Chris St John

Kate's Challenge

Fawcett, New York, 1989

Bantam Press, 1990, pb

The Olympics. It's Kate's dream - what she's aiming for - but some days it seems too far away. is it a fantasy or a
possibility? The summer at Langwalds Training camp will be the real test. At Langwald, all Kate and Dara do is eat,
sleep and ride horses. It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it - at least for Dara, who seems to improve daily. For Kate
it's her greatest challenge yet as she's forced to look to the future and decide to go for gold, no matter what.”

A Horse Of Her Own

Ballantine, New York, 1989.

Bantam, 1990, pb, 131 pp.

“Jessie loves to ride, but she's not out to win rosettes. Her family and Time-out, the gentle broodmare that she exercises,
take first place in her heart. Jessie has a lot to be happy about - except a horse of her own. Her best friends Kate and
Dara, own their horses and they have plans for Jessie - plans that don't include Time-Out. Jessie is tempted to listen
to them, but she listens to her heart instead, and discovers that anything is possible if you don't give up!”

Golden Girl

Fawcett Girls Only, Cloverdale Press, New York, 1989.

Bantam, 1990, pb, 131 pp.

“Everything Dara touches turns to gold - that’s why her brother calls her golden Girl. From straight A's in school to
blue ribbons in the ring, to dating the most popular boy at Smithfield high, Dara always comes out a winner.

But lately Dara seems to be losing her magic touch. The riding competition is getting fierce- even between Dara and
her best friends Kate and Jessie - and her romance is falling apart. What will it take to put the sparkle back in
Dara's life?”

I have been able to find out absolutely nothing about this author:  I wonder if Chris St John was a pseudonym.  Chris could just as easily be a man as a woman.  The Blue Ribbon series was printed in the late 1980s, and is about teenagers Kate, Dara and Jessie and their fight to rise through the ranks.

Finding the books:   all the books in the series are easy to find, particularly in the US.  Some titles are harder to track down in the UK.

Links and sources:

Man thanks to Hannah Fleetwood for the photographs.

Bibliography - horse books only

Riding High

Ballantine, New York, 1989, 135 pp.

Bantam, 1990, pb, 135 pp.

“The first horse show of the season is here, and Kate is in a panic. Her horse ,Night Owl, isn't performing well in the
ring, and her toughest competitor is a beautiful new girl from school (Dara). What else could go wrong?

Kate just wants to hide out in the stables. but all her friends - including a special admirer - are in the audience
cheering her on, and Kate knows that she has to get on her horse and ride into the arena. After all it's what she loves
most in the world.”

Time Out For Jessie

Fawcett Girls Only, Cloverdale Press, New York, 1989. 127 pp.

“Autumn brings a new riding season and Jessie and Time-Out are a winning team at their first competition. But success
in the ring isn't always enough. Jessie needs an A in Algebra, and a special course in father daughter communication,
more than a blue ribbon in eventing.  Jessie tries to solve her problems by running away from them. Instead she gets a
little help from her friends, and her father, to find the answers she needs - and finally all is well in Jessie's world.”

The Main Event

Fawcett Girls Only, Cloverdale Press, New York, 1989. 132 pp.

“Kate Wiley has a new horse - Northern spy, the chestnut gelding who can take her as far as she wants to go. Kate
still misses Night Owl, but as she grows to love and respect Spy, horse and rider develop an incredible working
relationship. Now that Kate has the perfect horse, she can't afford any distractions, especially before the last event
of the season. But her relationship with boyfriend Pete is upsetting her priorities. Kate's already had to make a big
sacrifice, giving up the Owl to pursue her dream. Will she have to let go of Pete as well in order to keep winning blue
ribbons?”

Blue Ribbon Series

Riding High

A Horse of Her Own

Kate’s Challenge

Golden Girl

Time-Out for Jessie

The Main Event