I mentioned a week or so ago that I was getting a book out of the library and wondered if I could focus on the large print format. The print turned out to be fine, the problem was, alas, that I just didn't care for anyone in the book. There are books that in theory should work for me and just turn out to be blah, and this was one of them. And there were even quarter horses!

Okay, one of the things that amused me about the story was the name of the main character's yearling colt: Peppy Leo (which you'd think has been used by now) in honour of his great-great-grandsire Mr San Peppy and his whatever-grandsire Leo San. On the one hand, it demonstrates a knowledge of the bloodlines she's writing about. On the other, I find it absolutely hilarious when breeders dig eight generations back for a famous ancestor to name the horse after.

The thing most worth noting about this story is that it uses the artificial-insemination-fraud plotline I suggested for my inundation of Appaloosas idea. (What's really funny is that none of the horse breeder characters seem to be able to discuss the details of AI or breeding or use the word "stud," let alone "semen." I don't know about you, but the horse people I know are not nearly so prim!)

However, the idea of the nasty joke which turns out not to be at the heart of the mystery is still up for grabs. Dibs!

I can't see anyone bumping you off for providing them with this:



Or this:



Although admittedly, it'd be less of a shock if you started out with this: