From near-record submissions, Death by Equine by Annette Dashofy has been named the winner of Dr. Tony Ryan’s 16th Annual Book Award. The announcement was made during a cocktail party on November 3 at the Ryan family’s Castleton Lyons, near Lexington — the first in-person ceremony since 2019, hosted by Covid. As in previous years, the event was held in the loft above the ranch’s famous 19th-century stables.
Death by Equine becomes the fourth fiction work to be honored. Past winners include biographies of prominent race participants; a collection of short stories; race track memory anthology; an investigative reportage work; and a recipient of the National Book Award.
This year’s winner was penned by a USA Today bestselling author and multiple Agatha Award nominees. It tells the story of a young veterinarian who unexpectedly finds himself investigating the suspicious death of his mentor. In the process, she encounters rogue characters and deceitful friends, uncovers a series of illegal activities, and eventually becomes her own target.
The judge for the contest, which includes books to be published in 2021, is Eclipse laureate Kay Coyte, a former editor of The Washington Post; race car broadcaster Caton Bredar; and Mark Shrager, who won the 2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for biography: Diane Crump, A Horse-Racing Pioneer Life in the Saddle.
Shrager describes Death by Equine as “a lively race track that really engages the reader in the first few pages and never leaves.”
Lead judge Coyte agreed, calling it “one of those books that keeps you up at night because you just have to find out who does it.” Coyte notes that Dashofy has an in-depth knowledge of racing that enables her to depict the lives of trailblazers vividly and accurately. “Dashofy’s characters come to life in her writing, and the twists of the mystery keep me guessing until the final chapter.”
“Our best titles of 2021 are all dominated by female authors,” Coyte added, and the three finalists rose to the top. Each author masters the complex language of the sport while telling a great story for a wide audience. “
Dashofy was awarded a check for $10,000 and a Tipperary crystal replica of Castleton Lyons’ iconic stone tower. Finalists Dawn LeFevre (Racetrack Rogues: One Woman’s Story of Family, Love, and Loss in the Horse Racing World) and Jennifer Morrison (Run With a Mighty Heart), each received $1,000 and a trophy.
Dr. Tony Ryan founded the competition in 2006 to recognize the quality of writing about book length with a racing context. After the global entrepreneur/philanthropist passed the following year, the award was continued in honor of his son Shane, the current chairman of Castleton Lyons.
Entries are open until December 31, 2022 for the next year’s Prize for Books published in 2022. For competition rules and additional information, contact Kerrie Cahill at [email protected].
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