CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Charlie from Charlie the Horse

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

Hello, Kathryn. I’m so excited to be in the spotlight with you today. My name is Charlie the Horse. I live at Sweetbrier Racing Stable in Kentucky.  I came here for training when I was about one and a half years old. There are many famous racehorses in my family.  My Mom and Dad were both pretty well-known. Their names are Star Quality and Charles the Great. I probably look a bit more like my Dad because we each have a crooked white blaze on our face and four beautiful white stockings. I’m tall—about 16.2 hands. If you’re not sure how tall that is, it would be 66 inches at my withers. That’s the highest part of my back.

I’d like to win the Southern  Derby. That’s a big dream of mine. That’s my goal for now. I told a story about my life so far. My friend, Deanie, helped me write it. I hope children like my story. They’ll learn about my training and my thoughts about it.

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What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love relaxing in the fields and nibbling on the grass there. Sometimes my friends, Buddy and Glory, play games in the fields. We like to have pretend races. Oh, and I like to eat. When you’re a growing racehorse like me, you work up a big appetite.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

Hay and oats are yummy. Oats would probably be my favorite, especially if there are carrots on top.

What is your favorite color and why?

Oh, that’s a hard question. I think it would be red because if I win the Southern Derby, they’ll put red roses on in front of the saddle.

What would you say is your biggest quirk?

Hmm, at first I had trouble concentrating on my work. I’m fond of eating flowers that grow along the racetrack when I’m working. I get into trouble for that. I have to remind myself to concentrate.

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested.

When I’m racing, I want to win, but so does every  other horse. Sometimes the others try to keep me from winning. Here’s something that happened in my first big race:

''Suddenly Buddy bolted to the side; bumping Charlie and making him lose his balance for a second.''

I can’t tell you what happened after that because it would spoil the surprise.

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

My trainer, Misty, is important because she makes lots of decisions. She decides what to teach me and which races I might enter. Then she talks to my owner, Mr. Morton, to make sure he agrees with her plan. My exercise girl, Kerry, is very special as well. She gives me workouts when I’m not racing. I can’t leave out my jockey, Joe, because he rides me in races. One important horse in my life is General Quick. He gave me a lot of good advice.  I use my best behavior so none of these people send me to a new stable.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

I want readers to know it’s okay to have big dreams. It’s important to work hard if you want them to come true.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

In the beginning, I didn’t know how important it was to work hard and set goals. If I didn’t learn that, I’m not sure what I would have done with my life. I might still be practicing eating the flowers.

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.

Do you think writers should always have a message to their stories? I’d love to know that.

Thank you very much for talking to me today, Kathryn. It was great fun. I hope I can come back again sometime. Or you might talk to other people in my family sometime.

Thank you, I may just want to do that. 

As for your question, I do believe in leaving a message, even if the message is subtle. When a reader finishes a book, they need to be glad they've spent the time reading it. Of course, a book can be fun, but there has to be a take away value - whether that's, be nice to horses, be nice to your owner, or never buck a jockey off. 

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Thank you, Charlie!

Learn more about Charlie and his creator:

Website: www.childrensbookswithlifelessons.com

Author page on Amazon

email: deanie@dhdunne.tk

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