GREENFIELD CENTER — Children’s author Artie Bennett will be appearing at the birthday celebrations for legendary racehorse Zippy Chippy at Old Friends at Cabin Creek on April 17.
On April 17, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Old Friends at Cabin Creek will be holding a reopening event and festivities in honor of Zippy Chippy’s 30th birthday (his actual birthday is on April 20). Artie Bennett, author of The True Story of Zippy Chippy: The Little Horse That Couldn’t, illustrated by Dave Szalay, will be there to read and sign copies of the award-winning picture-book biography.
“With its powerful message of hope and determination, and its healing dose of humor, it could well be the perfect storybook for our times,” said Bennett.
Zippy Chippy’s legacy is quite an unusual one for a racehorse, as his losing streak is what made him famous. Zippy ran in 100 races during his career, and lost every single one – becoming one of the most losing racehorses in history. His trainer Felix Monserrate had traded an old pickup truck to get Zippy and had an emotional attachment to him. Felix then went about entering him in races with tough competition that he knew Zippy couldn’t beat, because Felix did not want anyone else to claim the horse. Zippy was also known to be a troublemaker at the track – stopping mid-race, refusing to leave the gate, biting, etc. Zippy is also banned from almost every track in America. In retirement, Zippy now lives at Old Friends, with his best friend Red Down South. You can read more about Zippy, and keep up with him and the other horses, on the Old Friends at Cabin Creek website: oldfriendsatcabincreek.com.
Bennett is also the author of the rhyming picture books The Butt Book, Poopendous!, Peter Panda Melts Down!, Belches, Burps, and Farts – Oh My!, and What’s Afoot! Your Complete, Offbeat Guide to Feet, as well as two joke and riddle books titled The Universe’s Greatest Dinosaur Jokes and Pre-Hysteric Puns and The Universe’s Greatest School Jokes and Rip-Roaring Riddles. The True Story of Zippy Chippy is a CCBC Choice 2021. He has received praise on his books from Publisher’s Weekly, The Huffington Post, School Library Journal, and many more.
Old Friends at Cabin Creek is a retirement facility for aging racehorses, located at 483 Sand Hill Rd in Greenfield Center. They are resuming their public tours April 17 through July 1, Saturdays only, from 12 -3 p.m. Summer hours are to be determined. A $10 donation for Zippy Chippy’s 30th Birthday Party will be gratefully received. Masks are required, and all necessary social distancing protocols will be observed during the celebration.
