Unrelenting: The Real Story: Horses, Bright Lights and My Pursuit of Excellence

by George H Morris, Karen Robertson Terry (With)

Overview

If there is one name in the American equestrian story that everyone knows, it is George Morris.

A horse lover, rider, carouser, competitor, taskmaster, dreamer, teacher, and visionary, George Morris has been ever-present on the rarified stage of the international riding elite for most of the 70 years he’s been in the saddle. He has represented our country as an athlete and a coach and, at one time or another, instructed many of our nation’s best horsemen and women. His carefully chosen, perfectly enunciated words are notoriously powerful. They can raise you up or cut you to the quick. His approval can be a rainmaker; his derision can end a career.

But as much as people know and respect (or, perhaps, fear) the public face of George Morris, he has lived, in other ways, a remarkably private life, keeping his own personal struggles with insecurity, with ambition, and with love behind closed doors. It is only now that he has chosen, in his own words, to share the totality of his life—the very public and the incredibly private—with the world. This engrossing autobiography, the real story of the godlike George Morris, beautifully demonstrates his ultimate humanity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570767968
Publisher:	Trafalgar Square
Publication date:	05/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	560
File size:	48 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

George H. Morris is an American trainer and judge of horses and riders in the hunter/jumper disciplines, and is considered a “founding father” of Hunt Seat Equitation. Morris began riding as a child. In 1952, at the remarkably young age of 14, he won the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Finals and AHSA Hunt Seat Equitation Medal Final at Madison Square Garden, making him the youngest rider to do so. He went on to train numerous riders at his Hunterdon stables, who won consistently on the East Coast.

Morris has represented the United States in many international competitions as both a rider and coach. In 1959 his team won the gold medal in the Pan American Games and he won a team silver medal and placed fourth individually at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Morris rode on eight winning Nations Cup teams between 1958 and 1960. Morris’ students have medaled in the 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Games. Morris has acted as chef d’equipe for numerous winning teams, including the 2005 champions of the Samsung Super League, the gold medal team at the 2008 Hong Kong Olympic Games, and numerous team and individual medals in the World Equestrian Games and Pan American Games.

Originally published in 1971, and now in its third edition, Morris’ Hunter Seat Equitation is often recognized as the definitive work on the subject. Morris has also authored several other books and videos on riding and judging, including George Morris Teaches Beginners to Ride, A Clinic for Instructors, Parents, and Students, The American Jumping Style, Because Every Round Counts, and Classical Riding with George H. Morris. Morris also writes a very popular column in the monthly equestrian magazine Practical Horseman, entitled “Jumping Clinic,” in which he critiques the jumping positions of photos which have been submitted by readers.

Mr. Morris resides in the heart of the USA show jumping scene in Wellington, Florida.

Karen Robertson Terry is a freelance writer and regulatory affairs manager in the pharmaceutical industry. After growing up riding and showing on the east coast and outside Chicago, Karen spent several years in New York City which, among other things, taught her how much she needed horses in her life. She now resides in Bend, Oregon and continues to ride and show in the jumpers, with the occasional trail ride in the Cascade Mountains.

Table of Contents

Foreword (Chris Kappler)

Introduction

Part I: Good Fortune

1. The Foundation
2. Horses as Salvation

Part II: Ascendancy

3. Madison Square Garden
4. Making History
5. Road to the Jumpers
6. The 1956 Olympic Trials
7. The University of Virginia
8. Wearing the Jacket
9. My First European Tour

Part III: My Path of Discovery

10. When in Rome
11. The Other Fish
12. Back to the Horses
13. Going it Alone
14. A Professional Reputation
15. Prodigy
16. Moving on to Millbrook
17. Burning the Candle at Both Ends

Part IV: The Golden Decade

18. A Transition Year
19. The Rise of Hunterdon
20. Hitting the Sweet Spot
21. The Hunterdon Dream Team
22. A Return to Europe
23. The Jones Boy
24. Back to the Jumpers
25. Error in Judgment
26. The World Cup Finals Begin

Part V: Jumper Renaissance

27. A Renewed Focus
28. Winning Ways
29. Adventures in Horse Shopping
30. American Domination
31. Thrills and Spills in Europe
32. Ups and Downs
33. The Hickstead Hedge
34. The Seoul Olympics

Part VI: Evolution of a Leader

35. The First World Equestrian Games
36. Size Does Not Mean Scope
37. The World Catches Up to the Americans
38. Atlanta Olympic Games

Part VII: The New Millennium

39. Down Under
40. Horse of a Lifetime
41. Star-Crossed Champion
42. For the Good of the Sport
43. Hanky Panky
44. Hong Kong Hi-jinks
45. Political Thriller
46. Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Crown
47. The Last Quadrennial
48. Coming Full Circle

Editorial Reviews

Enlightening and inspiring. And insight into [Morris’s] human failings—his struggles and doubts and worries—made for a much more complete picture of him than has ever been painted. … An unprecedented look into the life of a legend.”—The Chronicle of the Horse

“Raw and real…well-written, thoughtful, and very thorough…So what are you waiting for?”—The Legal Equestrian

“Unrelenting lets you in on the beauty behind the beast.”—Equine Journal

“…there’s a description in the book that says ‘the god like George Morris,’ and in the horse world he is God like and it’s also a parody of himself but he’s also still doing it, it’s not like we’re talking about someone from twenty years ago, this is a guy who is still out there coaching…it’s amazing.”—Horse Radio Network

“There are myriad old timey pictures and reading this book is a history lesson on horse showing in the United States. You can’t go wrong with this book, and George’s exploits will hold your interest for 560 pages.”— Saddle Seeks Horse

“This book is a must read for any serious student of the horse…A dedicated horseman who continues to serve and influence at an age where many are happy to hang up their boots.”—St. Andrews Equestrian

“Morris’ surprising candor shows us, at long last, all that has gone into the making of the man who is the most recognizable figure in the equestrian world.”—Equisearch

“Over the course of a book which describes in detail 70+ years of an extremely full career, the reader is pushed and pulled by the stories we know, the George Morris stereotypes we’ve all come to expect, and the sometimes thrilling and unexpected revelations he makes about himself and others. … [Hunter Seat Equitation and Unrelenting] are the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of perfection in our sport, and this story of one man’s life will leave the reader deeply motivated to follow suit.”—Horse Nation

“This compelling portrait of one of America’s most renowned horsemen will appeal to anyone who is entranced with the horse-show circuit and high-society culture. Even readers who are less familiar with horses may enjoy the glimpse into life with the rich and famous.”—Library Journal

“Knowing George is watching gives me a little bit of an edge. It’s the immense respect I have for him.”—Georgina Bloomberg, Team Bronze Medal, 2015 Pan American Games

“A lot of people know George for his bark and they take him so seriously, but he has such a keen sense of humor and wit. Most people have never been around him like I have. I feel honored to have a friendship with him.”—Buck Brannaman, World-Renowned Horseman and Star of the Award-Winning Documentary BUCK

“George was a no-nonsense individual who shot from the hip and I liked that. What you saw was what you got.”—Tab Hunter, Film and Television Star

“One of the few remaining, working teachers with true, in-depth knowledge of the great figures of the past…as well as the rising stars of the equestrian world’s future.”—Chris Kappler, Individual Silver and Team Gold Medalist, 2004 Olympics

“George helps you figure out how to be your absolute best. For him, there is no other way to be in life.”—Anne Kursinski, Five-Time Olympian and Two-Time Silver Medalist

"George is such a competitor. When we’re with George on a team, we are there to win."—Kent Farrington, Team Gold Medal, 2011 Pan American Games

"No matter what your endeavor might be, George fuels you to commit and keep high standards and be a winner."—John Madden, Owner, John Madden Sales

"Truly, George has much wisdom to offer and one would be daft to not listen to what he has to say."—Mark Phillips, Team Gold Medal, 1972 Olympics, Former Chef d'Equipe US Eventing Team

“In Unrelenting, [George Morris] reveals both the vulnerability and the strength that made him into the icon he is today. It is perhaps his bravest move yet.”—Street to Stable

“In this excerpt from Unrelenting by George Morris, he shares his reasons for retiring as Chef d'Equipe of the US Show Jumping Team, and his feelings about the state of the sport.”—Jumper Nation

“For a man widely known for his curmudgeonly sounding quips, he's more approachable and generous with his time than most. And there's nothing off limits for discussion.” —HorseNetwork.com

From the Publisher

02/15/2016
Morris is a legend in the world of equestrian show jumping, having been involved with the sport for nearly 70 years as a competitor, then teacher, coach, mentor, and judge. He is the author of several books and two DVDs on equitation. Notorious for his wild ways during his youth and later for his insistence on perfection from his students, Morris is surprisingly humble here, well aware that his privileged childhood gave him the opportunity to pursue his love of horses and riding. This autobiography reveals a side of Morris that most have never seen and chronicles his journey to becoming an internationally respected leader and teacher. Naturally a private person, he here shares the struggles that have shaped his life. Upon completion of the book, readers will feel that they know him on an intimate level. VERDICT This compelling portrait of one of America's most renowned horsemen will appeal to anyone who is entranced with the horse-show circuit and high-society culture. Even readers who are less familiar with horses may enjoy the glimpse into life with the rich and famous.—Deborah Emerson, Central New York Lib. Resources Council, Syracuse

Library Journal