What Is This Madness: Ride & Tie : The Invention and Growth of a Sport [Paperback]

Bud Johns (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1985

The story of how a historical means of transportation for two humans sharing a single horse--used from necessity to travel long distances in Colonial America and the Old West and even earlier in England --inspired the author to invent the sport of Ride and Tie. Illustrated with 41 photographs and one diagram.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"All right, you marathoners, quit that sissy sport and read all about Ride & Tie ...ably documented." -- San Francisco Chronicle

"Intelligent and invigorating" -- Herb Gold, San Francisco Focus

"Well-illustrated...an inviting introduction to the sport." -- Portland Oregonian

"Well-written, fast-paced and interesting." -- Western Horseman

From the Back Cover

"James Naismith never wrote the story of how he invented basketball and the early years of the sport. Neither did the inventor of any other sport.

"Until now.

"What Is This Madness? is Bud Johns' story of how a historic means of transportation --used from necessity in Colonial America and the Old West and even earlier in England--inspired him to invent the sport of Ride and Tie. His anecdotal history of the sport's first 14 years--during which it grew from one race to more than 350 annully in the U.S. and abroad--shows why one observer said 'If you took the Kentucky Derby and the Boston Marathon to Outward Bound, you'd have yourself a Ride & Tie.'

"The race involves teams of two humans alternately running and riding an equine teammate over rugged trails that may be 40 or more miles in length. The forerunner of the current interest in ultradistance and multi-discipline sports such as triathlon, Ride & Tie has been called 'the toughest game in town,' 'a thinking athlete's sport,' 'a sport for masochists' and many other things. Its addicts credit it with creating a lifestyle, a third of its participants are women and--as a first-time viewer said--'these people don't whine, do they?'

"'The race is a living drama, with the rewards and disappointments of life,' said a college professor who once was a member of a world-record (college track) relay team.'The first four miles of Ride & Tie were the most exciting thing I have ever done, the nextthirty-odd were the toughest and the last mile the most rewarding.'

"What Is This Madness? is the story of an intriguing, exciting sport and the amazing people who are attracted to the combination of its physical and strategic challenges whether they're competing to win or are winning by completing the difficult event. It's the story of people--of all ages--who participate and as such it's a wonderful antidote to the 'big bucks' hype of so much modern spectator sport. Long before you finish these pages you'll understand why an internationally known ultradistance runner and triathlete wrote 'I have been bit by the Ride & Tie bite' and a former Olympian said 'participating in Ride & Tie is more exciting than competing in the Olympics.'"

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Synergistic Pr (September 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912184051
• ISBN-13: 978-0912184050
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,922,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book on Ride & Tie, September 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: What Is This Madness: Ride & Tie : The Invention and Growth of a Sport (Paperback)

This is THE original book about the sport of Ride & Tie by THE originator of the sport. Bud John's account of the history of Ride & Tie, from his conception of the sport in 1970 to the hay day of the sport in the 1980's is entertaining and inspiring. Many of the original "greats" of Ride & Tie are introduced in the book, and many of them are still Riding and Tying today! If you have ever been curious about the sport, or have never heard of it, or are an old hand at it (but then, if you are an old hand, you already own this book) this book will give you an enjoyable introduction to the sport and how it works...