Victoria Eveleigh


	Victoria Eveleigh Victoria, along with husband Chris, lives and farms in Exmoor. She has written three children's pony books set in the area she knows so well, and featuring the distinctive Exmoor ponies, a stand-alone pony novel set on the island of Lundy and a new series of pony books which are aimed at boys as well as girls. The books are all charmingly illustrated by husband Chris. Her first books were originally self-published by her own publishing company Tortoise Publishing. This independence made it possible for Ms. Eveleigh to write a far more traditional series of pony stories than the current crop of fantasy/sparkly pony books which were in vogue at the time. The older books were all recently reprinted by publisher Orion who - as seems to be the trend - changed the names of all the books. Sadly the identity of the books as being about specific native breeds of pony has been lost in the more generic new titles. Victoria Eveleigh has her own website where you can find out more about her books.


	Katy's Exmoor Series (aka Katy's Pony Series): Traditional pony series set on an Exmoor farm. As well as pony lovers the series will appeal to all who love the Exmoor area and the countryside/farming . The books were reprinted by Orion when the titles were all changed. PONYMAD SERIES RATING: 3 - 4 HORSESHOES 1) KATY'S EXMOOR - THE STORY OF AN EXMOOR PONY aka KATY'S WILD FOAL (Orion edition) FIRST EDITION TORTOISE PB 2002 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original Reprinted in paperback by Orion in 2012 EDITIONS PICTURED: First edition, Orion paperback SUMMARY: Katy finds a newborn foal on the moors and falls in love with him. 2) KATY'S EXMOOR ADVENTURES aka KATY'S CHAMPION PONY (Orion edition) FIRST EDITION TORTOISE PB 2003 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original Reprinted in paperback by Orion in 2012 EDITIONS PICTURED: First edition, Orion paperback SUMMARY: Will Katy's dream of her pony Trifle becoming a champion ever come true or are there more important things to aspire to? 3) KATY'S EXMOOR FRIENDS aka KATY'S PONY SURPRISE (Orion edition) FIRST EDITION TORTOISE 2005 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original Reprinted in paperback by Orion in 2012 EDITIONS PICTURED: First edition, Orion paperback SUMMARY: Katy is off to Pony Club Camp with Trifle. But Trifle holds a big surprise in store for her! 4) KATY'S PONY CHALLENGE FIRST EDITION ORION 2015 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original EDITIONS PICTURED: First edition. SUMMARY: Katy's life has never been busier. What with riding Jacko, keeping Trifle in shape and trying to tame her cheeky foal Tinkerbell. New neighbour James is eager to help but doesn't always seem to save Katy much time. Things are just as hectic for her best friend, Alice, who has a brilliant and demanding show jumping pony. Then she hears about a new sport called horse agility… PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES Read Review 5) KATY'S PONY SUMMER FIRST EDITION TO BE PUBLISHED BY ORION 2016 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original EDITIONS PICTURED: First edition. SUMMARY: Katy has plenty to look forward to this summer. There are shows, competitions, beach rides, camping trips, barbeques and a ride across Exmoor with her best friend Alice. And when they stumble across an injured pony on the moor, Katy starts to wonder whether there is something sinister going on right under their noses. Collectors Info: All paperbacks. The fourth book in the series was first published later than the others by Orion, rather than Tortoise. The Orion editions are in print and available new. Second hand copies are easy to find in the UK. In the USA the books are available in e-format and can also be found second hand without a huge amount of difficulty.


	Joe Series: 1) JOE AND THE HIDDEN HORSESHOE FIRST EDITION ORION 2013 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original SUMMARY: Joe wishes that the family had never moved to a new house, that his mother hadn't bought two ponies nobody wanted to ride and also that he could have a dog of his own. When he finds an old lucky horseshoe he decides to make some wishes on it just for fun. PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES Read Review 2) JOE AND THE LIGHTNING PONY FIRST EDITION ORION 2013 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original SUMMARY: Joe is delighted that his pony, Lightning, is brilliant at mounted games. The two of them make a great pair and Joe can't wait for them to try out for the Prince Phillip Cup team. There's just one problem - Lightning seems quite small now that Joe is growing so fast. What will he do when he's too big to ride her? And what will happen to Lightning if she is sold? PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES Read Review 3) JOE AND THE RACE TO THE RESCUE FIRST EDITION ORION 2014 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original SUMMARY: Last of the trilogy. Joe finds new challenges with his second pony, Fortune. Then he meets Velvet and Sherman, two majestic Shires, who open his eyes to the world of heavy horses. And Joe is about to discover just how awesome Shires can be when they help him in a dangerous and dramatic rescue at the Hidden Horseshoe sanctuary. PONYMAD VIEW: Interesting heavy horse theme adds an extra element to this above average pony novel. I didn't find the plot quite as gripping as book 2 but this last in the trilogy very neatly ties up the wishes Joe made at the beginning of the series. I also like the strand in which Joe struggles to adapt to a new larger pony with a different temperament. Once again a good choice for young male pony lovers as well as the ubiquitous pony mad girls! PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES Collectors Info: Paperback originals. All are in print and available new in paperback and e-book format in both the UK and USA. Also easy to find second hand.


	Other Horse & Pony Books: MIDNIGHT ON LUNDY aka A STALLION CALLED MIDNIGHT (Orion edition) FIRST EDITION TORTOISE 2009 ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIS EVELEIGH Paperback original Reprinted in paperback by Orion in 2012 EDITIONS PICTURED: First edition, Orion paperback. SUMMARY: The island of Lundy is twelve-year-old Jenny's world, with its close-knit community of islanders and lighthouse-keepers. But soon she must go to boarding school on the mainland, leaving behind everything she loves - including Midnight, the wild stallion she has secretly befriended.… Collectors Info: The Orion edition is in print and available new in paperback and in e-book format. Used copies are easy to find in the UK and USA.