My Animals and Other Family

This memoir by BBC sports broadcaster and former equestrian Balding, first published in the U.K. in 2012, rollicks along like one of her beloved horses. Those horses (and some dogs) are the animals of the title; her “other family” consists of her father, top horse trainer Ian Balding, mother Emma, brother Andrew, and “formidable” grandmother, Priscilla Hastings. Despite the fact that her family isn’t always the most affectionate, and her recollections of purging to make weight for horse races, this isn’t a memoir about hardships, but one in which Balding’s love of her animals and life shine through. The early chapters are filled with stories of favorite ponies and childhood hijinks, such as the time she almost spilled milk on the visiting Queen Elizabeth. Balding advances from riding ponies to eventing and flat races, culminating in her winning of the amateur title, Champion Lady Rider, in 1990. A short epilogue covers her post-racing life, including presenting for the BBC, and her relationship with her civic partner, Alice. This memoir is all British and all about horses, so readers who don’t understand the stone as a unit of measure or know a canter from a trot may be lost. Readers who stick with this through the last furlong, though, will find a book full of heart. (Apr.)