Edward L. Bowen
Encyclopedia
Edward L. Bowen is an American
Thoroughbred horse racing
historian
and author and the president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, an institution involved in funding equine research.
Bowen grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
where he was influenced by a father who liked horses. He rode ponies as a boy and became a fan of thoroughbred racing from watching races on television. In 1960 he attended the University of Florida
to study journalism then in 1963 transferred to the University of Kentucky
, a move that allowed him to also write for the Lexington
-basedThe Blood-Horse
magazine.
In 1968 he accepted a job in Canada
as editor of The Canadian Horse. In 1970 he returned to work for The Blood-Horse as its managing editor, remaining with magazine for another twenty-three years and rising to be its editor-in-chief.
Edward Bowen is the author of eighteen books, including the two-volume set, Legacies of the Turf , named by ForeWord Reviews
magazine as its Sports Book of the Year. He penned the story of Man o' War
, the first book in the Thoroughbred Legends series published by Eclipse Press. For the series, he also authored the books on War Admiral
, Nashua
, and Bold Ruler
. Bowen's most recent book is Matriarchs, Volume 2: More Great Mares of Modern Times , released in October 2008.
A resident of Versailles, Kentucky
, Edward Bowen has been the recipient of a number of industry awards including the 1972 Eclipse Award
for Outstanding Magazine Writing.
Selected books:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and author and the president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, an institution involved in funding equine research.
Bowen grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
where he was influenced by a father who liked horses. He rode ponies as a boy and became a fan of thoroughbred racing from watching races on television. In 1960 he attended the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
to study journalism then in 1963 transferred to the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, a move that allowed him to also write for the Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
-basedThe Blood-Horse
The Blood-Horse magazine
The Blood-Horse is an international weekly news magazine about Thoroughbred horses, horse breeding, and horseracing. It was founded in 1916, the oldest continually published North American Thoroughbred magazine. The magazine is based in Lexington, Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World...
magazine.
In 1968 he accepted a job in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as editor of The Canadian Horse. In 1970 he returned to work for The Blood-Horse as its managing editor, remaining with magazine for another twenty-three years and rising to be its editor-in-chief.
Edward Bowen is the author of eighteen books, including the two-volume set, Legacies of the Turf , named by ForeWord Reviews
ForeWord (magazine)
ForeWord is a trade journal published six times yearly with the tagline, “Reviews of Good Books Independently Published.” The magazine is distributed primarily to librarians and booksellers to familiarize them with upcoming books from small, independent, and university presses, as well as...
magazine as its Sports Book of the Year. He penned the story of Man o' War
Man O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
, the first book in the Thoroughbred Legends series published by Eclipse Press. For the series, he also authored the books on War Admiral
War Admiral
War Admiral was an American thoroughbred racehorse, the offspring of the great thoroughbred Man o' War and the mare Brushup. He inherited his father's fiery temperament and talent, but did not resemble him physically...
, Nashua
Nashua (horse)
Nashua was an American-born thoroughbred racehorse, perhaps best remembered for a 1955 match race against the horse that had defeated him in the Kentucky Derby.Nashua's sire was the good, but temperamental, European champion Nasrullah...
, and Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...
. Bowen's most recent book is Matriarchs, Volume 2: More Great Mares of Modern Times , released in October 2008.
A resident of Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
, Edward Bowen has been the recipient of a number of industry awards including the 1972 Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
for Outstanding Magazine Writing.
Selected books:
- From Foal to Champion (photographs by Dell Hancock) (1991)
- Jockey Club's Illustrated History of Thoroughbred Racing in America (1994)
- Matriarchs : Great Mares of the 20th Century (foreword by Seth Hancock) (1999)
- Dynasties : Great Thoroughbred Stallions (foreword by William S. Farish) (2000)
- At the Wire : Horse Racing's Greatest Moments (2001)
- Legacies of the Turf : A Century of Great Thoroughbred BreedersLegacies of the Turf : A Century of Great Thoroughbred BreedersLegacies of the Turf : A Century of Great Thoroughbred Breeders is a biographical book written by Thoroughbred horse racing historian Edward L. Bowen and published by Eclipse Press on November 25, 2003....
(2003) - Belmont Park : A Century of Champions (original paintings by Richard Stone ReevesRichard Stone ReevesRichard Stone Reeves was an American equine painter whom Blood-Horse magazine described as perhaps the greatest modern-day horse painter....
) (2005) - Masters of the Turf : Ten Trainers Who Dominated Horse Racing's Golden Age (2007)