About the author
Gordon Wright (1903–90) was an influential American show jumper. In 1962, the National Horse Show held in New York honoured the winners of the Hunter Seat Equitation Championship: over half of them were students, or former students, of Gordon Wright. He trained members of the United States Equestrian Team, as well as having a successful jumping career of his own, with such horses as Bartender and Sonny.
In his youth, he worked as a cow puncher and rodeo rider, and he served as an instructor at the Fort Riley Cavalry School during World War II.
He wrote just one fictional work of which I am aware, as well as several non fiction works. Two of these were illustrated by Sam Savitt, and one (illustrated right – Learn to Ride, Hunt and Show) has been reissued.
Finding the book
The Winning Streak is not impossible to find; good copies may well be expensive.
Links and sources
Gordon Wright the showjumper on The Horse Magazine
Sky Horse Publislhing, publishers of Learn to Ride, Hunt and Show
Many thanks to Susan Bourgeau for her help with this section.
Bibliography (horse books only)
The Winning Streak
Hillair Circle, undated, illus Jan Royce Conant
The blurb:
“Learning to be a gracious winner is even more difficult than learning to be a good loser. DaphneVan Allen thought that she could short-cut sportsmanship and still come out on top. From the time she was nearly expelled from a summer camp until the day when she was the cause of a near fatal accident, Daphne was able to rationalize her behavior to herself.”
