Horses in the Valley
OUP, 1941, illus Stanley Lloyd
Transworld, Scottie, London, 1955, pb
This is a story about the horses in the valley at Honeyvale: Bear the black Shetland,
Colonel the bay hunter, and a chestnut filly called Katharina. Told from the point
of view
of the horses, we hear their conversations with each other. Mrs Grantoun
and her
daughter Ann have come to stay while the owners, Major and Mrs Farringdon
are away.
Then the Major decides to sell Colonel and Katharina. Mrs Grantoun buys
Katharina,
hoping to make money out of her as a successful racehorse. Colonel is sold, but
then
bought back by a rather unexpected buyer, and Katharine of course wins.
The Horse from India
Frederick Muller, 1944, illus Stanley Lloyd
Richard West’s parents are in India, and he is living with his aunt in Leamington
Spa. He then goes away
to school, accompanied by the wooden horse his parents send
him from India. Richard decides his
future is as a jockey, and he runs away from
school to be one. The horse becomes a sort of talisman as
Richard learns how to be
a jockey. He enters into a rivalry with Geordie Hollis, another would-
in the end, the horse has to be sold to pay a ransom after his parents are kidnapped.
Geordie and Richard
go on their with their careers together.
