Old Man Curry: Race Track Stories

A collection of sun‑soaked tales about Old Man Curry, a weather‑worn horse‑man who roamed America’s racing circuit when the sport still belonged to rugged, independent souls. Van Loan paints the tracks of the Victorian era in vivid, low‑key prose, letting listeners hear the clatter of hooves, the chatter of betting men, and the lingering scent of grain on dusty barns. Each story captures Curry’s clever tricks, the colorful personalities of his stable, and the simple, hard‑won humor that kept the old‑timer’s world alive.

The introduction sets a wistful tone, reminding us how modern money‑driven racing has edged out those itinerant adventurers, yet the stories preserve a bygone spirit of camaraderie and daring. Listeners will find honest, unpretentious characters whose lives unfold with a natural ease that feels like sitting around a campfire. It’s a nostalgic ride through a vanished chapter of American sport, offering both laughter and a quiet salute to an era when the race was as much about community as competition.