Written by historian, Judi Hearn, "Horse-sweat and Tears" is a fascinating read both for those interested in horse-racing and those who couldn't care less.

As a child and later a teacher, Leone Creamer showed the individuality and strength of purpose that served her so well later in life.

Although a prankster and a rebel as a child, Leone was sure of one thing, her love of animals, and especially her love of horses.

This began when she lived near Wirths Circus at age 10 and groomed the Wirth family's top horse for them.

At boarding school she became friends with local horse owners who were happy to let her ride in payment for cleaning the stalls and grooming.

Leone was given her own horse when she got her first job, teaching at Frensham.

With Major, Grey Boots and Ginger, she played polocross and competed in hack and riding events at shows.

In May 1959 she married Stan Creamer who was told if he bought Leone a horse the marriage would fail.

A picnic race day at Cooma was Leone's first contact with horse racing, but with friends she met there she later attended the yearling sales in Sydney and bought a filly.

That purchase meant she needed somewhere to keep the filly so Stan and Bill Jardine became part owners and Bill offered his 4,000 hectare property in which to feed the filly.

As a favour to a friend, Leone offered to fatten up a racehorse, Arab, along with Sleepy, the filly, and Arab thrived on her attention.

When he won at Adaminaby (under another trainer's name, because Leone wasn't licensed) she was overjoyed.

She went on training him and he won a race in Bega, but shortly after broke his leg.

Sleepy (Lady Sleipner) was now ready for racing and won a maiden in Canberra.

She was spelled after this and Leone took on the training working between Bermagui, where she and Stan had a small cottage, and their home in Nimmitabel.

As part of her training, Leone would ride the horse into the surf at Moorheads Beach.

In the 1968-69 season Leone gained an owner-trainer's licence, and once registered became really involved in the bloodlines and breeding strains of yearlings.

From there on "Horse-sweat and Tears" details Leone's incredible career as a trainer and practically every well known racing identity in the Bega Valley gets a mention.

She came 10th in the list of trainers in the Southern Tablelands and South Coast Racing Premiership Table in the 1972-73 season and "her success was all the more remarkable, as she had known nothing about horse racing until she was nearly 40 years of age".

Among her better horses were Nimmity Lea, Lady Colice, Miss Adina and Nimmity Beau.

In 1974 she took Lady Colice to Randwick where it won the Manly Novice Handicap, ridden by Peter Cook.

The Bega Jockey Club named Leone Trainer of the Year for the 1974-75 season, the first woman to win the award.

To win the Bega Cup was the only goal to elude Leone.

Judi Hearn, the biographer, had written quite a few books including "Bermagui By The Sea", "Big Game Fishing at Bermagui, 1936-1996", "Galleries of Pink Galahs" and "Reflections of Ted Taylor - Man of the High Country".

She became interested in Leone's story as she rode with her in the Snowy Mountains, but as she had absolutely no knowledge of horse racing and breeding, there was quite a lot of research to be done.

To this end she visited Randwick, the AJC, races at Kalaru, the yearling sales and other events where she could meet people who knew Leone and her work.

The writing is very entertaining as this passage about Lady Colice and the difficulty Leone had in riding her up Nutley Creek Roads shows:

"The mare would head back to the stables with Leone hanging on for dear life, not game to alter her grip in any way or she would not have reached the stables on the horse.

"Lady collected a side mirror on a car one day, she was so hard to direct.

"The driver, who had pulled up to let her go by, was very apologetic for being in the way."

"Horse-sweat and Tears" is available from Candelo Books, the Bega Newsagency, Bermagui Information Centre, Cafe Beyond and the Cobargo Co-operative Society.

It was printed by Ginninderra Press.