You Bet Your Life: My Incredible Adventures in Horse Racing and Offshore Betting

Description

The rags-to-riches tale of one of the most remarkable figures in horse racing history. Readers will be left breathless at the edge of their seats by the amazing stories in You Bet Your Life: My Incredible Adventures in Horse Racing and Offshore Betting, the story of celebrated jockey Dave Stevenson. A runaway barn hand who became a legendary champion and hero in his native Canada, Stevenson's life is incomparable in its color, scope, and excitement. Throughout, You Bet Your Life is the ride of a lifetime. Its pages transport readers back in time to the golden era of American and Canadian horseracing greatness, traveling across North America and then around the world, all the while meeting an abundance of colorful characters: from legendary figures such as the Dowager Queen of England, Pablo Escobar, and champion thoroughbreds Secretariat and Seabiscuit, to charlatans and cheats, horses and owners, and jockeys and trainers that populated the underbelly and the pinnacle of the horseracing world. Relayed in stunning detail and brimming with emotional episodes, Stevenson's memories bring readers to the front lines, so close to the action that you'll swear you can feel the force of the filly's kick, taste the grit of the racetrack, hear the roar of the crowd, and smell the alluring perfume of wealthy women. Will Dave Stevenson's story enthrall and inspire readers from its opening pages? You Bet Your Life it will.

Dave Stevenson has devoted his life to thoroughbred horses and horse racing. A former jockey, he rode the prizewinning steed Canadian Champ to win the Canadian Triple Crown in 1959. Following his career as a jockey, Stevenson served for more than thirty years as a trainer and consultant for various racing entities. Stevenson lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

"The tales of breaking feral Thoroughbreds to saddle were totally enthralling, and Stevenson's candid, honest retelling of many of the early years of his racing career riding no-name horses are a good reminder to the racing fans that there's much more to the racing world than the big televised stakes." -Horse Nation "Throughout his fascinating journey, Dave has managed an amazing balance: husband and family man, lifetime aviator, expert diver, avid fisherman, and a pretty fair tennis and golf player. And for Dave, life is about challenge and new horizons, always reaching for more. What will be his next adventure? Well you've got it in your hands! So pull on your boots, tighten your girth, and get ready for an exhilarating ride." -Dr. James Madison Hill, co-owner of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew "Taking yearly holidays with my friend Dave Stevenson was like traveling with Lowell Thomas. . . . It was so dangerous I had to quit." -Leroy Jolley, Hall of Fame horse trainer "One usually calls oneself fortunate to have one significant accomplishment in a lifetime. Dave Stevenson has had countless and is still counting. What a treasure to have a collection of his many ventures to share and inspire the world. -Ramon Dominguez and Sharon Dominguez, member of the US Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and lifetime winner of $196 million "A cherished member of the racing community where his astute strategies . . . served him well and enabled both the sport and business to thrive." -Jim Bannon, member of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, winner of Canadian Gemini Award for Best Sports Analyst "When I think of Dave, I think of tough, principled, fairly inflexible in his views. But he [has] one of the greatest senses of humor of anybody I've ever been around." -David Wilmot, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group, member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame "From stable rat to hotwalker, race rider, racing official, and beyond, Dave Stevenson never walked in the footsteps of others, propelling his swift and ever-promising path upward to a multifaceted career filled with major challenges and huge successes in the upper echelons of the Thoroughbred horse racing world. His is a captivating, heart-warming story of an innovator who lived life in search of a challenge and an adventure and never knew what he couldn't do." -Bill Galvin, award-winning author and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame