About the author
Pippa Funnell is best known as an eventer, winning Olympic silver twice (so far) and the Rolex Grand Slam. The Tilly’s Pony Tails series is her first journey into fiction. Pippa has the ideas and storylines, and is helped by a ghost writer. Pippa came up with the main character, and the idea for the horsehair bracelets that Tilly wears, on her way driving to shows.
I like this series: there isn’t a great deal of pony literature for the younger reader which is free of fantasy, so it’s good that Pippa’s producing something straightforward. If you have a young reader whose into ponies, this series is a fine place to start. Pippa is at her best when giving advice to the young reader, and she’s written an excellent non-fiction book, Ask Pippa, giving a wealth of advice on all things horse.
Finding the books
All in print, and readily available new and secondhand.
Links and sources
Pippa’s site on Orion Books
Series
Tilly’s Pony Tails
Magic Spirit
Red Admiral
Rosie
Samson
Lucky Chance
Solo
Pride and Joy
Neptune
Parkview Pickle
Nimrod
Moonshadow
Autumn Glory
Goliath
Buttons
Rusty
Royal Flame
Stripy
Bibliography
Magic Spirit: the Dream Horse
Orion, London, 2009, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly is adopted, and the only clue to her past is her plaited horse hair bracelet. Tilly loves horses, and helps rescue a neglected horse. It is then she discovers she has a very special gift.
Red Admiral: the Racehorse
Orion, London, 2009, 110 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly is spending all her time now at Silver Shoe Farm. The young racehorse Red Admiral will never compete again unless Tilly can find a way to help him.
Rosie the Perfect Pony
Orion, London, 2009, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tillly longs for a pony of her own, and helps her friends Cally and Mia with their pony Rosie. One day, Cally has some surprising news.
Samson: the Stallion
Orion, London, 2009, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly’s looking forward to going to Olympia to see the show, but then Magic Spirit gets ill.Once she’s at the show, a chance encounter with a stallion at the show, Samson, means Tilly has to use her gifts away as well as at home.
Lucky Chance: the New Foal
Orion, London, Nov 2009, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly can’t wait to go to Pony Club Camp, but there’s also an exciting new arrival due at Silver Shoes Farm: a foal.
Solo: the Super Star
Orion, London, Jan 2010, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly’s first competition is approaching, but first she has to help Brook and his horse Solo overcome their nerves.
Pride and Joy: the Event Horse
Orion, London, 2010, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Angela, the owner of Silver Shoe Farm, is overjoyed when she is reunited with her event horse, Pride and Joy. What Tilly can’t understand is why Angela’s so reluctant to compete.
Neptune: the Heroic Horse
Orion, London, Nov 2009, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly is on holiday in Cornwall, and best of all there’s a stables nearby. She soon makes friends with the skewbald Neptune, and she hopes that between the two of them they can help a very nervous rider indeed.
Parkview Pickle: the Naughty Show Horse
Orion, London, Jan 2010, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Pickle is a beautiful show pony, but she just doesn’t seem right: she’s restless, and overweight. Tilly spots that Pickle’s owner, Cynthia, is not feeding her properly, and is training her too hard. Can she help?
Nimrod: the Circus Pony
Orion, London, 2010, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly and her friends love the circus and its trick ponies when it comes to visit. But the circus is trying to sell one of the ponies, Nimrod. When they fail, Angela at Silver Shoe Farm takes him on, but there’s a lot more to Nimrod than they think.
Moonshadow the Derby Winner
Orion, London, 2011, 95 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Moonshadow the Derby winner arrives to spend some time at Silver Shoe Farm: in secret. Unfortunately, Tilly isn’t the only person interested in Moonshadow, and she soon realises there’s a gang after him.
Autumn Glory: the New Horse
Orion, March 2011, 95 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly’s friend Mia is about the get her first horse. Angela agrees to help, and Tilly goes along too. They go and see pony after pony who sound perfect in the ad: but when they get there, there’s always something wrong. Will Mia ever find the pony that’s right for her?
Goliath: the Rescue Horse
Orion, London, 2011, 95 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly spends her work experience At World Horse Welfare, and she helps to save a neglected Shire.
Buttons: the Naughty Pony
Orion, London, 2011, 95pp Illus Jennifer Miles
Buttons is so naughty he’s come to Silver Shoe Farm for some remedial help. Buttons won’t be caught, won’t let anyone tack him up and his owner Tim hasn’t been able to ride him at all. Can Tilly help?
Rusty: the Trustworthy Pony
Orion, London, 2011,101 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Rusty comes to Silver Shoe Farm when his elderly owner dies. Tilly soon senses there’s something special about Rusty, who begins to form a special bond with an autistic boy, Edward.
Royal Flame: the Police Horse
Orion, London, 2011, 95 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Royal Flame is a retired police horse: when a party at the stables goes horrifically wrong, Flame proves just what a special horse he is.
Stripy: the Zebra Foal
Orion, 2010, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly wins a horse safari to Africa, and helps to rescue a zebra foal.
Free Spirit: the Mustang
Orion, March 2011, 109 pp. Illus Jennifer Miles
Tilly goes to the Kentucky Horse Trials to see her brother Brook compete. While she’s there, she meets a mustang and she senses something special about him. Could the mustang provide the key to Tilly’s past?
Team Spirit
Orion, 2014, 128 pp.
Tilly is now 14, and she’s been chosen for the Pony Club Eventing Championship team. Together with her friends Ben, Kya and Anna she faces the challenges of dressage, cross country and show jumping against tough competition. And they learn that good teamwork is not always easy.
Team Training
Orion, 2014, 128 pp.
Tilly has been selected to train for the British Equestrian Junior Squad, together with her friends. She gets to stay for a week at the yard of top event rider, Livvy James, and be taught by a professional. It’s not easy: jealousies and rivalries surface as everyone fights for a place in the team.
Team work
Orion, 2015.
Tilly has been asked to froom for Livvy James at Luhmuhlen where she is competing on her three-star horse, Seasonal Seer. Disaster strikes, but it shows Tilly how important team work is.
Tilly’s Pony Tails Annual 2011
Orion, London, 2010
Non Fiction
Pippa Funnell: the Autobiography
Orion, London, 2004
Ask Pippa
Orion, London, 2011, 132 pp.
Follow Your Dreams
Orion, London, 2011, 46 pp.
