Rodders of Arabia: My Autobiography by Rod Simpson
Nomadic racehorse trainer Rod Simpson has had a flamboyant, colourful and at times highly controversial career as a racehorse trainer. He has lived life to the full and is currently pitching his tent in the desert sands of Abu Dhabi. His autobiography tells the story of how the boy from a humble home in Croydon, south London, ended up training for oil-rich sheiks in the Persian Gulf. Simpson's tale is a classic nags-to-riches story with more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie plot. His story takes you from his modest beginnings to establishing his several training careers. It involves police investigations, spectacular betting coups led by one of his owners, the legendary Terry Ramsden, falling foul of the racing establishment, his subsequent fine and debts, leading to his driving a truck at Heathrow airport to pay these off, his comeback and unorthodox and at time highly amusing antics. 'Rodders' has now established a new chapter in his life and is a highly successful trainer in the Gulf. For anyone who enjoys racing and the disparate characters who inhabit this world, this book will be a highly enjoyable and entertaining read.