Clare Balding, TV presenter, sportswoman, bestselling author and national treasure spent her childhood falling off and getting back in the saddle. In her first non-fiction book for children, she shares her warm, funny and reassuring personal insights into what it means to make mistakes and be unafraid of failure.
Balding's father was a champion horse trainer, and her family shared their lives with more than 100 thoroughbred racehorses and an ever-present pack of dogs. Balding ranked low in the family pecking order--below her brother and the horses. Left to her own devices, she had to learn life's toughest lessons through the animals.
The third book in Clare Balding's brilliant series! Noble Warrior has certainly earned his name: he won the Derby against all odds and bested a bunch of nasty kidnappers. But now Noddy is facing his greatest challenge yet . . . Charlie's best friend Polly is still recovering from an accident that left her almost paralysed. But Polly has a real talent with horses - and she and Charlie are determined not to let it go to waste. Can the two best friends find a way to make Polly's equestrian dreams come true, and forge a new path for the racehorse who wouldn't gallop?
Walking Home - Clare Balding's unmissable new book of Great British Adventures Clare Balding is on a mission to discover Britain and Ireland. She's conquered over 1,500 miles of footpaths, from the Pennine Way to the South-west Coast Path. As well as blisters and a twisted ankle, she's walked with extraordinary people - botanists, barefooted ramblers, whisky-drinking widowers... In Walking Home she shares these stories and tells of more (mis)adventures with her family and her wayward Tibetan terrier Archie. Along the way there are beguiling diversions and life-changing rambles. Finally, Clare embarks on the most important journey of all - the long walk home. Clare Balding's first book, My Animals and Other Family, was a runaway number one bestseller and won Autobiography of the Year at the 2012 Specsavers National Book Awards. Clare broadcasts on TV and radio for the BBC, Channel 4 and BT Sport. In 2013 she received an OBE for services to broadcasting and journalism. She lives in West London with her partner Alice, their Terrier Archie and a cat who couldn't give a damn called Itty. Praise for My Animals and Other Family: 'You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want a horse' Caitlin Moran 'Moving, funny, and larger than life' Michael Morpurgo 'Simply fabulous' Jilly Cooper 'Stonking anecdotes ... sharply charming' Guardian 'Magical, enchanting, riotously eccentric' Daily Mail
How do you make a racehorse gallop ? No, that's not the start of a joke. For Charlie Bass, it's a serious question. If her horse, Noble Warrior, won't gallop, he can't race. If he doesn't race, he won't win the Derby. And, if he doesn't win the Derby, Charlie's family could lose everything..
100 of the most heroic, inspirational (and sometimes hilarious) animals from history, brought to life by national treasure, Clare Balding
Every dog must have his day. Dogs are never just pets. Not for the British. We love them as members of the family. They work with us, sleep with us, eat with us, help us live our daily lives and come on holiday with us. Some parents will freely admit to enjoying the company of their dogs more than their children while many couples would choose the dog over their partner. So what is it that makes our bond so special? In this fascinating adventure across Britain, Clare Balding explores the many roles dogs fulfil and the history of how they became such an intrinsic part of our lives. She talks to people whose everyday survival depends on their dog, those whose experience of life has been transformed by them and what dogs have meant to her. From the mysteries of extinct breeds to the ancient dogs still thriving today, she journeys from Battersea to the Orkney Islands via Buckingham Palace to tell a moving and humorous tale of loyalty and partnership. Isle of Dogs is an unmissable read for anyone whose life has been transformed by a faithful hound.
Clare Balding's second brilliant adventure for Charlie Bass and her funny family of humans and animals. Life is slowly getting back to normal for Charlie after her reluctant racehorse, Noble Warrior, won the Derby and saved her family from financial ruin. But drama soon returns to Folly Farm when thieves break into the farmyard in the dead of night and kidnap Noble Warrior! With the police baffled and no trace of the prizewinning thoroughbred to be found, Charlie launches her own investigation...
Charlie is excited when she finally gets a horse she can ride. She believes Noddy can help her family to afford their well-loved farm. But when Noddy does not want to gallop, Charlie must think outside the box to achieve her dreams. The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop is from Fluent Reader Level 4 and is ideal for more fluent readers aged from 7+ who are starting to read independently. Each book has been carefully checked by educational and subject consultants and includes comprehension puzzles, book band information, and tips for helping children with their reading. With five levels to take children from first phonics to fluent reading and a wide range of different stories and topics for every interest, Read It Yourself helps children build their confidence and begin reading for pleasure.