Hazel M Peel is one of the few pony book authors I can think of who did not have a relatively comfortable childhood in which ponies were normal. What she did have were boundless determination and the ability to work, work and work until she got where she wanted to go. She has had a writing career that has spanned over 50 years, and still has more books in her.
Hazel was born in Stratford in London, but the family moved to Leicester for the whole of the war. She won a grammar school placed but “hated every moment of it and left at 14 years. All I was really interested in was riding horses and writing. Words fascinated me. Than as even today I considered telling a story or writing a feature nothing but artistry with words instead of watercolours or oils.”
You would never have predicted, from her taste in children’s books, that Hazel would become best known for writing stories about horses. “My favourite children’s books were Jack London’s White Fang and Call of the Wild plus all the Romany books. [Romany , G Bramwell Evans, died very suddenly in the war and children all over the country had to be sent home with grief.] I’ve never forgotten his wonderful books. Later I read pony books, considered them rubbishy - all the same - and dropped them. This influenced me with my Leysham stud series. I vowed they would be different and written for young adults enabling me to ring the changes via the whole equestrian spectrum.”
Finding horses as a child was difficult. “All I could think of were horses but we were a poor family AND it was the war with the Blitz, and bombs. Like millions of others, we had enough on trying to survive – on rations don’t forget. I had to do Saturday jobs and my mother would give me five shillings (25p). I would cycle 5-6 miles to some riding stables for a precious hour’s ride. Looking back they were very grotty but there was nowhere else to go because in wartime horses and riding were very much at the bottom of the queue. Getting extra food for our bellies always came first.”
“My first horsey job at 15 years was at some livery stables near Grimsby where I had the most incredible tutor who was stone deaf. This lady and her livery stables became ever afterwards my bench mark. I was badly treated in my digs; kept so short of food (everything was still rationed) I was driven to trying to eat the horses’ food. Ever been that hungry and when growing and doing hard, physical labour? I vowed I would never be hungry again when adult and no one, NO ONE, would ever shove me around. They haven’t either.”
A favourite horse was Little Jeff. “Little Jeff was the most comfortable horse I have ever ridden. Brilliant jumper except when he landed he always threw an enormous buck.” Little Jeff was none of the horses [in the Leysham Stud series] because I’ve never met another one like him. He was nothing really but a gorgeous pet!”
I asked if any of her equine characters were based on horses she knew.
One of Hazel’s last rides, at the age of 72. She now has full blown osteoporosis from neck to the end of the spine. “Had 3 major ops last year, one of which lasted 18 hours. Still can't use hands properly - on voice recognition - only about 70%.
“Yes. Old Captain was a brilliant jumper with a mouth of cast iron who always bolted.
I learned to jump on him with numerous heart attacks! He was one of the most vicious
horses I have ever known in the stable. He would bite, kick and try and crush the
groom against the wall. Under today’s Health and Safety Act he would have been destroyed
when the groom, me, was very much a minor in law. Most wicked horse I ever met.
I would not hesitate now to put a bullet in his brain. Human life comes first. Old
Captain became Rogue [in Dido and Rogue] but even then I did not fully explain how
evil this animal was because it might have appeared too far fetched for believability.”
I did wonder if Jago, who is such a vivid portrait of a thoroughbred, and savage
to boot, was real. No. “Jago just entered my head!”
And there is no real-life Ann or Jim Henderson. “My human characters are all invented.
Safer that way re litigation!”
The Leysham Stud series covers a different aspect of equine sport in each story:
ranging from racing to polo, eventing, show jumping and harness racing. This, to
some extent, reflected her own experience with horses. I asked how she had researched
the series. “Piece of cake because I had already worked in a variety of stables
ranging from hunters, livery, point-to-point and show jumpers: too heavy for racing
stables. I kept moving around to acquire knowledge even if it was the hard way and
I was treated pretty badly in quite a few of my digs.” It is noticeable that Ann
and Jim Henderson are very good and considerate employers!
