The Saddle Club

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This article is about The Saddle Club TV series. For information on the book series by Bonnie Bryant, go to The Saddle Club (books).

The Saddle Club is an Australian television series that is written by Jason Abelson and Kate Barris, and directed by Arnie Custo and Stephen Mann. The Crawfords Television production house produces the series in conjunction with Protocol Entertainment of Canada. The series is based on a popular series children's books written by Bonnie Bryant. The show, which began to be showcased in 2001, centred around the lives of three girls who take care of horses. Within the next years, new characters have been added to the show.It has enjoyed international success and attracted viewers of a wide range of age groups. In the United States, it airs on Discovery Kids. The program is shown on the ABC and FOX8 in Australia, on YTV network in Canada and on CITV in the UK.

The stars of The Saddle Club have recorded four albums since 2002, all of which have made the Australian charts. Heli Simpson, who plays Veronica di Angelo on the program has released a solo album in 2003 called Princess Veronica which also charted in Australia. A number of singles have also been released by The Saddle Club group as a whole and also solo singles by Heli Simpson and Melanie and Ashley.

The popularity of The Saddle Club in Australia was shown at the 2004 Sydney Royal Easter Show with live performances on horses by the cast members sold out each day at the Sydney SuperDome with crowds of 7000 to 8000 and many fans unable to get in. Pony clubs have also become more popular in Australia as a result of the success of the series.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Series

Two series of twenty-six episodes each have been shot. They last 30 minutes each. Due to the popularity of the program, several videos and DVDs have been released The series is shot in the Yarra Valley in Victoria.

Stephanie Lake is called "Stevie" for short, and is a blonde and a real tomboy. The reason for this is because Stevie grew up as the only girl in her family, besides her mum. Her twin is Alex, and there's also Chad, Michael, and her dad. Stevie doesn't like fussing over clothes so she's usually wearing a simple shirt and jeans. She is not the oldest of the Saddle Club, but she is the only one to have a true boyfriend, Phil Marsten. She is also not the horse-craziest, but she does really love horses. Stevie starts off riding Comanche a bay gelding, until she rescues Belle, a black Arabian mare, after her owner abandons her. She is not very neat. She hates Veronica and is always playing pranks and having fights with her.

Carole Hanson lost her mother to cancer when she was young, so she just lives with her dad. She is the horse-craziest of the whole Saddle Club, and everyone jokes that she thinks too much about horses, since she's sort of forgetful, and sometimes a know-it-all. She is probably the best rider of them all too, but she isn't treated differently.Carole used to ride the Pine Hollow horses before buying her own horse,a buckskin gelding named Starlight.

Lisa Atwood is the oldest of the Saddle Club at 13, and she has long brown hair. She is a straight A student, and she also seems to have some acting skills in her, too. She first started riding at Pine Hollow in the first episode of series 1.Stevie and Carole didn't appear to like her until after a while. Her mother insists on Lisa being trained in proper etiquette, so Lisa is the most mature member of the Saddle Club. Lisa starts off riding Patch,a quiet and reliable pinto. She later moves on to Prancer, a young Thoroughbred mare.

Veronica DiAngelo is the club's arch rival. She is the spoiled daughter of wealthy businessman, Frank DiAngelo. Veronica is a big-headed individual who thinks she is better than everyone else. She is often rude, insulting, mean, and boy-crazy, which is why a lot of the other kids and staff have a strong dislike for her. Since she is so used to having someone do her work for her, she takes no interest in taking care of her horse.She rides to show off her expensive riding clothes. She used to have a black stallion named Cobalt, who had to be euthanized after a bad injury in a jump off, due to her carelessness. After Cobalt dies, she gets an Arabian mare named Garnet. She treats Garnet a little better than Cobalt, but still leaves her hanging at every opportunity. Veronica also likes Phil and it drives her crazy that he like's Stevie.

Max Regnery is the owner and manager of Pine Hollow Stables. He co-runs the stable with his mother, Elizabeth Regnery.He is also the riding instructor. He is a kind and generous man, and is always there to help out when there's a problem. He is an extremely skilled rider, having won numerous awards and competitions as a young man, and is seen as a mentor and friend by his students. He also has a firm side and has little tolerance of bullying and nonsense. In the first season, he meets Deborah Hale, a local journalist, who doesn't like horses as much as he does. The two fall in love and get married by the end of the first season. In the second season, Max goes away to France for three months to take master equitation classes. His cousin, Drew takes the helm for him in his absence.

The series is set mainly at the Pine Hollow Stables in the small community of Willow Creek In the first series, the characters are dealing with the transition from childhood to youth. The second series sees the girls facing the challenges of teenagers.

[edit] Where are they?

Lara Jean Marshall is getting ready to shoot season 3 of The Saddle Club.(2005)

Sophie Bennett is done with her 2006 tour and is getting ready for school.She is also getting ready to shoot season 3 of The Saddle Club.((2006)

Keenan MacWilliam is doing interviews in the U.S. and getting ready to shoot season # of the Saddle Club.(2006)

Heli Simpson has been taking time off for school and family. She is in the show Battle of the Brains which appears on ABC.(2006)

Kia Luby is done with 2006 tour and is also getting ready for school(2006)

Janelle Corlass-Brown has been doing background dancing for Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. (2006)

Nathan Phillips has been in some movies including Wolf Creek and Snakes on a Plane.2006

[edit] Horses

Starlight Carole's horse is a buckskin gelding. He is gentle soul, but didn't get along with Prancer in one of the episodes. Carole bought Starlight with the money her mother left her after she died from cancer. Carole almost sold Starlight after the devastating loss of Cobalt.Today she cannot picture herself without the stunning buckskin gelding at her side.In the second season, Starlight was called 'she' in a couple episodes.

Comanche is a bay appaloosa gelding with a thick, shaggy mane and tail. He was one of the original school horses that Max bought when he took over running the stable. Comanche is an easy going horse with an even temper. Although he often gets spooked, and is afraid of mudholes and especially thunderstorms. Stevie has ridden Comanche for a very long time and has a firm friendship with the gelding. She even feeds him jellybeans (he hates black ones). Stevie stops riding him after receiving Belle but still takes time to look after Comanche, often taking him and Belle on picnics. In the second season, Comanche was almost put down when it was thought that Comanche had contracted eqine virus, when he was in fact suffering from colic from eating freshly cut grass.

Patch is a sweet natured skewbald pinto whom Lisa starts off riding. Patch is the horse that all new riders start on. He's a smart little horse, sometimes referred to as "push-button" since he stays focused and doesn't get spooked easily. After Lisa moves on to riding Prancer, various other riders start riding Patch. Strangly, Patch is not seen or mentioned in the second season.

Prancer is a young chestnut Thoroughbred mare who Lisa starts riding after graduating from Patch. Prancer used to be a racehorse that Carole would exercise for racehorse owner, David McLeod; until the mare sprained a ligament and a fed up McLeod made plans to sell her for slaughter. The girls made plans of their own to rescue Prancer by "horsenapping" her and hiding out in Max's old barn. Max bought Prancer and with the help of the girls, trained her as a school horse. She can often be seen in the fields with Starlight.

Cobalt is a beautiful black stallion owned by Veronica. He is a skilled jumper. Veronica has no love for the handsome and proud stallion and takes no interest in caring for him. Carole has a deep relationship with Cobalt, often taking him out on hacks and jumping. Sadly, Cobalt dies after Veronica carelessly pushes him too hard in a jumping contest, causing him to shatter his cannon bone. Before his tragic and untimley death, Delilah is bred to Cobalt and later gives birth to Cobalt's only son, Samson.

Delilah a sweet but temperamental palomino mare. She is often seen being ridden by Max. Carole occasionally rode Delilah until she bought Starlight. Delilah has been bred to Cobalt seven-months before his tragic death. She gives birth to a colt whom the girls name Samson after Samson and Delilah.

Belle is a black Arabian mare. She is a high spirited horse and one of the strongest in the stable. Stevie first encountered Belle during a western riding clinic; thinking she was the phantom horse that had been talked about so much. Belle appeared dirty and straggly with rainrotpatches on her back. Stevie rescued the abandoned mare and brought her to the stable to clean her up. Not long after claiming her, Belle's original owner, Chelsea came to claim the horse. Belle, not wanting to return to her first owner broke out and ran away, but returned when Stevie went out to look for her. Realising that Belle and Stevie belong together, Chelsea later brought Belle back to Pine Hollow and let Stevie keep her.

Dime is a feisty white pony with a shaggy mane. He has a tendency to buck, bite, and kick.

[edit] Discography

There have been a number of albums released in Australia featuring the actors/actresses in the series. The second album On Top Of The World was nominated for an ARIA Award for "Best Original Soundtrack" in 2003. Each of the albums has made the top 50 of the Australian album charts and the first three records have achieved gold record status including:

[edit] Albums

  • Fun For Everyone (2002)
  • On Top Of The World (2003)
  • Friends Forever (2003)
  • Secrets & Dreams (2004)

[edit] Singles

  • Hello World (2002) - #27 Australia
  • Hey Hey What Yo Say (2003) - #20 Australia
  • Wonderland (2003) - #17 Australia
  • Boogie Oogie Oogie (2003) - #29 Australia
  • Undercover Movers and Shakers (2004) - #42 Australia
  • L.I.F.E - #34 Australia

[edit] Heli Simpson Discography

[edit] Albums

  • Princess Veronica (2004)

[edit] Singles

[edit] Videos

Due to the program's success, a number of videos and DVDs have been released in Australia and other countries including the United States. These include:

  • Saddle Club: The 1st Adventure (2003)
  • Saddle Club: Horse Crazy (2003)
  • Saddle Club: The Mane Event (2003)
  • Saddle Club: Adventure At Pine Hollow (2003)
  • Saddle Club: Storm (2004)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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