Other editions of book Peg Leg Gus

A young girl, Flo, tries to be friendly with an old horse kept in the stables of her riding school. She learns that this horse, Augustus, was once a world champion show jumper but is now crippled and bitter. Is it Flo's imagination or is there always the same magpie somewhere near this horse? Little does she know that the two animals are lifelong friends who share a magical secret, and that she is trying to find her way into more than simply the story of a once-famous horse now nicknamed 'peg leg Gus'... Martin Duffy is an award-winning filmmaker and writer born in Dublin and now living in Berlin. Most of his output in film and writing has been for young people, ranging from his feature film The Boy from Mercury to episodes for RTÉ programmes such as Bosco, Wanderly Wagon and Fortycoats. Among his non-fiction work is a biography of his parents; Barney and Molly: A True Dublin Love Story.

In the late 1990s, I was driving back from Galway to Dublin after a visit to a friend of mine. Glancing to a field as I drove, I saw a young foal skip around as a magpie flew above him and it seemed to me they were talking to each other. I immediately pulled in, grabbed paper and pen and wrote down this idea of a foal who is born thinking he should be able to fly.That idea hung around in my head for almost two years and I knew I wanted to write it as a book for my daughter Ellen. My two other children's books, ONCE UPON A UNIVERSE and MOTHERSHIP had been written for my sons Steve and Bernard respectively. I wanted to complete the set of a book per child! But I was an older Dad for Ellen, and I had also been separated from her from an early age. I somehow wanted a story that reflected the difference between us and the bond between us - developing the story of the horse as an old stallion who limps in a field and keeps away from others. Using mythology and deeper forces in life was also important to me.After a couple of false starts, I finally wrote PEG LEG GUS in 2003 - by which time I was living in Berlin and 7 year old Ellen was living in Cornwall. I sent Ellen the manuscript, and went in search of a publisher. After a couple of attempts, however, I came to the conclusion that I was not going to find a publisher for a short (20,000 words) book with no possibility of sequels and no broad appeal.My eldest son Bernard came to the rescue through his publishing company Ogma Press. Having published my book about my parents, BARNEY AND MOLLY: A TRUE DUBLIN LOVE STORY, he published PEG LEG GUS in time for me to get 10 copies to Ellen for her to give to friends for Christmas 2006.I know the book is sad - or more correctly said, moving. Anyone I know who has read it is weeping by the end. But it is also uplifting.I would recommend the book for girls in the 8-12 age group. Or being read by a parent to a girl no younger than six. I am proud of the book and it will remain a great bond between my daughter and I. My hope is that others will enjoy it too. For reasons that I'm sure have little to do with my writing the book, my daughter has become an avid show jumper.