Horse Lover Writes Book for Racing Fans

Linda Hanna was born the year Citation won the Triple Crown, grew up riding horses along the back roads of Delaware County, and in college chose horseback riding over golf to fulfill a one-credit course.

That was the extent of the connection between Hanna, assistant professor of elementary education at West Chester University, and the horse world.

Now, however, with her publication of Barbaro, Smarty Jones & Ruffian: The People’s Horses, Hanna has become something of an expert on the Sport of Kings and a leading advocate for positive changes in the treatment of horses – particularly Thoroughbreds.

Hanna has always been an animal lover and achieved a level of fame as a cat rescuer – about 1,000 over the past 30 years. One of her rescues, Hagrid-of-Hogwarts (she’s a Harry Potter fan) was one of the seven little kittens she saved from the demolition ball after they were discovered in Veterans Stadium just before it was slated to be razed. Hagrid, who still lives with her, along with Hermione, another rescue (and 2005 Household Pet of the Year), was named 2006 Household Pet of the Year by the American Cat Fanciers Association.

And, indeed, a cat was indirectly responsible for the book.

In 2004, Smarty Jones lost the Belmont and had a career-ending injury that only came to light a month later. That same year, Hanna found a little orange kitten on the road, discovering later that he had suffered the same injury as Smarty Jones.

“So, of course, I named him Smarty Jones,” she says.

Hanna took “Little Smarty” to Kentucky for a visit with “Big Smarty,” where she befriended Patricia Chapman, the horse’s owner.

In 2006, after Barbaro suffered his catastrophic injury at the Preakness, Gretchen Jackson arranged for Hanna to see the horse at New Bolton Center. “I got to pet him and that was the beginning of this whole thing,” says Hanna.

The idea of a book was born, and Hanna decided to expand it to include Smarty Jones and Ruffian, who died in 1975, after another fatal injury.

“All three were fan favorites and all three suffered injuries, two of which were fatal,” Hanna says.

She interviewed owners, trainers, jockeys, equine veterinarians, pedigree specialists and racing officials involved with all three horses. Her book is the basis of exhaustive research which includes track surfaces and breakdowns over the last 60 years. She notes that in the 1940s and ’50s, the average race horse started 50 to 60 times in a career. Today, most race fewer than seven times.

The book, she says, is not only a tribute to these great champions but, hopefully, will educate the public on the positive and negative aspects of the sport of horse racing.

To this end, Hanna intends to donate a portion of the proceeds from the book to the Kentucky Equine Humane Center.

“The book is a book for fans,” Hanna says. “I want to raise social consciousness of the good things about the sport but also to discuss the negative aspects of the sport that must be addressed.

“A horse needs a lot of care and with ownership comes a lot of responsibility.”

Linda Hanna has been an instructor of elementary education at West Chester since 2003. She earned both her bachelor’s and her doctorate of education at Immaculata University and her master’s at Villanova.