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The legend of Zippy Chippy : life lessons from horse racing's most lovable loser / William Thomas.

by Thomas, William J., 1946-

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McClelland and Stewart, 2016.

Zippy Chippy (Race horse)

Race horses -- United States -- Biography.

9780771081590 (hc.)

Alternate title:

Zippy Chippy : life lessons from horse racing's most lovable loser

284 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. 22 cm.

"From Canadian humorist William Thomas comes the poignant story of a thoroughbred racehorse that lost 100 races in a row - but, in everyone's eyes, became the ultimate winner. In 1991, at Capritaur Farms in Upstate New York, Zippy Chippy strolled into the world. He was born from American horse racing royalty -- Compliance (his father was Kentucky Derby-winner Northern Dancer; his great-grandfather Native Dancer, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner) and Listen Lady (great-granddaughter of Native Dancer). Even before his birth, the hopes (not to mention the bill for his planned production) for Zippy Chippy were high. Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time, famously said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." These words have become the battle cry of athletes, coaches, and teams everywhere. Yet, Zippy Chippy ignored Lombardi and turned his nose at the concept of winning-at-all-costs. In fact, he decided to not win at all, losing, over the course of his career, 100 consecutive races, at some of the greatest tracks in the country: Belmont Park, Aqueduct, Finger Lakes, and Suffolk Downs among them. And he did so with his owner, Felix Monserrate, by his side - a man who refused to sell Zippy, or even retire him just because he couldn't come in first. Soon people, enchanted by his story, would travel from all over North America to watch him lose but then happily gallop back to his stable. To them, Zippy Chippy was just like them; someone who wasn't an athlete with a million-dollar contract, or someone with movie star looks -- he was a creature who struggled, who lost, and who failed even the lowest of expectations. But, somehow, he found a way to enjoy himself and eagerly return for the next race. Told with a lot of heart, this is the story of the losing-est racehorse in North American history - a perpetual loser who won peoples' hearts. William Thomas is an author, a scriptwriter and a nationally syndicated humour columnist"--Provided by publisher.

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