Erin O’Malley with Brooke Warner – The Brat and the Bullfighter

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Told from the alternating perspectives of a grown-up Army brat and a Lusitano stallion with bullfighting in his blood, a dual memoir about the search for connection, purpose, and home.

Once upon a time, a little girl told her mother she wanted a horse. But not just any horse. The horse, she insisted, must be white. Decades later, she would meet that white horse: Artilheiro do Vouga (Arty), a sensitive Lusitano stallion of the storied Veiga lineage long prized by bullfighters for their intelligence, agility, and courage. He was well out of her league—and it was love at first sight.

In The Brat and the Bullfighter: A Love Story, Erin O’Malley tells the story of two beings shaped by movement. As an Army brat, Erin’s childhood was defined by moves she did not choose—orders, relocations, constant adjustment. As an adult, the moving continued, but for different reasons. She chased reinvention and escape, drawn by the promise of what might be next, never quite knowing how to settle or stay in one place for long. Her love for horses was the one constant.

Arty’s life was also shaped by movement. Born in Brazil, he was sold through an elite auction and brought to California. His instability came less from relocation than a revolving door of riders and trainers, each with different expectations, none offering a lasting relationship. For a sensitive horse—and despite the best of intentions—the continual change was too much. He started to become “dangerous” under saddle.

The book unfolds in a braided narrative. Told with self-awareness and a touch of irreverence, Erin’s chapters follow a life of seeking—from military bases in Europe to work abroad and relationships that don’t quite land. Arty’s reveal an observant soul who learns that attachment often comes at a cost. Through his eyes, readers get a rare window into the equine mind: the daily realities of barn life, the lasting effects of early loss, an unlikely friendship with a rooster, and the skepticism of a horse who has seen too many people come and go.

Four years after their first meeting, Erin receives the unexpected call that Arty is for sale. She says yes. Loving him is the easy part; understanding him is harder. What follows is a long process of missteps, small breakthroughs, and learning how to listen.

But when devastating loss threatens to undo her, Arty meets her with an unexpected, knowing calm—and in his way, asks her to stay.

Highly imaginative and deeply insightful, The Brat and the Bullfighter arrives in the Year of the Horse as a tribute to the wonderful, mutually enriching relationship between animals and their forever people.

“A magically lyrical memoir that beautifully describes the unique relationship between a woman and a horse… Imbued with humor and pathos, this clever narrative dares the reader to suspend disbelief in order to acknowledge truth and insight can be more clearly revealed through a perspective other than human.” —Patricia Wood, author of Lottery “I dare anyone to resist falling in love with this book. Rich in serious humor, honest self-doubt, and tender ferocity, The Brat and the Bullfighter grabs you from its first pages and holds on tight. As a truly original love story, it’s also a timely reminder to listen with our hearts and to find our teachers in unexpected places.”—Elizabeth Rosner, author of Third Ear and Survivor Cafe “The Brat and the Bullfighter is an exquisitely written ballad between a horse and a woman that unfolds slowly and beautifully in two parallel memoirs.”—Carol Odell, LICSW, author of Girl, Groomed

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