Fans of Ruby Ferguson’s Jill stories will soon be able to share their childhood reading with their offspring because all nine books are being reprinted.
The books, written between 1949 and 1966, describe the exciting — and often disastrous — equestrian adventures of Jill Crewe and her horses Black Boy and Rapide.
Generations of pony-mad girls grew up reading the series which was in print until 1993.
Model-turned-horsewoman Katie Price lists Jill’s Gymkhana among her favourite childhood books and Olympic eventer Jane Holderness-Roddam read them as a child.
Another fan was Vanessa Robertson, director of Fidra Books, who will reprint the titles.
“We specialise in reissues of children’s books and, as they were always my favourites when I was a kid, I was keen to see them back in print,” she said.
“We haven’t changed much. Money denominations were updated in the later editions of the books — from shillings and pence to pounds — and Black Boy’s name was changed, but we’ve reinstated it,”
The books have had many reprints over the years, with cover designs updated each time, including a 1980s one of Jill’s Riding Club that features a photo of show jumper Duncan Inglis as a small boy.
The books will cost £6.99.
• For more information, go to www.fidrabooks.com
This article was first published in Horse & Hound (4 June, ’09)
