Pony Club Secrets facts for kids

Pony Club Secrets is an exciting series of children's books published by HarperCollins in the United Kingdom. The books were written by author and journalist Stacy Gregg. She based the stories loosely on her own experiences growing up with horses in New Zealand.

The series mixes real details about horses and ponies with fun fantasy and adventure. The stories take place in a made-up part of New Zealand called Chevalier Point.

The first two books, Mystic and the Midnight Ride and Blaze and the Dark Rider, came out in August 2007. They were later published together as one book called Mystic and Blaze. The series was so popular that it grew from four books to a total of 13! This includes a special Christmas story, Issie and the Christmas Pony.

About the Series

In 2009, a new spin-off series was announced called Pony Club Rivals. This series introduces a new main character, Georgie Parker. Her adventures take place in the UK and the USA. The first book, Pony Club Rivals: The Auditions, was published in April 2010. It is set at the Blainford "All Stars" Academy in Kentucky, USA, which is also mentioned in Victory and the All-Stars Academy. The Pony Club Rivals series follows Georgie as she tries to become a top eventing rider. It has four books in total and features many familiar characters.

The Pony Club Secrets books have also been turned into a television series. It first aired on CBBC in the UK on July 14, 2020.

Meet the Books

• Mystic and the Midnight Ride (2007)
• Blaze and the Dark Rider (2007)
• Destiny and the Wild Horses (2008)
• Stardust and the Daredevil Ponies (2008)
• Comet and the Champion's Cup (2008)
• Issie and the Christmas Pony (2008)
• Storm and the Silver Bridle (2009)
• Fortune and the Golden Trophy (2009)
• Victory and the All-Stars Academy (2009)
• Flame and the Rebel Riders (2010)
• Angel and the Flying Stallions (2010)
• Liberty and the Dream Ride (2011)
• Nightstorm and the Grand Slam (2011)

Special Editions

Some books were also released as special combined editions:

• Mystic and Blaze (2009)
• Destiny and Stardust (2010)
• Comet and Storm (2011)

Pony Club Rivals Books

1. *The Auditions (2010) 2. *Showjumpers (2010) 3. *Riding Star (2011) 4. *The Prize (2011)

Main Characters

Isadora "Issie" Brown

Issie is the main character of the series. She absolutely loves horses! Issie has long brown hair and an olive skin tone. She owns three ponies named Blaze, Comet, and Storm. She used to own Mystic, who sadly passed away while saving other horses and Issie herself during a gymkhana. Issie's best friends are Stella Tarrant and Kate Knight. Her rival is Natasha Tucker. Issie is a very talented rider who wins many awards and inspires other young riders.

Stella Tarrant

Stella is Issie's best friend. She is fun, playful, and loves to joke around. Stella has short, curly red hair and freckles. She used to own a pony named Coco but outgrew her. Now, she owns Marmite, a Blackthorn Pony that was tamed after the events of the third book.

Kate Knight

Kate is Issie's other best friend. She is very sensible and grown-up, which is different from Stella. Kate has blonde hair and blue eyes and is very tall. She is great with children, which helps her when she assists with a children's riding camp in Comet and the Champion's Cup. Kate owns an ex-racehorse named Toby.

Tom Avery

Tom is the riding instructor for Issie, Stella, Kate, and Natasha. He used to be a famous event rider. After a serious injury, he retired from competing. Now, he is the head instructor at Chevalier Point Pony Club. He lives at Winterflood Farm, where he keeps his horses. In Flame and the Rebel Riders, he also takes over Dulmoth Park. Tom often wears his special cheese-cutter cap and taps his riding crop against his boot. He is very close to Issie. He helped bring her Anglo-Arab mare, Blaze, to her after rescuing Blaze with the help of ILPH (International League for the Protection of Horses). In Angel and the Flying Stallions, Tom marries Francoise D'arth, a head trainer who returns to Chevalier Point to teach dressage.

Natasha Tucker

Natasha is often the rival in the series. She is sometimes called 'Stuck Up Tucker' by Stella, Kate, and Issie. Natasha often makes unkind comments about Issie's pony, Blaze. By the end of Fortune and the Golden Trophy, they are clear rivals. However, after the book Flame and The Rebel Riders, they become a bit more friendly. Natasha owns many beautiful and expensive horses, like Goldrush and Romeo.

Aidan

Aidan is the farm manager for Hester. Later in the series, he becomes Issie's boyfriend, though they eventually break up. He is kind and was willing to keep working on Hester's Farm even when she couldn't pay him.

Hester Brown

Hester is Amanda's sister and Issie's aunt. She lives at Blackthorn Farm near Gisborne. Hester trains animals for movies with Aidan's help. She owns many horses, including Diablo, Paris, Nicole, Dolomite, Titan, Scott, Tornado, Stardust, and Destiny, who are known as the 'Daredevil Ponies'. She also owns Blackthorn ponies like Glennie, Molly, Timmy, and Julian, along with other farm animals. Hester is known for being a not-so-great cook!

Amanda Brown

Amanda is Hester's sister and Issie's mother. She works for a law firm. Amanda is very scared of horses. She is divorced, like Hester; Issie's father left when Issie was nine. At the beginning of the series, Amanda didn't want to buy Issie a pony, even though Issie had enough money. Eventually, Amanda agrees, and Issie gets her first pony, Mystic.

Tara Kelly

Tara Kelly is a former four-star event rider mentioned in "Victory and The All Stars Academy" and "Liberty and The Dream Ride". She is a major character in the Pony Club Rivals books. Tara is known for being very hard to impress. In "Victory and The All Stars Academy", Tara coaches Issie and her team during a cross-country event. Tara teaches at Blainford Academy and is the head of eventing. She offers Issie a spot at Blainford, but Issie decides not to go. Tara is described as thin with fine bones and glossy walnut brown hair, and delicate freckles. Her style is tasteful but a bit horsey. Even though Tara can seem cold and strict, she sometimes shows a softer side. For example, she comforts Issie after rescuing her from a wild dog.