|
Kit Hunter Show Jumper Series:
Follows the many adventures of Kit Hunter, a talented young horse-woman. In the first book she captures The Wild One, a horse which has been running wild on the moors, and helps groom Mary restore the fortunes of Colonel Hamden, an old family friend. The other books in the series follow Kit and Mary and various other characters around the world as Kit competes in show jumping events as well as solving some Nancy-Drew type mysteries!
The books are lively reads, although as not written by a horsy expert, are not always realistic portrayals of the equine world. But if you can overlook this, they are quite entertaining books.
For more comprehensive summaries of each book please visit this excellent website
PONYMAD SERIES RATING: 3 HORSESHOES
1)THE WILD ONE
(WORLD 1959)
Reprinted in pictorial hardback by Redwing
Reprinted as a small pictorial hardback by World
Reprinted as part of a 2 in 1 omnibus called PONY STORIES FEATURING KIT HUNTER (see below)
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Redwing edition
SUMMARY: Kit has recently become orphaned and travels to the Moor Grange estate to live with Colonel Hamden, an old friend of the family. The Colonel's fortunes are low, he has a few horses left but his experimental breeding program has been sabotaged and the one remaining horse which could prove his theories right - The Wild One - is running loose on the moors. Kit befriends Mary Trent who looks after the Colonel's horses and together they set out to find The Wild One and at the same time uncover the plot to ruin the Colonel.
Reprinted in hardback by Redwing
2) SOUTH AMERICAN MISSION
(WORLD 1959)
Reprinted in pictorial hardback by Redwing
Reprinted as a small pictorial hardback by World
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Redwing edition
SUMMARY: When a riding accident puts the Colonel out of commission, Kit and Mary must travel to South America to purchase some horses for his breeding programme. But someone there is trying to put a spoke in the wheel!
3) RIVAL RIDERS
(WORLD 1959)
Reprinted in pictorial hardback by Redwing
Reprinted as a small pictorial hardback by World
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Redwing edition
SUMMARY: Kit travels to Europe on a show jumping tour and finds herself up against an unscrupulous rival
4) BUSH ADVENTURE
(WORLD 1959)
Reprinted in pictorial hardback by Redwing
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Redwing edition
SUMMARY: Along with Mary and the Colonel, Kiit travels to Australia to take part in a prestigious horse show. But whilst staying there a bush fire breaks out...
5) MYSTERY OF THE MINE
(WORLD 1960)
Reprinted in pictorial hardback by Redwing
Reprinted as a small pictorial hardback by World
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Redwing edition, World edition
SUMMARY: Staying in Singapore on the way home from her Australian trip, Kit meets a wealthy Australian who wants to buy horses from the Colonel. He persuades Kit and Mary to accompany him back to Australia, where they promptly become mixed up in a mystery surrounded a haunted mine.
6) MOOR GRANGE MYSTERY
(WORLD 1960)
Reprinted in pictorial hardback by Redwing
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Redwing edition
SUMMARY: At last Kit has returned home and is happy to settle to her old routine of training and jumping the horses. But things don't remain peaceful for long when the girls find themselves once more in the middle of a mystery in which Kit ends up being barred from a jumping contest.
7) FIESTA FOR WILD ONE
(WORLD 1960)
Reprinted as a small pictorial hardback by World
Reprinted as part of a 2 in 1 omnibus called PONY STORIES FEATURING KIT HUNTER (see below)
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, World edition
SUMMARY: Kit and Mary arrive in Spain on a mission for the Colonel. Once there they become involved in the fate of a boy and his horse. When they find out the boy's horse is threatened they become embroiled even deeper and this leads to trouble. Can Kit disentangle herself and get home in time to take part in an important show?
8) THE PHANTOM HORSE
(WORLD 1960)
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: Now in Ireland, Kit and Mary attempt to solve the mystery of the Phantom Horse. But is it really the 'little people' who are preventing her, or something more sinister?
9) LITTLE OUTLAW
WORLD 1961
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: Kit befriends a beleaguered old tinker and his horse - with surprising results!
10) THE LAST HURDLE
(WORLD 1961)
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: Kit and Mary accept an invitation to stay in France with trepidation, remembering the troubles that occurred last time they were there. Once there, it seems at first their fears are groundless, even a deadly old rival is now friendly. But it soon transpires the girls have been tricked…
11) ROYAL COMMAND
(WORLD 1961)
Reprinted as a small pictorial hardback by World
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: Kit sets off to a remote European province to train a princess. But once there she is met with distrust and hostility…
12) THE HOMING TRAIL
(WORLD 1961)
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: Kit and Mary find themselves in more trouble when they are staying in California
Other editions:
PONY STORIES FEATURING KIT HUNTER
(CLIVEDEN 1989)
SUMMARY: 2 in 1 pictorial hardback containing Wild One and Fiesta for Wild One, the author's name for some reason is not credited.
Collectors info:
First editions are very attractive books with nice dustjackets. Part of the series (1 to 6) was also reprinted in the Redwing Library series in the 1970s. These were hardbacks with pictorial boards with sometimes rather lurid pictures which often portray Kit as some sort of Nancy Drew on horseback.
The latest incarnation of the books, as far as I am aware, are the small pictorial hardbacks published by World in the 1980s. I think only 6 of the original titles were published in this series (books 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11). The covers show a girl of about twelve, much younger than the actual character of Kit!
None of them are particularly hard to find, and because the books are not to everyone's taste they are usually fairly low cost. The last few in the series which were not reprinted (baring 11 which was reprinted by World in the 1980s) are perhaps a little rarer and more expensive.
|
|
