It has been said that the invention of the Thoroughbred was the single most consequential turning point in the evolution of the horse since its domestication. Its blood has provided the key to superiority in nearly every equestrian discipline. Why the Thoroughbred was created, how, by whom, and how its progenitors survived war, politics and the ambitions, jealousies of monarchs, noblemen and politicians is the subject of Speed and the Thoroughbred. Handsomely illustrated with paintings and photographs, this is the first book to identify and historically trace the three sources of Thoroughbred speed: the pre-Christian Irish Hobby, the 16th century English Running-Horse, and a few Middle-Eastern imports. More than ten years in the making, the author—the most prolific equine author and creative equestrian of the 20th century—believed it was his finest work of equine scholarship. It is the most important and fascinating book ever written about the Thoroughbred.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
This unexpected treasure comes from one of the equine world's most respected authors and students of history—published two years after his death in 1998 at the age of 95. While many books have detailed the evolution of the Thoroughbred, in his final work Mackay-Smith takes a different angle in reviewing the origin of sprinting speed within the breed. The longtime editor of The Chronicle of the Horse magazine spent a decade researching, compiling, writing, and editing. The result is a posthumous masterpiece. This slim, slightly oversized volume is lushly illustrated in both black and white and color. (Mary Simon Thoroughbred Times )
This unexpected treasure comes from one of the equine world's most respected authors and students of history—published two years after his death in 1998 at the age of 95. While many books have detailed the evolution of the Thoroughbred, in his final work Mackay-Smith takes a different angle in reviewing the origin of sprinting speed within the breed. The longtime editor of The Chronicle of the Horse magazine spent a decade researching, compiling, writing, and editing. The result is a posthumous masterpiece. This slim, slightly oversized volume is lushly illustrated in both black and white and color. (Mary Simon Thoroughbred Times )
Mackay-Smith's scholarly endeavor isn't just history, though. He raises a number of questions about the breeding of all kinds of horses that are as pertinent today as they were 400 years ago. (John Strassburger Chronicle Of The Horse )
In relating the enthralling history of the origins of the thoroughbred, Mackay-Smith gives all horse lovers - not just racing enthusiasts - a fuller appreciation of the modern equine athlete. (Faquier Times-Democrat )
During his lifetime, Alexander Mackay-Smith contributed to sporting art and the sporting horse world in countless ways through his many books and as editor of The Chronicle of the Horse. The late Mackay-Smith's book, Speed and the Thoroughbred, contains 32 fine color prints and 28 black and white illustrations in a new edition. (Equine Times )
During his lifetime, Alexander Mackay-Smith contributed to sporting art and the sporting horse world in countless ways through his many books and as editor of The Chronicle of the Horse. The late Mackay-Smith's book, Speed and the Thoroughbred, contains 32 fine color prints and 28 black and white illustrations in a new edition. (Equine Times )
Lovers of fine art will appreciate the illustrations that give this masterpiece of research incredible visual appeal. (In and Around Horse Country )
This unexpected treasure comes from one of the equine world's most respected authors and students of history—published two years after his death in 1998 at the age of 95. While many books have detailed the evolution of the Thoroughbred, in his final work Mackay-Smith takes a different angle in reviewing the origin of sprinting speed within the breed. The longtime editor of The Chronicle of the Horse magazine spent a decade researching, compiling, writing, and editing. The result is a posthumous masterpiece. This slim, slightly oversized volume is lushly illustrated in both black and white and color. (Mary Simon Thoroughbred Times )
Mackay-Smith's scholarly endeavor isn't just history, though. He raises a number of questions about the breeding of all kinds of horses that are as pertinent today as they were 400 years ago. (John Strassburger Chronicle Of The Horse )
In relating the enthralling history of the origins of the thoroughbred, Mackay-Smith gives all horse lovers - not just racing enthusiasts - a fuller appreciation of the modern equine athlete. (Faquier Times-Democrat )
During his lifetime, Alexander Mackay-Smith contributed to sporting art and the sporting horse world in countless ways through his many books and as editor of The Chronicle of the Horse. The late Mackay-Smith's book, Speed and the Thoroughbred, contains 32 fine color prints and 28 black and white illustrations in a new edition. (Equine Times )
During his lifetime, Alexander Mackay-Smith contributed to sporting art and the sporting horse world in countless ways through his many books and as editor of The Chronicle of the Horse. The late Mackay-Smith's book, Speed and the Thoroughbred, contains 32 fine color prints and 28 black and white illustrations in a new edition. (Equine Times )
Lovers of fine art will appreciate the illustrations that give this masterpiece of research incredible visual appeal. (In and Around Horse Country )
About the Author
Alexander Mackay-Smith was born in Manhattan in 1903, but he lived most of his life in the horse country of Virginia. He is also the author of The American Foxhound 1747-1967, and Foxhunting In North America, among others. He died in 1998.
Alexander Mackay-Smith was born in Manhattan in 1903, but he lived most of his life in the horse country of Virginia. He is also the author of The American Foxhound 1747-1967, and Foxhunting In North America, among others. He died in 1998.
Alexander Mackay-Smith was born in Manhattan in 1903, but he lived most of his life in the horse country of Virginia. He is also the author of The American Foxhound 1747-1967, and Foxhunting In North America, among others. He died in 1998.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Intriguing,
By A Customer
This review is from: Speed and the Thoroughbred: The Complete History (Hardcover)
I was dreadfully sad to read a review of this book which thought that it was too difficult and not well edited. I'm only 21 and found this book to be fascinating, with much knowledge and information that captivated my interest. It is a text that has to be thought over and studied, making it much more valuable than simply a child-view of such a distinct history of the Thoroughbred horse. It was well written and planned out. I found this to be a brilliant construct of the details of such a beloved tradition as these creatures.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating History in a Rather Sketchy Format,
By Nuts About Books (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Speed and the Thoroughbred: The Complete History (Hardcover)
I enjoyed reading this book. It is full of interesting information. Most books about the history of thoroughbred breeding tell all about those magical three eastern stallions. But this one tells the whole story. Mackay-Smith has offered proof that the Irish hobby- and English running-horse strains were thriving in England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and that it is the "taproot mares" which offer the thoroughbred its speed. The addition of the blood of the eastern stallions provided middle distance stamina to the breed. He also talks a lot about the various personalities surrounding the early breeding of thoroughbreds. Until I read this book, I wasn't aware of the connection between the English civil war, the Restoration, and the development of the thoroughbred.BUT.... this book is far from perfect. As an earlier reviewer pointed out, it is very poorly edited. The illustrations are very good, but the style is a bit jarring and disjointed; it does seem like a bunch of author's notes thrown together under sketchy headings, and the same facts are repeated over and over. There are punctuation errors, and at one point the book refers to "Kentucky Derby winner Native Dancer", a grievous mistake that I think highly unlikely to have been the fault of Alexander Mackay-Smith. In my experience of books published by the Derrydale Press, this book is not quite up to their usual high quality of production. However, even with its faults, I thought this was a unique book, and for racing fans it's definitely worth reading.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent History of the Evolution of the Thoroughbred Horse,
By A Customer
This review is from: Speed and the Thoroughbred: The Complete History (Hardcover)
I loved reading this book. I read it at home, at work, while driving... It is the best history of the origin of the thoroughbred I've read. Everything imaginable is compiled into one book. All racing nuts have heard "The" story of the origin of the thoroughbred: in the 17th and 18th centuries, English nobility imported a handful of Barb, Turk, and Arabian stallions, crossed them on non-descript local mares, and found that because of the enormous "prepotence" of these fabulous foreign studs, the offspring were stamped with their sires great speed and beauty. Mackay-Smith's great contribution is telling the history of these local mares, showing that they were not just empty vessels waiting to be filled, but were powerful sources of speed themselves, having been bred for racing for generations in England and Ireland. Indeed, they may have been faster than the imported stallions, with the Arab/Barb/Turk sires adding conformation and endurance, more than speed itself. The sires are the source of "speed that can carry", not speed per se. Fun book -like a little trip to a museum everytime you flip through it.
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