Jill pony books Ruby Ferguson

[Blackcats7]

I loved these books as a child and escaped my not very nice reality into Jill’s world long before I ever started working at a stables in exchange for lessons.
I have just seen that the rights have been bought by Jane Badger who sells vintage pony books and she has republished the entire set so I’ve treated myself, sad old woman that I am.

emeraldsapphire I loved the Brumby books!

BigRedCat I always dreamed this woukd happen but sadly it never did. I was 47 before I got my pony!

I loved the beginning of that book, where Ruth goes to buy Fly. I used to dream of going to buy my own pony.

@3beesinmybonnet Absolutely! Capt Cholly-Sawcutt was her perfect employer, fgs. He had girl grooms and Jill was the only one who had been able to do anything with his dreadful, fat daughters. He'd wept with joy in Jill's Riding Club when they'd finally won a feeble rosette for something.

It was so disappointing to find that even in fiction girls apparently couldn't get a dream job. Although in Janet Must Ride by one of the P-T sisters Janet ended up with a fabulous job as a 3 day eventer, I think, so that cheered me up. 😁

On this note, does anyone else remember the WH Smith annual competition to Win a Pony?

I desperately entered so many times. Do you think anyone DID ever win an actual pony?

I loved the Jill books. They were so funny. Did we ever find out what happened to Jill's Dad? I always felt a bit sorry for 'mummy' slaving away at her children's books sadly in the background and scrimping to buy Jill's horse stuff.
My favourite was when they went on some sort of pony trekking holiday. I loved it.

I also loved the Jinny books-but they were a bit more mystical seeming as I recall. What was the series called?

Just Jinny or Jinny at Finmory.

Jill’s dad died - that was why they moved, I think.

I agree that Jill’s dad had died . I tried to reread them a few years ago but it just wasn’t the same . My favourite horsy story as a child was The Second Mount which was by one of the PT sisters . However I swiftly moved on to Dick Francis and I can still happily reread my favourites of those .

Three Ponies and Shannan is on the pet-and-pony bookshelf in my bedroom, with Riding With The Lyntons, Phantom Horse (my favourite P-T books)… For Love Of A Horse (the first Jinny and Shantih) and Jump To The Top (Patricia Leitch), Jill’s Gymkhana, A Pony And His Partner and Mystery Pony (Sheila Chapman’s books with Carmen and Oberon), National Velvet, Talking Of Horses (Monica Dickens), Ride A Cock Horse (Elma M. Williams), and, of course, Black Beauty. And Call Of The Wild, Lassie Come Home, Jack, The Incredible Journey.

These books are my treasure, there are many more in less accessible places, but nothing on this earth would make me part with these, 60 years of my favourite bedtime reading right there.

Love this thread. I re-read some about a year ago and some of the new modern ones, actually quite enjoyed them but I wasn't Jill mad as a child.
Loved two trilogies by one of the Pullen-Thompson sisters one about children that set up their own hunt and another about the Woodburn Pony Club ( which I also re-read and loved it just as much, even though I could remember it all)

Might invest in the new books now as haven't read them all.

I loved pony books growing up, but always read them a bit out of sequence or there was one I missed because it wasn't in the library. My Mum was a librarian and hardly ever bought books unless they were ex-library!

I loved Jinny and Shatih, and Phantom Horse and longed to find a beautiful slightly wild Arabian horse in need of a home.

But more realistically I identified with Lolly in Nobody's Horse with her grumpy old riding school reject pony, that felt achievable (though I was 30 odd before I got my own horse).

Ruth from Fly-By-Night, and Bobby from the Gillian Baxter books were what I aspired to.

@Greywitch2 I entered the WHS competition when I bought my first Jill book aged about 7 , I was convinced I'd win lol. I wonder if the prize included keeping the pony for the winner though, otherwise if I'd won it would've had to live in our inner city back garden and fed on scraps, wouldn't be allowed nowadays.

@piscofrisco I think Jill's dad went abroad with his work, caught a tropical disease and died. It was explained at the start of the first book. I always thought Mummy enjoyed writing, and although they struggled at first I think her publisher sent her on a tour of America when they sold the film rights to one of her books.
I'm sure I read on the Jane Badger website that Mummy's nauseating stories were actually Ruby Ferguson having a dig at Enid Blyton!

Personally I always wanted Mummy and Martin Lowe to get married, and Jill to start going out with John Watson, but twas not to be.

@

I adored National Velvet when I was young. I remember wishing that the author has written a sequel - though I suppose anything else that happened to her would be an anti-climax after winning the Grand National.

Does anyone remember the Riders series by Samantha Alexander?

About a girl called Alexandra Johnson and she had a dun pony called Barney and wanted to be an eventer?

I remember getting the first book as a freebie with a magazine (maybe Pony magazine)

I remember Alex was 14 and had a boyfriend who was 19 - these days I'd find that proper creepy but back in the day it was much cooler 🤣🤣

I read all the Jill books. Vividly remember them.

I remember one though where a girl from America (who rode western I think) 'rescued' a stallion who was a bit wild, and it told the story of how she sort of 'tamed' him.

Also one where a pony called 'Zeus' featured...?

I also remember a set of books with a girl called May, which were those?

Anyone who has Jane Badger Books on Facebook, she did a great post on 1 May 2020 about various Win A Pony competitions!

@Blackcats7
Thanks for starting this thread. There's nothing sad about Pony books and I hope you really enjoy reading them again😊

I've got it !
Pony Tails...loved all those books.

I read all the phantom horse books!

Also does anyone remember the sheltie books??

Deffo remember the punchbowl farm books . I still have my very tatty copy of the White Riders, which was when the gang dressed up as spooks to scare off a property developer. Also, still have a copy of No Mistaking Corker which was about them going in a caravan holiday and making friends with some circus people. I loved the Jill books too, especially Jill's Pony trek and rosettes for Jill, although I also liked Jill and the perfect pony. Thanks OP for this thread, which has bought back loads of lovely memories.

I remember you from Jill's Pony Trek. You fell asleep on horseback at one point 😂 😆

There a Facebook group devoted to the Jill books.

Re competitions, I used to do one in a newspaper to win a Pony. In the mid 1960s. I used to be excited and petrified about winning.

I loved the Jill books. I totally agree about the infuriating ending of the series, where she has to go off and learn shorthand typing, rather than getting a horsey job - just why?

Yes, I remember the WH Smith Win a Pony competition - it was a short story contest. I'd love to know if anyone really did win a pony!

You've all made me want to buy some Jinny at Finmory books, now. I've got all the Jill books, but I've only got one Jinny. I can recommend a lovely book by Patricia Leitch, not in the Jinny series, The Horse from Black Loch - about a mythical water-horse that lives in a loch - quite weird, but very good.

I recently read that these were going to be republished. I loved these books as a youngster and I’m so tempted to buy the new set.

@3beesinmybonnet l used to enter it and remember that the ponies keep, and l think riding lessons, were included for the first year (which was a very generous prize). After that you had to take over so l am sure my parents were pleased l never won!

l loved the Jill series and still have them in the loft, along with many of the P-T sisters books. l used to buy them with book tokens or WHSmith vouchers l was given by relatives. l wasn't so keen on the Jinny books, as she seemed a bit sad and a misfit at school, and wasn't the horse often out of control and used to bolt? Also used to read the Brumby books but didn't like the description of the injuries when the stallions fought, although l am sure it was realistic.

l read one book from the library about someone that had several horses and used to take them to shows, then their horsebox was in a road accident and at least one of the horses (called Lalique) died. Unusual thing to include in this type of book which were written for children. l can't remember any more details or the name of the book, does anyone else remember it?

Have you got a link to Jill on FB? :)

I read them all...endlessly early 70's
I remember them well, Jill Crewe, Ann Derry, Diana Bush, Mercy Dulbottle, April, May and June Cholly-Sawcutt, and the captain..and some 'insufferable' girl Celia?? Ceclia" Who won everything. Also Val Heath?

Jills Ponies, Black Boy and Rapide and a horse called Blue Shadow rings a bell too! Mrs Darcy who owned the riding school. The Chatton Show.

Fave was Jills Pony Trek where they end up being marooned in a deserted farmhouse where they found lots of hot cocoa to drink and stone hot water bottles....

Oh and Mrs Crosby, the daily-'no relation to Bing'

Poor Mummy, and her hens and hours of sitting typing away at her book about perfect children...and then it all ends with Jill leaving school and training to be a typist....

Its a bit spooky that I can remember it so well, and it was a huge influence on me at 10 years old when my real life was a thousand miles removed from anything even close to Jill's perfect life.