winner at age 80.

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‘Better Lucky Than Good’ Wins Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award

For the first time in its 14 -year history, the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award has gone to a multi-collaborative effort, as opposed to one written by a single author, or two working in tandem. The 2019 winner is “Better Lucky Than Good: Tall Tales and Straight Talk from the Backside of the Track,” published through the Louisville Story Program and edited by Joe Manning. In this work, a diverse cross section of Churchill Downs denizens—including exercise riders, grooms, assistant trainers, hotwalkers, outriders, security guards, silks makers, outriders, and touts—penned their personal and very different takes on racing as they have experienced it. Altogether, this is the ultimate insider's view of a sport that has captured the imaginations of multitudes down through the centuries.

Other finalists were: “Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory,” by Lenny Shulman (Triumph Books) and “The Triumph of Henry Cecil: The Authorised Biography,” by Tony Rushmer (Little Brown Book Group).

“'Better Lucky Than Good' is a true insider's look at a historic racetrack that goes well beyond the barns to encompass stories of little-heralded employees, neighbors outside the gates and the ancillary business owners who also are so important to the sport of racing,” said Book Award judge Kay Coyte. “All the stories are recorded, guided and edited with great respect and affection by the Louisville Story Program team.”

The top three were selected from an eclectic and exceptionally strong group of 15 entries, all published during the 2019 calendar year. As always, a $10,000 first prize was awarded along with $1,000 to each of the two finalists, with all three receiving Tipperary crystal trophies in the form of Castleton Lyons' iconic stone tower.

A panel of three literary and racing industry judges, headed by Coyte, a former editor at the Washington Post, worked together in determining this year's results. Coyte was joined by award-winning TVG broadcaster Caton Bredar, and noted Kentucky poet Jayne Moore Waldrop, who this month published “Drowned Town,” a short stories collection about the people who lived in the Land Between the Lakes.

Also, for the first time, the Book Award was not bestowed in person due to coronavirus precautions. The award timeline would normally have concluded last spring with a ceremony in the historic stallion barn at the Ryan family's Castleton Lyons, near Lexington, Kentucky. But there was nothing normal about 2020, which will go in the books as the Year of the Great Pandemic. From necessity, the process was altered, the schedule pushed back, and ultimately, the traditional winner's reception was scrapped in favor of an online video conference call announcement on November 20.

The “Better Lucky Than Good” cover photo of groom Paul Goffner leading the 1981 Derby Trial winner with the colt's name What It Is printed on his red T-shirt turned out to be the perfect image for this disrupted year, Coyte said. “We've all had to adjust to What Is.”

The award was founded in 2006 by philanthropist and noted global businessman Dr. Tony Ryan, to recognize the best book-length writing with a horse racing backdrop. Since his 2007 passing the competition has been continued by Dr. Ryan's son and current president of Castleton Lyons, Shane Ryan. Past honorees have included a recipient of the prestigious National Book Award and several Eclipse Award-winning authors.

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