From a horse crazy girl to a two-time Denmark national dressage champion, it seemed Lis and her horse Gigolo were unstoppable. Until . . . Lis caught Polio. She was told she'd never ride again and maybe never walk. Despite an intense struggle, Lis proved her doctors wrong. She not only walked but created a partnership with an amazing, young horse, Jubilee. Two and a half years later they qualified for Olympics dressage; except women weren't allowed to compete in 1948. They both refused to give up. This is a touching look at an amazing partnership between a strong woman who persisted despite polio and societal restrictions and the first ever therapy horse, who together won the first Olympic medal for women in dessage in 1952 and inspired the creation of equine therapy centers around the world. Overall, this is a wonderful tribute to Lis Hartel and Jubilee's determination, persistence, and friendship,

SYNOPSIS

Jubilee is the story of a Danish woman named Lis Hartel. As a young girl Lis was always around horses. She trained and later competed in dressage competitions. In 1943 she became the National Champion of Denmark. However, a year later she was struck down with Polio.

Fearing she might never walk again, Lis was determined to ride again. Eventually she started working with young gentle horse named Jubilee. Together they worked and trained. Although Lis was handicapped, she never gave up and through her determination and Jubilee’s good nature they started competing again. Not only did she have to overcome her disabilities, but she had to overcome the male dominated sport. She and Jubilee qualified for the 1948 Olympics. However, women were not allowed to compete in the Olympic dressage competition at that time. In 1952 women were allowed to compete and she and Jubliee won the Silver Medal!

CONCLUSION

Jubilee: The First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream is a book about courage, determination, overcoming insurmountable obstacles, and a love for horses. This book is an inspiration to all those who not only love horses, but to those who are undergoing extreme hardships.

Lis is a heroine to all young girls! She teaches them to never give up, keep working for what you believe and love. Through hard work and determination, anything is possible.

The story itself, while inspirational, is a little choppy. I feel as if the story has been condensed a little too much. While all the main points are covered, there is much more to her story.

The illustrations are very good and age appropriate. Annabella Ortiz did a wonderful job depicting the horses, the people and the riding attire.

I enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end of the book. It was here that I learned more about Lis Hartel and Jubilee, although I wish this information was included in the book itself.

A great and inspirational story! I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves horses or needs some inspiration to get through a rough time in their lives.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.

I guess I've wondered in the past how horse therapy became a thing. I never would have guessed that the history went back so far. It's pretty cool to read about their appearance in the Olympics as well, breaking two barriers at once. This is a simple but inspiring story, suitable for young readers. The illustrations aren't terribly refined but they do support the text well.

This is an excellent short read for young people. Liz Hartnell was the first female rider to win a dressage medal in the Olympics. A young woman and horse lover with her whole life ahead of her is stricken by polio, and bravely teaches herself to move again. To get around, she decides to ride and is given a calm young mare. This mare Jubilee adapted extremely well to a lighter riding style. Liz taught her dressage and the barest shift of movement in her back was enough of an aid. Even though Jubilee wasn't initially a dressage type of horse, she became one from the constant training and the two triumphed.

The story remarks on the series of firsts - first time women were competing in the Olympic event and so on - which makes us think about this aspect of history. And the first centres to teach riding for disabled people are mentioned at the end. I'm delighted to have read the tale. The artwork is simple and clear, enhancing and explaining events.

I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

I'm always delighted when I find another good picturebook biography to read to my children. One I came across not long ago was Jubilee, which combines a story about a horse with a story about a woman who overcame physical problems to go far in life. I didn't realize until after I got the review copy that it was written by the author of Railway Jack, which was another good animal story.
Lis loved riding horses, and she was a dressage champion in her native country of Denmark in the early 1940s. Then, something unexpected happened to the young mother: she contracted polio. The doctor told her she might learn to walk again, but would never ride. She determined to prove him wrong. She worked and worked until she finally had the strength to ride again—but her horse had been injured and could not be ridden. Could she train her young mare Jubilee?
Lis and Jubilee worked together for a long time, and the mare became a beautiful show horse, responding quickly to Lis's slightest cues. Soon, they were competing, and Lis began dreaming of the Olympics. Eventually, the two competed against the best dressage teams in the world.
I like the pictures in this book. They are beautiful! I really like the pictures of Lis's family, and the page about how she and her daughter had crawling races as she was learning to use her body again after the polio. I found it interesting to read the author's note at the end, about how Lis started using her horses to help disabled people. It's a common concept now—but she pioneered in that field. This is a good book. I read it to my 7-year-old, who loved it, and my 12-year-old perked up his ears and listened in, enjoying it as well.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

This is a great story with representation of disabilities, and a good intro to some of the history of therapy animals. I think this is good exposure for children, and is also fun and educational.

Beautiful and inspiring story about one strong woman against the world. I think this heartwarming book is a really good beginning point to introduce kids to nonfiction.

Read and be inspired! This book is beautifully written and so special because it is based on a true story. I found the book inspiring on so many different levels. This is a story about a woman that was determined to overcome all obstacles no matter what they are. Lis has dreams and nothing is going to stand in her way. Jubilee is not viewed as the perfect horse for this journey. But Lis and Jubilee both rise to the challenges they are faced with.
Horses are good medicine for the people that love them. We can communicate with them in ways we do not even understand. This book did a great job of sharing this information. They learned to work together as a team. There is nothing in the world that feels better than when a horse and rider come together.
To see Jubilee and Lis together you would have never guessed what their journey was like. That is the goal of a great team, it may be rough at times but the end result was beautiful..
The illustrations in the book are beautiful and I enjoyed them so much. They go along with the story so well.
This book would make a beautiful gift for so many people. I look forward to buying it for friends and family. I will also be buying and recommending books for students that I work with at the barn.

This book couldn’t have come into my life at a more perfect time. My daughter is finally on the speech and debate team I coach, and was beginning to write her informative speech on therapy horses. She has suffered from anxiety for years, and horse therapy has been of profound benefit to her. We are a horsey family; my mother was an equestrian and riding mistress in England before she came to the United States.

I was thrilled to read about Hartel and Jubilee. The partnership between horse and rider is a mysterious, miraculous thing, and this one is no exception. Add in the excitement of Lis’ recovery from polio and being one of the first women to compete as an equestrian in the Olympics (where the equestrian sports are still the only ones where women and men compete head-to-head), and you get a feel-good story that yes, made me happy cry. Beyond her competitive success, Hartel became a pioneer in using horses in various therapies. And that is something for which I will forever be grateful.

Hartel’s story has become an important section in my daughter’s speech, and her judges are loving it. I’m so happy that the author shared this story. While this book is aimed at early elementary students, it is a story that anyone can enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2022/01/february-1-releases-part-1.html

Jubilee tells a gorgeous and inspiring story that will be adored by horse lovers and also by those who enjoy uplifting stories. It is a biography about Lis, a talented rider, who developed polio. Lis was told that she would never ride again. But the human spirit can do more than others can possibly imagine as readers discover here. Follow Lis and Jubilee in this story that is set in the 1940s and 50s. There is an incredibly touching moment in this story; wait for it.

In this title, readers learn that horse and rider needed to work together effortlessly. To me, it appears that the author and illustrator did this as well.

I loved this book and am eager to share it with readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Wow! I just loved this book!. It is a very beautiful story. Very touching yet very inspirational. It got me into tears, tears of joy that is. At the same time, this story taught us to be courageous,to have faith in ourselves, to be determine, to persevere when tested and not to wallow in self-pity when an illness and disability striked us. Lis Hartel successfully proven just that, that her polio and disability do not deter or stop her from pursuing her interests and dreams.

She strongly shown that what the normal people can do, she can also do it too, even better than them by being the first woman with a disability to win a medal in the Olympic. She prevailed against gender discrimination at that time by showcasing her remarkable performances in the Olympics and by being the first woman athlete's to stand beside men in victory on the podium.

She's got guts and grit by showing to everyone anything is possible to be achieved if we believe in ourselves and are willing to work hard for it.

Not to forget the other main character in this story which the story is based and inspired from,that is the beautiful mare horse named Jubilee. Jubilee herself showcases such a remarkable and strong character despite her own physical shortcomings that is her lankiness. She just blends in perfectly with Lis by providing her comfort and being a good and cooperative partner. Together, they both made a fantastic duo. How lucky Lis is to have such a refined horse as Jubilee and how i wish i have a horse like Jubilee too.

In short, i loved this beautiful short story and i think the visuals are captivating. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone as a source of inspiration and motivation.

This is such a good children’s biography! Beautifully illustrated and well written. I think the storytelling is perfect for kids- not too short but not overly wordy either. Overall, I think this is a wonderful, heartwarming children’s nonfic and I will definitely want it for our collection at my library.

A nice, uplifting story about a woman and a horse who both had the odds stacked against them. My kids and I enjoyed learning about this dressage team and it encourages us to look them up online and learn more about other paralyzes horseback riders. Nice book to read an interesting story as well as inspire young readers.

My son and I enjoyed this book. I have heard of horse therapy, perhaps it started something from this story? It was a good story of Lis Hartel who was afflicted with Polio, but never gave up on her dreams of riding her horse again let alone compete in the Olympics. A heartfelt story of overcoming ones obstacles and proving others wrong.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy for an honest review.

Jubilee is a really sweet picture book biography about a woman, Lis Hartel, whose recovery from polio was aided by an unlikely horse, and how she and the horse went on to earn two silver medals in the Olympics. She was the first woman to stand next to men on an Olympic podium, the first civilian to medal in a horse event in the Olympics, and Jubilee was the first therapy horse. It's a delightful and sweet story about the bonds between humans and animals, and about being an early icon of disabled athletes. Recommended, especially for fans of horses and athletes.

Now this is the kind of book that I want to read to my children! I had never heard of Lis Hartel until this book but I immediately looked her up after I was done. Jubilee: The First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream is the story of a determined woman (Lis), a young, lanky horse named Jubilee, and their beautiful and inspiring bond. Lis was a professional rider when polio threatens to end her dreams and career. Despite what some would believe to be impossible circumstances, Lis and Jubilee were able to work together and not just do well but thrive! I don’t want to say anything else about this lovely little book because I believe readers only need to know two things about it before diving in. 1) This is not your average horse story. 2) This book will inspire people of all ages and in all walks of life. KT Johnston did an excellent job researching and writing this story. I know I will have this one in my childrens’ library. I also have to mention my love for the cover of this book as well as the inside illustrations. They are very charming! A 5 star read for me and I believe many others.

This is such an inspirational story about a woman, Lis Hartel, paralyzed by polio who is then able to resume riding after she was told she would never be able to do so again and win an Olympic medal. Lis shows that just because someone isn't able to do everything the way everyone else does, it doesn't mean they aren't able to excel in the things they can do. I didn't know a picture book could make me tear up until I got to the part where the other Olympian helped Lis off of her horse to carry her to the medal podium. I will be buying a copy of this for the equine therapy barn where my son rides.

This inspirational story tells of Lis Hartel, a dressage horse rider who suffers from Polio and is unable to ride horses, much less walk. With the support of her family and a horse that hasn't previously trained in dressage, she learns to strengthen her muscles and ride again. Her experiences with her horse led her to open a center for children who suffered from Polio to learn horse riding. Equine therapy eventually became a widely accepted form of therapy for many disabilities.

The physical rehabilitation that horses can provide is beautifully described in this heartwarming story. I found myself cheering for Lis as she conquered any number of obstacles that came her way.

I highly recommend this book for all ages!

I love learning about interesting people, and this book is not just about an interesting person, but an interesting animal and their extraordinary bond.

When Lis Hartel, one of Denmark's finest Dressage competitors is stricken with polio and paralyzed, Lis is not deterred. She works to regain strength in her arms and to find a way to once again ride her beloved horse.

Jubilee was a young, lanky horse, never meant for dressage, but turned out to be perfectly suited to Lis and her needs.

Together, they not only became one of the finest dressage teams in the world, but they sparked the beginnings of hippotherapy.

A fascinating, and inspirational read that reminds us of the power of determination. The illustrations are beautifully done and perfectly match the text. I recommend this one to all, but especially to those who love horses, olympics, and inspirational real-life heroes.

Such an inspiring true story of courage, perseverance, and love.

A young mother and her horse go against all odds to overcome polio. Lis Hartel competed in the sport of dressage until she was stricken with polio. Her story tells how she overcame and acquired her new horse Jubilee. Together they worked long hours to compete again. During this time, women were a rarity in competition so Lis overcame those stereotypes as well.

A story that children will appreciate. There is always room for a good horse story.

A special thank you to Capstone and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.