My Animals and Other Family

My Animals and Other Family

by Clare Balding (Author)

Synopsis

My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding is a funny, brave, tender story of self-discovery 'I had spent most of my childhood thinking I was a dog, and suspect I had aged in dog years.' Clare Balding grew up in a rather unusual household. Her father a champion trainer, she shared her life with more than 100 thoroughbred racehorses, mares, foals and ponies, as well as an ever-present pack of boxers and lurchers. As a toddler she would happily ride the legendary Mill Reef and take breakfast with the Queen. She and her younger brother came very low down the pecking order. Left to their own devices, they had to learn life's toughest lessons through the animals, and through their adventures in the stables and the idyllic Hampshire Downs. From the protective Candy to the pot-bellied Valkyrie and the frisky Hattie, each horse and each dog had their own character and their own special part to play. The running family joke was that women ain't people . Clare had to prove them wrong, to make her voice heard - but first she had to make sure she had something to say. 'Moving, funny and larger than life' Michael Morpurgo 'Magical, enchanting, riotously eccentric' Daily Mail 'Funny and unexpectedly wise. Balding has lots of good stories to tell. It is impossible not to admire her honesty Mail on Sunday 'The reading equivalent of snuggling by the fire with a labrador' The Guardian Clare Balding is an award-winning broadcaster and writer. She has been a lead presenter for the Olympics, Paralympics, Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games. For more than twelve years, she has hiked across the countryside for the BBC Radio 4 series Ramblings. Clare has presented Countryfile, Britain's Hidden Heritage, Britain By Bike, Crufts, and Famous & Fearless, and has appeared on QI, Have I Got News for You and Sport Relief. She has been voted RTS Sports Presenter of the Year and Racing Broadcaster of the Year. She lives in West London with her partner Alice, their wayward Tibetan Terrier Archie and a cat who couldn't give a damn called Itty. My Animals and Other Family is Clare's first book.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 11 Apr 2013

ISBN 10: 0241959756
ISBN 13: 9780241959756

Media Reviews
Moving, funny and larger than life -- Michael Morpurgo
Simply fabulous -- Jilly Cooper
Author Bio
When she was young, Clare Balding thought she was a dog. Disappointed to discover she was only human, she did her best to spend every waking hour with dogs and ponies. She could ride before she could walk and, growing up surrounded by racehorses trained by her father, she dreamt of winning the Grand National or riding for Great Britain at the Olympics. Those dreams never came true but the consolation prize hasn't been bad. As a television and radio presenter, Clare has worked at six Olympic Games, the highlight being London 2012, as well as the Winter Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, the Grand National, Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and the Ryder Cup. Clare lives in London with her wife, Alice, and their very naughty dog, Archie.