Horse stories come in all shapes and sizes, from the cinematic mythology of the Black Stallion to the true-life saga of Seabiscuit.
Now comes Well Armed: A Thoroughbred of Destiny, telling a tale located somewhere on the non-fiction spectrum between unbelievable and inspirational.
As a racehorse, Well Armed was a handsome specimen who ran to his looks on some of the game's greatest stages. His journey, however, was fraught with potholes and miracle comebacks that would have derailed the careers of most race horses. But not Well Armed.
More than a horse story, Well Armed: A Thoroughbred of Destiny brings to life the extraordinary circle of human caretakers convinced that Well Armed was something special and worth every anxious moment.
Bill and Susan Casner, whose young romance led to a lifetime of remarkable achievement, ushered Well Armed into the world from a careful mating of quality Thoroughbreds. Eoin Harty, Irish to the core, brought a five-generation heritage of horsemanship to the table as Well Armed's devoted trainer. And then there was the man in the saddle, the veteran jockey Aaron Gryder, who spent an otherwise highly successful career in pursuit of the superhorse of which every rider dreams, and finding that horse in Well Armed.
Further, it was Bill Casner, a former racehorse trainer himself, who refused to give up on Well Armed despite injuries that would have discouraged any ordinary horse owner. His hands-on rehabilitation of Well Armed at his Texas ranch represents the tipping point in whatever life his horse would come to enjoy.
All that should be enough to satisfy the most eager reader, and such a story alone should stand the test of time. But then there is a twist, right up front, that spins Well Armed: A Thoroughbred of Destiny in a way that both defies belief and confirms events beyond common understanding.
Karri Casner was Bill and Susan's second of two daughters. She was a generous, restless spirit who traveled the world in search of the kind of adventures that spread joy and nourish the soul. In all ways, Karri had a future of boundless possibilities, and then came that day in October of 2002 when she was killed, along with 201 others, in the terrorist bombings of two popular tourist spots on the island of Bali, far, far from family and home.
About six months later, on a quiet spring night in Central Kentucky, Well Armed entered the world sporting long, strong legs and a bold white blaze that would forever stand out in a crowd. He stood and nursed and did all the right things that a baby Thoroughbred should do in their first hours on Earth. The date was April 4, 2003.
It was also Karri Casner's birthday. She would have been 24.
The impact of such a coincidence could have ended there, and Well Armed might have turned out to be one of the thousands of Thoroughbreds born each year who never rise above a life of moderate achievement. Instead, he went on to racehorse glory, carrying the cherished memory of Karri Casner every step of the way.
About The Author
Veteran racing journalist Jay Hovdey, a winner of five media Eclipse Awards, had a front row seat for the racing exploits of Well Armed at places like Santa Anita Park, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar. In his hands, the story travels down several roads, including Bill Casner's rise from galloping horses for a buck a head to the heights of his business success, along with a deep dive into the family of Well Armed and the racing environment in which he thrived, once he survived.
Ordering The Book
Well Armed: A Thoroughbred of Destiny is from Johnsen Holdings Publishing. The 170-page paperback book can be purchased for $19.95, plus $7.95 for shipping and handling, at www.WellArmedBook.com.
