About the author
Anne Brooksbank (b.1943) was born in Melbourne, and has written several novels for young adults. Amongst them is one horse story: Archer (1985), which is based on the story of the horse who won the first, and the second, Melbourne Cup. He was one of only five horses to win it more than once. Although the book and film have Archer walking over 500 miles to get to the cup, in reality it appears his journey was made mostly by steamship (dangerous enough in itself; ten horses were lost when one steamship foundered), with a walk at the end.
Finding the book
Reasonably easy to find.
Sources and links
More on Archer, the racehorse
The film Archer’s Adventure
Austlit
Equitainment
Bibliography (pony books only)
Archer
Bay Books, Sydney, 1985, 119 pp. Illustrated with stills from the film.
The year is 1861, and the first Melbourne Cup has been announced by the Victorian Turf Club: it will be the biggest, the richest and the most prestigious race in the southern hemisphere. A long way across Australia, a boy dreams of winning this race; he has, he thinks, the horse to do it. Their one problem is getting there. They walk.
