Horse-lovers Alert: JUBILEE Awaits You!

 Here's a non-fiction picture book that reads like a novel, and ticks all the boxes for a potential film. Even more compelling is the fact that it is entirely true and involves a woman who broke new ground for gender-neutral sports competition. This title is heartwarming, inspiring, and amazing.

CAPSTONE BOOKS, 2022

JUBILEE: The First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream is written by KT Johnston and illustrated by Anabella Ortiz. Lis Hartel grew up in Denmark with horses for playmates, learning early to manage a pony cart and even to jump horses. In both 1943 and1944 she was  national champion in dressage (exhibition horse-riding) for Denmark. 

Later in 1944, while a young married woman with children, she contracted polio and was immobilized, bedridden, told she would never ride again. Doctors predicted her highest goal should be to walk again with braces and possibly crutches.

Lis was not one to give up without a fight. She gradually developed control of her arms, exercising painfully but also in ways that involved her child as they learned to crawl together. The point is never made explicitly, but hers was a family with the means to employ help for her family and for her recovery efforts. 

When she had recovered some degree of stability (sitting up, but with limited use of hands, feet, legs), she insisted that she be placed on the back of her beloved champion horse, Gigolo.Then she was told that her horse had a leg injury and could not provide a steady ride. Instead, her husband suggested a (supported) ride on a young mare, Jubilee, who was was not built like a show horse but was very gentle and calm, with a long straight back to give a stable seat for Lis's poor balance.

Without trevealing everything that Lis accomplished, she did, indeed, overcome the prediction of never riding again. Please note that the story has just begun. With illustrations that reveal the world of formal horse training and care, artfully placed on tall white pages that make each step feel even more dramatic, Lis and Jubilee grew together in strength, skill, confidence, and communication. I'm not about to provide spoilers, but keep that subtitle in mind while noting that neither Lis nor Jubilee were quitters. Included among their impressive eventual accomplishments is the launching of the first horse-riding therapy program, which blossomed into global efforts. These have become so successful that there is likely one in your own community.

I've had horses as neighbors, but never had the opportunity to ride routinely. I always enjoy simply being in the company of horses. They are a natural draw for most young people I have known. This story certainly taps into that appeal, and also invites the attention of sports fans, Olympic strivers, female-equity sports enthusiasts, those who recognize disabilities as invitations to adaptation rather than limits, and anyone with an interest in service organizations. Despite that long list of "hooks", the strongest appeal, to me, is the well-crafted story in words and illustrations that rein in the raw events and details of an important person's life to deliver a powerful conclusion. There is nothing maudlin or pitying in this portrait. In fact, it is a joyful account of finding a way forward and  never giving up.

Highly recommended.