Capistrano Trails Wins 2019 International Book Excellence Award

Capistrano Trails: Ride for the Brand was selected by the International Book Excellence Awards as one of its 2019 Award Honorees.

Written by longtime San Juan Capistrano resident, author and historian Donna L. Friess, Ph.D., Capistrano Trails memorializes the stories and history of the horses that shaped San Juan Capistrano as ‘Horse Capital of the West Coast.’

The 2019 international competition is sponsored by Literary Excellence Inc. celebrating books of high value. Out of hundreds of books submitted, Capistrano Trails was selected for its high quality writing, design, and market appeal.

Originally published in late 2018, Capistrano Trails explores the question of how San Juan Capistrano remains connected to its old west roots as the book takes the reader through the horse's Ice Age beginnings, through the Mission Periods and Rancho Era, to today’s horse-friendly San Juan Capistrano community.

Initially conceived in early 2017 while Friess studied to become Mission San Juan Capistrano docent, the stories describing the 19th century pueblo lives of Mission San Juan Capistrano parishioners told to resident priest Father John O'Sullivan sparked her imagination. An avid equestrian, Friess believes the San Juan community has defied all odds by preserving its historic character and equestrian culture.

The 250-page oral history includes a mix of narration and first-person accounts from past and present equestrian legends Marguerite “Daisy” O’Neill, Tony Forster, Colonel Jim Williams, Richard Egan, Richard O’Neill, Sr., Gilbert Aguirre, Kathy Holman and Fred Love to name a few. It features historic and modern photos and illustrations in addition to a San Juan Capistrano’s timeline dating back to 1776.

Capistrano Trails is available at Amazon.com in Kindle format, black and white print and hard-back color print. Proceeds benefit a variety of local charitable causes.

For more information, visit www.drdonnafriess.com.

About the Author:

Donna L. Friess, Ph.D. is a fourth generation Californian, historian, author and life coach. She is Professor Emeritus of Cypress College and the great granddaughter of an early Southern California pioneering family. Friess is a member of the First Century Families of Los Angeles, The Orange County Pioneer Council and the Historical Society of San Juan Capistrano. She volunteers as a grief counselor, serves as a docent at Mission San Juan Capistrano and chairs the Cultural Heritage Commission as a city appointee. Friess is an equestrian and dog enthusiast, world traveler, speed walker, half marathoner and portrait artist. She enjoys a rural lifestyle in San Juan Capistrano with her husband, Ken, where they gather with their large family including eleven grandchildren.

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