Flying Goat Cellars Hosts Book Signing by Patrick Smithwick

This is a summer reading list must!

Smithwick’s compelling memoir of dueling ambitions is the tale of a man who decides in mid-life to call off all restraints, silence all naysayers, put his mind and body and courage to the test, and do what in his case—he has been away from the world of racing for twenty-five years—is the impossible: within a nine-month period get a horse to ride in the most difficult steeplechase race in the world, and then, ride that horse as if his life depends on it, which, literally, it does.

Flying Change is an inspiration for anyone who thought he or she could never compete again. If you’d like to know what it’s like to be a member of the elite racing set, if you’d like to experience firsthand a foxhunt at its most exciting moments, if you’d like to vicariously ride in the Maryland Hunt Cup, then this is your book. You’ll discover East Coast Hunt Country at its best!

The demands in time and energy required by Smithwick’s return to racing pull him away from his family and his ambition to write, creating major conflicts. Yet, the fast-paced narrative shows Smithwick striving to carry on traditions from his upbringing and apply them to the raising of his own three children. His midlife crisis beats riding a Harley-Davidson to Sturgis!

Smithwick won the Dr. Tony Ryan 2013 Book Award for Flying Change. He previously published Racing My Father, a memoir of growing up as the son of A.P. “Paddy” Smithwick, the legendary steeplechase jockey. Both books will be available for purchase at the book signing.

Flying Goat Cellars will offer complimentary snacks and wine, as well as the regular tasting flights of 4 vineyard designated Pinot Noirs and 1 Pinot Gris or alternatively 4 expressions of Goat Bubbles for $10/person. The tasting room is located in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto at 1520 East Chestnut Court. The event is part of Flying Goat Cellars “Wine & Culture in the Ghetto” series.

Flying Goat Cellars www.FlyingGoatCellars.com has been handcrafting vineyard designated Pinot Noir since 2000 and sparkling wine since 2005. Winemaker/Proprietor Norm Yost has over thirty years in the industry. For more information contact Kate Griffith, Chief Philosopher/Proprietor, at marketing@flyinggoatcellars.com or 805-737-GOAT.