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Pony Club Rivals #1
The Auditions
Competition is fierce at the All-Stars Academy in the USA – can the new girl, Georgie, outshine her rivals? A brand new pony adventure series from the author of the UK’s bestselling pony series, Pony Club Secrets.
The Blainford ‘All-Stars’ Academy is the most elite horse riding school ever and it’s auditions time for next year’s new students!
The hopefuls must battle for a place against the most talented riders from around the world. Friendships are quickly made, but with rivalries hotting up inside AND outside the arena, who will stay focused and outshine the competition?
With all the glitz and glamour of international eventing and the daily dramas of high school life, ‘Pony Club Rivals’ is a sure-fire hit!
The Blainford ‘All-Stars’ Academy is the most elite horse riding school ever and it’s auditions time for next year’s new students!
The hopefuls must battle for a place against the most talented riders from around the world. Friendships are quickly made, but with rivalries hotting up inside AND outside the arena, who will stay focused and outshine the competition?
With all the glitz and glamour of international eventing and the daily dramas of high school life, ‘Pony Club Rivals’ is a sure-fire hit!
279 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2010
77 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
Stacy Gregg
80 books207 followersAs a young girl living in New Zealand Stacy Gregg wanted to be two things when she grew up – a horse rider and a writer. She now considers herself very, very lucky to be both at once!
Becoming a writer was the easy part – all she needed was an exercise book and a pen. Stacy wrote loads of poetry and short stories at school and then became a journalist, writing features for magazines and newspapers and working as a fashion writer (v. glamorous and lots of fun!) before her first book in the Pony Club Secrets series was published in 2007.
Extract from author's web page
Becoming a writer was the easy part – all she needed was an exercise book and a pen. Stacy wrote loads of poetry and short stories at school and then became a journalist, writing features for magazines and newspapers and working as a fashion writer (v. glamorous and lots of fun!) before her first book in the Pony Club Secrets series was published in 2007.
Extract from author's web page
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 9, 2014
This exists in many ways in the same space as the Canterwood Crest series, but is basically superior in every way. While all the old tropes are there, and some of the ones which have only cropped up relatively recently, it's all done with a touch more writing finesse and a lot more equestrian knowledge. Once you've accepted that, yes, you are reading a book about thirteen-year-olds who ride better than some competitors at the Olympics and who all attend an inexplicably amazing boarding school which caters to literally every discipline ever invented, it's all good. The characterisation goes a little (only a little) deeper than "loves lipgloss" vs "does not love lipgloss" and Georgie is a likeable protagonist. When she overreacts like crazy it seems believable for her age, background and present circumstance, not like a narrative convenience. The polo scenes were tiring but overall this is a good book for this genre and target audience.
I did find it amusing that the cover is a grey horse showjumping against a sparkly background. Georgie is an eventer on black or bay horses and there is a line where her father buys her books and she knows she won't like them just by looking at the sparkly covers.
I did find it amusing that the cover is a grey horse showjumping against a sparkly background. Georgie is an eventer on black or bay horses and there is a line where her father buys her books and she knows she won't like them just by looking at the sparkly covers.
May 27, 2013
It was a great book! When Georgie is at the auditions it is so nerve racking even though you are just reading the book, especially at the cross-country because she has a perfect time at the start but when Tyro takes the water jump at the wrong stride Georgie knows she is in trouble! At the showjumping she has huge competition as Daisy King is in too and when Tara gives everyone else a 4 or a 5, Daisy King got an 8 so Georgie has to beat her but after Tara gives Georgie a 9 Georgie she know she has good luck. Though at home she doesn't have as much luck, if Georgie wants to go to her dream, Blanfoird Academy she has to sell Tyro! What will she do? Read more to find out. I would recommend this book to any girls/boys who are horse crazy between the ages of 8-13!
April 23, 2014
Seriously...I'm in love with The Pony Club Rivals Series!! The characters were funny and touching and dramatic. And, the constant action kept me wanting more! I couldn't stop reading as there was not one slow moment in this book!
The author captured each riding discipline's characters perfectly...the horsie- stereotypes cracked me up! I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of this series!
If you enjoy Equine-Fiction, check out my "Horse-Books" Review Blog at: http://brittneyjoybooks.sqsp.com/jour...
The author captured each riding discipline's characters perfectly...the horsie- stereotypes cracked me up! I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of this series!
If you enjoy Equine-Fiction, check out my "Horse-Books" Review Blog at: http://brittneyjoybooks.sqsp.com/jour...
August 12, 2023
I LOVED THIS BOOK! it’s still so nerve racking how Georgie is when she is competing in the class rankling exam, i can feel all of her emotions still! i love how it had a touch of romance to it as it was the classic high school type ,around that one boy. but anyway i still loved how i felt the same adrenaline rush that Georgie had when she was doing her class ranking. can’t wait to read the rest of the series!! :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2016
Yep, another series about horses. :) Ever since I found out Canterwood Crest I have been looking around for similar series.
The first part of the book is about the auditions, about our MC fighting for a place in the famous Blainford academy. There are various rounds, and various things that happen. I did love the auditions, but I felt the way time passed was a bit jarring. The auditions take place over several weeks/months, however it all feels like it is just a week of auditions. The school part (which takes place after the auditions) felt better paced, but even there I have to say that there were enough parts that felt hurried, rushed. One moment it is one week, then it is suddenly the next. While there is a mention of time passing, it still felt jarring. It also makes me worried about the other books, will these also run through time at times? Or will it just take it easier?
The auditions were really fun, and I also loved the character we met there. I do hope we will see more of her soon. The auditions were also really exciting, with several harrowing things happening. Walls that need to be jumped over fall over, parents being way to overprotective (really, that woman was just so annoying, finding faults in everything but herself or her daughter). Even though one knows that our MC is going through/will win (because there are 3 other books about her) it was still really exciting and I was rooting for her.
I was also sad for her for what happened after the auditions, but I think she handled it really maturely, I am sure her friend will take care of that, and I am sure she will also send enough photographs and updates. :)
There was something that happened around the audition time that I found odd. Georgie's mom did put money aside for the school, however she didn't do that for something else that was really important? Did she do it on purpose (to teach her daughter a wise lesson), or did what happen to her cause her to not be able to fund everything in time? It is something we probably will never find out, though I would love to know.
The Blainford school was a fun one, though I found it a bit weird that they would teach both German and French. Don't get me wrong, it is normal to do that in my country (with the addition of English and of course Dutch), but it seems odd that they do that in a US school. I know that there are a lot of international people there, but it is the first time that I read about a boarding school in the US also teaching German. Normally it is just French.
The other lessons were also fun, and I had a small laugh at the fact that our MC finds out the harsh way that such a school is not just fun and play, but also focusses a lot on academic. Which means she will have to work hard if she wants to succeed.
I am also delighted with the addition of boys, and also the romance was really fun and cute. I can't wait to see how that will continue in the next books.
Of course, as expected, we have the mean girl trope. This time we have 2 mean girls. Kennedy and Daisy. I am not entirely sure who I dislike more, for now it seems to be a tie. Kennedy is just a rich girl who thinks she is better, and Daisy... well is Daisy, she is super competitive and while that isn't that bad on itself, the way Daisy thinks she is so superior is just bleh.
But I am used to it by now, it seems horse books just need to have mean girls in them. I did hear from an author (of another horse book) that it seems this is also happening in real life in stables. So I can imagine why it is added. Still, it is a trope I would rather not see used that much.
Of course this being a horse book, there is a lot of horse stuff, and also various kinds. Unlike others this one shows us a lot of sides to horse riding. Not only riding, but also caring for your horse, western style riding, and many more. I loved that this was added, it really gave the book extra dimension, and I just can't wait until the next book and see what we will get then.
Tara was also a surprise. Sure, through her POV (yes, she also has some parts) you could see she is pretty nice, but the way she acts is quite the opposite. I can imagine why though, because as you read the book you can see why she acting like this. Still I wouldn't mind seeing more of Tara's kinder side.
All in all, this book was wonderful, and I also bought book 2, which I hope will be delivered soon. I would recommend this book to everyone looking for a fun horse book, or looking for a boarding school story (even if it doesn't start until quite a bit in the book).
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
The first part of the book is about the auditions, about our MC fighting for a place in the famous Blainford academy. There are various rounds, and various things that happen. I did love the auditions, but I felt the way time passed was a bit jarring. The auditions take place over several weeks/months, however it all feels like it is just a week of auditions. The school part (which takes place after the auditions) felt better paced, but even there I have to say that there were enough parts that felt hurried, rushed. One moment it is one week, then it is suddenly the next. While there is a mention of time passing, it still felt jarring. It also makes me worried about the other books, will these also run through time at times? Or will it just take it easier?
The auditions were really fun, and I also loved the character we met there. I do hope we will see more of her soon. The auditions were also really exciting, with several harrowing things happening. Walls that need to be jumped over fall over, parents being way to overprotective (really, that woman was just so annoying, finding faults in everything but herself or her daughter). Even though one knows that our MC is going through/will win (because there are 3 other books about her) it was still really exciting and I was rooting for her.
I was also sad for her for what happened after the auditions, but I think she handled it really maturely, I am sure her friend will take care of that, and I am sure she will also send enough photographs and updates. :)
There was something that happened around the audition time that I found odd. Georgie's mom did put money aside for the school, however she didn't do that for something else that was really important? Did she do it on purpose (to teach her daughter a wise lesson), or did what happen to her cause her to not be able to fund everything in time? It is something we probably will never find out, though I would love to know.
The Blainford school was a fun one, though I found it a bit weird that they would teach both German and French. Don't get me wrong, it is normal to do that in my country (with the addition of English and of course Dutch), but it seems odd that they do that in a US school. I know that there are a lot of international people there, but it is the first time that I read about a boarding school in the US also teaching German. Normally it is just French.
The other lessons were also fun, and I had a small laugh at the fact that our MC finds out the harsh way that such a school is not just fun and play, but also focusses a lot on academic. Which means she will have to work hard if she wants to succeed.
I am also delighted with the addition of boys, and also the romance was really fun and cute. I can't wait to see how that will continue in the next books.
Of course, as expected, we have the mean girl trope. This time we have 2 mean girls. Kennedy and Daisy. I am not entirely sure who I dislike more, for now it seems to be a tie. Kennedy is just a rich girl who thinks she is better, and Daisy... well is Daisy, she is super competitive and while that isn't that bad on itself, the way Daisy thinks she is so superior is just bleh.
But I am used to it by now, it seems horse books just need to have mean girls in them. I did hear from an author (of another horse book) that it seems this is also happening in real life in stables. So I can imagine why it is added. Still, it is a trope I would rather not see used that much.
Of course this being a horse book, there is a lot of horse stuff, and also various kinds. Unlike others this one shows us a lot of sides to horse riding. Not only riding, but also caring for your horse, western style riding, and many more. I loved that this was added, it really gave the book extra dimension, and I just can't wait until the next book and see what we will get then.
Tara was also a surprise. Sure, through her POV (yes, she also has some parts) you could see she is pretty nice, but the way she acts is quite the opposite. I can imagine why though, because as you read the book you can see why she acting like this. Still I wouldn't mind seeing more of Tara's kinder side.
All in all, this book was wonderful, and I also bought book 2, which I hope will be delivered soon. I would recommend this book to everyone looking for a fun horse book, or looking for a boarding school story (even if it doesn't start until quite a bit in the book).
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
October 14, 2019
To be fair - I am not a horse loving person or the age group this book was written for.
In my defence would it help if I said I loved
Black Beauty?
In my defence would it help if I said I loved
Black Beauty?
August 5, 2025
“These situations are a vicious circle. You pass your fear on to the horse, then your horse acts badly, refusing to jump or bucking and rearing and then you become even more afraid. You may even fear your horse when you are on the ground, in the stall or in the paddock. The fear can begin anywhere.”
Terribly inaccurate, yet so much fun!
Terribly inaccurate, yet so much fun!
January 10, 2019
A horse-related boarding school series by a New Zealand author - yes please!
February 18, 2011
Got a good giggle out of reading this. I'd have loved it back when I was 12 or so. You've got eighth graders who ride at Olympic levels, which is a little out there, never mind the fact that there is no mention of the actual Pony Club. Still, the thought of a boarding school at which all kinds of riders converge is pretty cool. Too bad there always has to be the "mean girl" theme going on.
April 10, 2013
A great read for all horse lovers. I read through it almost without stopping and I liked the fact that there was some real feeling in the book; many books are all action and no heart. I like most of the characters, but I don't like the way the characters are divided into groups, even though in many schools this really does happen.
Read
September 21, 2011Really good and reccommend it to every child in the world who loves horses :D
October 15, 2012
This is my favorite out of the series!
September 4, 2015
Cute :) Even though I'm 3x the target age, I love this series! The horsey stuff is well done.
August 30, 2014
simply A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!
May 8, 2016
I have read all of Stacy Gregg's stories and they are SO good this has to be one of my favourites
Read
December 17, 2012A good read
March 18, 2019
This is a fast-paced story that many young girls will love. Georgie's dream is to follow in her mum's footsteps and attend the prestigious riding school, Blainford Academy. But first, she must compete in the demanding UK auditions and be chosen as one of only 3 people admitted to the academy.
This book focuses mostly on horse riding. It seems that the author is very knowledgeable and there are many technical riding terms that are explained throughout this book, which adds a realistic element to the story. As someone who doesn't know anything about horses, I found that aspect really interesting, but I feel that even the biggest horse lover would still appreciate the technical aspects included in this book.
The characters in this book are written well enough. They lack depth (as is usual for a middle grade book), but that doesn't take away from the story as a whole. Georgie is likable and the fast-paced plot means that readers will still be engaged and interested. This book features the mean girl trope, which I didn't enjoy, but it always seems to feature in these types of books.
Aside from the mean girl trope, my only issue with this book is the sexism involved in the polo match. The boys houses play a serious and competitive polo match while the girls cheer on from the side. The girls even have to stomp down the divots in the field while the boys have a break. The idea of a "stick chick" is also included, where the boy can choose a girl to help them with their equipment during the game, which is set up to be this romantic gesture and almost an honour for the girl to be chosen. Although the main character does refuse this position because she thought it was a joke about her being poor, the inclusion of it isn't necessary and I don't think it's the right sort of thing to be included in a book aimed at young girls.
(Note: Although I haven't read them, reviews of the other books in the series seem to agree that the sexism continues and gets even worse as the series goes on.)
Overall, this book is an exciting and fast story that I think young girls will really enjoy. The attention to detail describing the horses and competitions adds a very realistic element to the story. The weak (almost stereotypical) characters do not draw away from the plot, which is the real star and driving force of the book.
Ideal for: girls aged 9-13.
This book focuses mostly on horse riding. It seems that the author is very knowledgeable and there are many technical riding terms that are explained throughout this book, which adds a realistic element to the story. As someone who doesn't know anything about horses, I found that aspect really interesting, but I feel that even the biggest horse lover would still appreciate the technical aspects included in this book.
The characters in this book are written well enough. They lack depth (as is usual for a middle grade book), but that doesn't take away from the story as a whole. Georgie is likable and the fast-paced plot means that readers will still be engaged and interested. This book features the mean girl trope, which I didn't enjoy, but it always seems to feature in these types of books.
Aside from the mean girl trope, my only issue with this book is the sexism involved in the polo match. The boys houses play a serious and competitive polo match while the girls cheer on from the side. The girls even have to stomp down the divots in the field while the boys have a break. The idea of a "stick chick" is also included, where the boy can choose a girl to help them with their equipment during the game, which is set up to be this romantic gesture and almost an honour for the girl to be chosen. Although the main character does refuse this position because she thought it was a joke about her being poor, the inclusion of it isn't necessary and I don't think it's the right sort of thing to be included in a book aimed at young girls.
(Note: Although I haven't read them, reviews of the other books in the series seem to agree that the sexism continues and gets even worse as the series goes on.)
Overall, this book is an exciting and fast story that I think young girls will really enjoy. The attention to detail describing the horses and competitions adds a very realistic element to the story. The weak (almost stereotypical) characters do not draw away from the plot, which is the real star and driving force of the book.
Ideal for: girls aged 9-13.
February 22, 2025
The first part of the book is about the auditions and Georgie fighting for a place in the famous Blainford academy. There are various rounds, and various things that happen. I did love the auditions, but I felt the way time passed was a bit off-putting. The auditions take place over several weeks/months; however, it all feels like it is just a week of auditions.
It was a great book. When Georgie is at the auditions it is so nerve racking even though you are just reading the book, especially at the cross-country because she has a perfect time at the start but when Tyro takes the water jump at the wrong stride Georgie knows she is in trouble. At the showjumping she has huge competition as Daisy King is in too and when Tara gives everyone else a 4 or a 5, Daisy King got an 8 so Georgie has to beat her.
When Tara gives Georgie a 9 Georgie, she knows she has good luck. Though at home she doesn't have as much, when her dad tells her that if Georgie wants to go to her dream school, Blanfoird Academy she has to sell Tyro, her beloved horse.
The school part felt better paced, but even then, there were a few parts that felt hurried and rushed. One moment it is one week, then it is suddenly the next. While there is a mention of time passing, it still felt confusing.
The characters were funny, touching and dramatic, and the constant action kept me wanting more.
I would give this book 4 stars because it had slow parts but apart from that, it kept readers on the edge of their seats. It was really good even though it is more character driven rather than plot driven. I would recommend this to anyone aged 8 or over and it’s great to read alone or as a family but there are some emotional parts.
It was a great book. When Georgie is at the auditions it is so nerve racking even though you are just reading the book, especially at the cross-country because she has a perfect time at the start but when Tyro takes the water jump at the wrong stride Georgie knows she is in trouble. At the showjumping she has huge competition as Daisy King is in too and when Tara gives everyone else a 4 or a 5, Daisy King got an 8 so Georgie has to beat her.
When Tara gives Georgie a 9 Georgie, she knows she has good luck. Though at home she doesn't have as much, when her dad tells her that if Georgie wants to go to her dream school, Blanfoird Academy she has to sell Tyro, her beloved horse.
The school part felt better paced, but even then, there were a few parts that felt hurried and rushed. One moment it is one week, then it is suddenly the next. While there is a mention of time passing, it still felt confusing.
The characters were funny, touching and dramatic, and the constant action kept me wanting more.
I would give this book 4 stars because it had slow parts but apart from that, it kept readers on the edge of their seats. It was really good even though it is more character driven rather than plot driven. I would recommend this to anyone aged 8 or over and it’s great to read alone or as a family but there are some emotional parts.
August 21, 2023
Cuando era pequeña, me encantaba leer las historias de esta autora que traducían al castellano. Pero dejaron de hacerlo y le perdí la pista. Ya llevaba tiempo queriendo volver a leer en inglés, así que me decidí a probar con ella y ha sido todo un acierto.
Si os gustan los caballos, como a mí, y no os importa el cambio de idioma, estos libros son una buena opción. El vocabulario es muy sencillo y se entiende todo perfectamente. Obviamente, hay palabras que son muy específicas o propias del mundo de la equitación que igual es complicado sacarlas de primeras, pero supongo que eso pasa en cualquier libro escrito en un idioma extranjero.
En cuanto a la trama, la verdad es que me ha resultado bastante interesante. No podemos olvidar que es un libro juvenil, pero se me ha hecho muy entretenida, con sus momentos de dramita, sus escenas más divertidas y sus partes bonitas. Además, la vida amorosa de la protagonista es graciosísima. Eso sí, había veces que quería matarla. Fijarse en otros chicos existiendo Riley… en fin. No comments.
Si os gustan los caballos, como a mí, y no os importa el cambio de idioma, estos libros son una buena opción. El vocabulario es muy sencillo y se entiende todo perfectamente. Obviamente, hay palabras que son muy específicas o propias del mundo de la equitación que igual es complicado sacarlas de primeras, pero supongo que eso pasa en cualquier libro escrito en un idioma extranjero.
En cuanto a la trama, la verdad es que me ha resultado bastante interesante. No podemos olvidar que es un libro juvenil, pero se me ha hecho muy entretenida, con sus momentos de dramita, sus escenas más divertidas y sus partes bonitas. Además, la vida amorosa de la protagonista es graciosísima. Eso sí, había veces que quería matarla. Fijarse en otros chicos existiendo Riley… en fin. No comments.
July 10, 2023
Georgie is a very likeable protagonist whose heart wrenching journey has you rooting for her throughout. I think that everybody would be able to see a bit of Georgie in themselves. I found the ‘auditions’ stage to be quite a tedious read that almost went on for too long but I couldn’t put the book down from when Georgie got on the plane for America onwards. The world and character creation is fantastic and as a reader, I quickly got to grips with Blainford life extremely fast… and WOW!
May 19, 2017
I found this book very cool! Georgie suffered lots of lows to get to Blainford, but she managed to get there after coming across a second chance in another audition, after failing her first one. I can't wait to read the other three books in the series an I would recommend this to girls that are 9+
October 11, 2018
Fun read
Very interesting concept of Blaine wood having all students participate in various disciplines. I am in FULL favor of thus!
Very interesting concept of Blaine wood having all students participate in various disciplines. I am in FULL favor of thus!
December 21, 2020
good book
March 18, 2022
It was such a good book, very descriptive and super addictive.
April 7, 2022
I absolutely loved it, and I will definitely buy the other books! I recommend it to anyone who likes horses but also to other people too!
June 19, 2022
My tutee is a farm child and a horse rider and WE loved it.
December 6, 2022
Super cute. Perfect for those horse loving readers.
April 3, 2023
I must find the other books.
November 28, 2023
yes I am reliving my favourite childhood favs to stave off winter blues and what about it
April 23, 2018
I enjoyed this book because of the content about horses and the way that the author, Stacy Gregg made me want to keep reading. The main character, Georgie wants to get into "The Blainford ‘All-Stars’ Academy" which is the most protege horseback-riding school. The Auditions included different styles of riding and it had a unique perspective. Stacy Gregg made it easy to connect to the main character, if you have ever ridden horses or have been around them. Personally, I would recommend this book if you like horses and you enjoy reading from different perspectives. If you liked the Saddle Club series by Bonnie Bryant or The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts I thin that you would like this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews