The Perfect Ride

Stevens begins with his early childhood, living in Idaho. His father worked with Appaloosas, then moved on to Quarter Horse racing, and later to Thoroughbreds. Gary's older brother Scott began a career as a jockey, and Gary soon followed in his footsteps. He was riding Quarter Horses in races (under Scott's name) before he was legally old enough to obtain a jockey's license. The boy fell in love with the sport, and soon made the switch to riding Thoroughbreds. At seventeen, he left home for California, rode a dismal season, and returned to Idaho. There he got married, and over the next few years his career began to take flight and the book describes all his significant wins, losses, and other experiences.

Though his career soared over the years, Stevens talks of his constant battle with pain. A series of riding accidents over the years left him with terrible knees, requiring frequent surgery. He endured many breaks from riding in order to undergo rehabilitation, and often returned to the track prematurely, riding despite the pain. He even retired for a short time and tried his hand at training, but found he just couldn't stay away from riding. Stevens' frank discussion of his pain is one of the most inspiring things I've ever read. No matter how much he was hurting, he kept pushing forward, and made more than one amazing comeback in the sport.

In addition to race riding, Stevens discusses other major events that helped shape his life - his children, his divorce, his remarriage, and the death of a fellow jockey and close friend, Chris Antley. He also talks of his relationships with various trainers and jockeys; how he makes decisions on which mounts to accept, how to ride his races, and what directions to take with his career; and he evaluates some of the great horses he has ridden, including Thunder Gulch, Point Given, Winning Colors, Serena's Song, Silver Charm, and others. He talks about his struggle with weight, and how he has managed to stay in shape for riding. Stevens has ridden in the United States, Hong Kong, and Great Britain, and he compares the atmosphere and racing procedure in these very different places. All in all, this book is an excellent inside look at the life of a top racehorse jockey.

The epilogue touches briefly on Stevens' acceptance of a role in Seabiscuit, the new movie based on author Laura Hillenbrand's best-stelling book. He mentions a few things about the early stages of filming - what it was like to act for the first time, to work with co-star Tobey Maguire, to see an inspiring true horse story come to life on film, etc. My one criticism here is that he does not tell us enough. I really wish he had delayed the publication of this book another year so that he would have been able to include more about his work on the movie.

A few reviewers here have commented on a lack of accuracy in the book. Stevens himself tells us early in the book that his accounts are based largely on his own memories, which are fallible. He acknowledges the fact that he may have made some mistakes in his recollections. I don't really hold this against him. I suspect that any autobiography will contain some inaccuracies. The author is relying largely on personal memory, spanning a very large period of time. Stevens' goal here wasn't to provide us with a data sheet on the races he's ridden; he wanted to share the experiences of his life - to show us what's brought him to where he is today. And I think he's done an excellent job at just that. Having a date off by one year here, or not being entirely clear on the legalities surrounding building rights on a certain racetrack there don't detract from the messages the book has to offer. I would highly recommend this book to any horse racing enthusiast.


AWESOME, INSIDE LOOK AT RACING   August 7, 2002
17 out of 17 found this review helpful

What does it take to make it as a jockey? How does it feel to ride a champion? For the answers to these questions and many more, pick up a copy of Gary Stevens; memoir, THE PERFECT RIDE. Co-author Merv Kaufman does an excellent job of capturing Stevens' voice and chronicling his rise from Idaho farm boy to champion race rider. There's a lot of great stuff in here from an inside view of the jock's room to fascinating stories about racing from around the globe. This isn't just another sports star memoir. It's a story of triumph over adversity, packed with scores of anecdotes about the jockeys, trainers, owners and horses who make the game great.


Perfect Ride a perfect read   August 16, 2002
Molly (Minneapolis, MN)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

This book is one of the best horse racing books available right now--don't hesitate to go get it today.

It is superb.

There are many horse racing books coming out in the market right now, but very few of them have the insight at the sports highest level that "A Perfect Ride" does. It is an amazing story told without interuption by the man who lived it and it sincerely can't be beaten.

New racing fans will meet the cast of characters that make up this great sport and seasoned racing veterans will enjoy the details and inside information.

Others to read:
"The Race for the Triple Crown"
by Joe Drape

"Cigar: America's Horse "
by Jay Hovdey


Perfect Journey   August 21, 2003
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

After reading The Perfect Ride, I felt so much respect and admiration for Gary Stevens. He describes the athletic demands jockeys must meet and the injuries they must endure with grace. His determination and humanity come through when he writes about his personal life. I also liked his sensitivity to the horses he rides. It's a great read for an inner glimpse at jockey life.


The Perfect Read   August 26, 2003
C. Celmer (South Florida)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I loved this book. Not just a book for horse people and racing fans, but a true human interest story. He dosen't leave out any of the glory or the agony a rider of his caliber endures. I felt like I was in the race myself, following his narration. Stevens dosen't pull any punches. It is a very honest and inspiring tale.