Kelly’s book chronicles importance of racehorse Sir Barton

MADISON – In her first book, author Jennifer Kelly has written a nonfiction chronicle for “Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown.”

Sir Barton was the first horse to win the Triple Crown, thus setting a milestone for racing in the early 20th century.

The book also discusses breeder John E. Madden, owner Commander J. K. L. Ross, his trainer H. G. Bedwell and jockeys Earl Sande, Cal Shilling, and Johnny Loftus who influenced Sir Barton’s career.

“The majority of the book covers 1918 to 1920 with some discussion of Triple Crown history over the century since Sir Barton’s win in 1919,” Kelly said.

A horseracing fan since childhood, Kelly read numerous books on the Triple Crown. “The 100th anniversary of the first Triple Crown is coming up. I was surprised to find that no one had written a book about Sir Barton,” Kelly said.

Kelly has applied her strong background in research and writing to venture into writing Sir Barton’s book. “This book is great for any horseracing fan, aimed specifically at adults. The book does touch on subjects like gambling, illegal drugs and other topics related to the sport of horseracing, which may not be appropriate for all ages,” she said.

“I hope readers will feel the exhilaration of Sir Barton’s victories, laugh at lighter moments and leave the book feeling inspired to learn more about the sport, people and horses that they meet,” Kelly said.

Originally from the Birmingham area, Kelly moved to the Huntsville/Madison area about 20 years ago to attend graduate school at the University of Alabaman in Huntsville. “I stayed here after starting my teaching career at UAH and meeting my husband Jamie,” she said.

“My husband and I have two children, so free time can be a precious commodity. We both play tennis in our local USTA leagues,” Kelly said. “I take music lessons.”

Kelly enjoys watching sports of all kinds, including football for professional and collegiate leagues. At the University of Montevallo, she majored in English and French.

“Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown” is available at kentuckypress.com, along with Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million.

For more information, visit thesirbartonproject.com, Facebook/Jennifer Kelly or Facebook/The Sir Barton, Twitter @thesirbarton and Instagram @thesirbarton. Kelly also has a blog, The Sir Barton Project.