About the author
Diana Pullein-Thompson (1925–2015) was one of the Pullein-Thompson sisters, twin to Christine, and younger sister to Josephine. Like her sisters, she was best known for her pony books.
Her first solo pony book was I Wanted a Pony (1946). This story about an awkward but independent girl, Augusta, her dreadful cousins, and her struggle to buy a pony, is a fine depiction of a girl succeeding despite the odds. Although this is a book often mentioned when people talk about their favourite DPT story, it was not one of Diana’s favourites; she regarded it as derivative. Her own favourites were Cassidy in Danger and The Hermit’s Horse (1974). Both these are the stories of outsiders; The Hermit’s Horse, in particular, is not the easiest of reads. It was not one of her more popular books, dealing as it did with mental breakdown, but it is, I think, one of her best.
I Wanted a Pony is certainly one of my favourites. I love the horrible cousins, and the way Augusta stands up to their bullying ways. I like her feistiness and independence, and the way she solves the problems which beset her. I do find her vagueness irritating, but this is a tad unfair bearing in mind I often irritate my nearest and dearest by being away with the fairies.
Diana tended not to follow the pony book stereotype (which is perhaps another reason why she disliked I Wanted a Pony so much: it is the classic girl-gets-pony and then succeeds-at-gymkhana format). In many pony books, to have money is to mark yourself out as someone who will probably be selfish at best, and at worst cruel and uncaring. In Three Ponies and Shannan (1947), it is the wealthy Christina who is the heroine: she realises what advantages she has, and it is Charlie Dewhurst, the poor daughter of the vicar, who is the villain of the piece. She is nasty, spiteful and small minded; torments Christina and does her best to make her life unpleasant. Christina never does overcome Charlie’s dislike of her, but she reaches an understanding with the other members of the Pony Club, and becomes great friends with Augusta of I Wanted a Pony. The series, initially three books, was followed by a fourth, Only a Pony. It reads rather awkwardly with the others, as it was written in 1980, and is drastically different in linguistic style, as well as in background details to the other three.
Like her twin, Christine, Diana changed the backgrounds of her characters to reflect changing social times. Her last heroine in The Long Ride Home (1996) comes from a difficult background, and the heroine of Cassidy in Danger (1979) comes from a single parent family, and cannot read. Humans are not the only ones to suffer: the grey pony Seaspray dies of tetanus in A Pony to School, and Annette’s pony in Riding with the Lyntons (1956) is killed by a car. Diana’s attitude was that these things happened, and books should reflect real life. This has not always gone down well with her fans. One who read The Hermit’s Horse wrote to her wondering why she had written a book which had upset the reader so much. There are enough pony books which skim the surface of life and provide comforting puddings of reads: better to have something like Diana’s, I think, with which to leaven what can be a genre which avoids the nastier side of life.
Sources and links
Diana also wrote under her married name, Diana Farr
Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 22 October 2015, retrieved 27 October 2015
Personal correspondence and interview with Diana Pullein-Thompson
Josephine, Christine and Diana Pullein-Thompson: Fair Girls and Grey Horses, Allison & Busby
Liz Jones, Daily Mail columnist, meets the Pullein-Thompsons
The Pullein-Thompson Archive – a blog which reviews the sisters’ stories
Finding the books
The early books as firsts with dustjackets are difficult to find, and are now becoming expensive. The paperback reprints are generally easy to find.
Series
Augusta and Christina
I Wanted a Pony
A Pony to School
Three Ponies and Shannan
Only a Pony
Sandy & Fergus
Ponies in Peril
Ponies in the Valley
Ponies on the Trail
Pony Seekers
The Pony Seekers
A Foal for Candy
A Pony Found
Bibliography (horse books only)
IT BEGAN WITH PICOTEE
It Began with Picotee (with J and C Pullein-Thompson)
A & C Black, London, 1946, illus Rosemary Robertson
This is the first story the Pullein-Thompsons wrote. Olivia, Bridget and Griselda Douglas own Picotee, and they are then lent Tony. Then they buy a chestnut foal they call Pengo, and then they agree to school Colonel Selcombe’s half Shetland, and then they borrow Mrs Baxter’s two ponies…. And they end up with plenty of ponies.
I wanted a pony
Collins, London, 1946, illus Anne Bullen (reprinted 1958)
Collins Junior Fontana, 1956
Collins Pony Library, 1973
Armada pb 1966, 1970s and 1980
Jane Badger Books, eBook (2019) and paperback (2020)
This is Diana’s first solo book and is the story of Augusta, who has no pony. She goes to stay with her pot-hunting, insensitive cousins (they really are deliciously foul) who
patronise Augusta and are no help to her pony owning ambitions at all. At last, after a brave act, Augusta can buy her own pony, and she buys the grey Daybreak at a sale. At first all seems fine, but the moment she bridles him, he turns into a compulsive head shaker. Augusta does at last solve the problem and the show scene at the end where she confounds her cousins’ expectations of her is wonderful.
THREE PONIES AND SHANNAN
Collins, London, 1947, illus Anne Bullen
Collins, London, 1956
Armada, 1968, cover Peter Archer
Collins Pony Library 1974
White Lion 1977
Armada pb 1970s
Jane Badger Books, eBook (2019) and paperback (2020)
Christina has moved to the country with her parents, her three ponies, and numerous staff. The house they have moved to was Charlie’s old house, and she and her friends are determined to loathe Christina. As Christina doesn’t know much about looking after her ponies, and her newly acquired wolfhound isn’t well trained, she has an uphill battle before she can start to make friends.
THE PENNYFIELDS
Collins, London, 1949, illus Richard Kennedy
Collins, London, 1960, illus Richard Kenney
Armada C87, 1964, cover Peter Archer, illus Dylan Roberts
Armada C288, 1964, cover Peter Archer, illus Dylan Roberts
More a family than a pony story: the Pennyfields are poor, and want a pony, a canoe and a shotgun. They can’t afford any of them, so they set to work, doing all sorts of things so that they can afford their heart’s desires.
A PONY TO SCHOOL
Collins, London, 1950, illus Anne Bullen
Armada, 1963, early 1970s, 1978
Jane Badger Books, eBook (2019), paperback (2020)
Augusta and Christina are asked to take on Clown and re-school him, but they very soon find out Clown has a bad habit. He rears. They are determined to break him of the habit and turn him round.
A PONY FOR SALE
Collins, London, 1951, illus Sheila Rose
Collins, London, 1962
Collins Pony Library 1973
Armada pb 1970s and 1980s
Epona Publishing, 2019 (eBook)
This is a story told in succession by all the people who own Martini, from the boy who broke and schooled her to her final owner.
JANET MUST RIDE
Collins, London, 1953, illus Mary Gernat
Transworld, London, 1958
Collins, London, 1957
Armada 1960s and 1974
Epona Publishing, 2019 (eBook)
Janet is working as a girl groom, but she longs to be more than just someone who works with the horses. At last, when she meets the mare Corrymeela, she gets her chance.
HORSES AT HOME & FRIENDS MUST PART
Collins, London, 1954, illus Sheila Rose
Collins Pony Library, 1973
Armada, 1969, 1970s
This is actually two long short stories. Horses at Home is about Nicholas and Clare, who look after their aunt’s showjumper. Friends Must Part is a about two friends whose ponies are great friends, but the girls fight and fall out.
RIDING WITH THE LYNTONS
Collins, London, 1956, illus Sheila Rose
Collins Pony Library, 1973
Armada, 1963 and 1982
Epona Publishing, 2019 (eBook)
Lesley moves to the country with her parents, and is friendless until she meets the Lynton family. They get on well until there is a terrible disaster with one of the Lynton’s ponies. They blame Lesley, and for a while everything looks very bleak indeed.
THE BOY AND THE DONKEY
Collins, London,1958, illus Shirley Hughes
Criterion, USA, 1958
As The Donkey Race, Armada, 1970
When Old Jock, the rag and bone man, becomes ill, Duggie finds himself looking after Old Jock’s donkey, Tammy, and taking over his round. When he hears about a Donkey Derby, he is determined to enter with Tammy and win.
the hermit’s horse
Armada, 1974
Severn House, London, 1985
Matthew and his sister Sophie are not supposed to go near the hermit’s house, but after a large bay horse arrives, they do. They find he is not what they thought, and slowly he and the hermit seem as if they are mending, but this is not a book with an easy ending.
BLACK PRINCESS
Knight, Leicester, 1975
Reprinted in pb 1978, 1981, 1983
As part of Black Beauty’s Clan, 1975, with an additional American printing
Children’s Book Club, 1975, cover uncredited
Black Beauty’s Family, Red Fox, 2000
Princess is a direct descendant of Black Beauty. Princess is owned by Lady Angela, but when World War I erupts, she leaves to nurse the wounded at the Front, and Princess is sold. She then goes to the Front herself with her new master.
PONIES IN THE VALLEY
Armada, 1976, and 1980
Severn House, hardback, 1979
Jane Badger Books, 2021 (eBook and paperback)
Sandy and Fergus move to the country with their parents, and Sandy hopes that she can at last realise her dream and have a pony. However, Mimosa, the mare she buys at the sales, proves not to be a dream horse: but she’s certainly unexpected!
BLACK ROMANY
As far as I know, this wasn’t published separately, but appeared in Black Beauty’s Family, Hodder & Stoughton, 1978, Black Beauty’s Family 1, Beaver, and in Black Beauty’s Family, Chancellor, 1996
Reprinted in More from Black Beauty’s Family, Red Fox, 2001.
Black Romany is an ancestor of Black Beauty: an early Victorian horse. Romany has an epic journey across country, and experiences a visit from Prince Albert and Queen Victoria before settling down as a much loved hunter.
PONIES ON THE TRAIL
Armada, 1979
Severn House, 1980
Jane Badger Books, eBook and paperback, 2021
Sandy and Fergus have been asked to help with a week-long pony trek. When the trekkers arrive, however, they turn out to be a very mixed bunch indeed.
PONIES IN PERIL
Armada, 1979, 126 pp
Severn House, 1980
Jane Badger Books, 2021, eBook and paperback
Another Pullein-Thompson book with six ponies, these are destined for slaughter unless Sandy and Fergus can raise enough to save them. They do, and then break them in, but there isn’t quite the conventional pony book ending you might expect.
CASSIDY IN DANGER
Dent, London, 1979
Armada, 1981
As This Pony is Dangerous, J A Allen, 1990
Katy is sent to stay with her godmother. Katy finds a pony in a field to make friends with, but he is supposed to be dangerous. She also makes friends with a boy who lives nearby, and his rat, and together they fight for Cassidy, and try and help Katy with her own problems.
ONLY A PONY
Armada 1980
Severn House, 1986
Jane Badger Books 2023 (eBook and paperback)
This is the fourth in the Augusta and Christina series: it’s set in the 1980s, but the two heroines are still teenagers. Both sets of parents have gone away, leaving Mignon the French au-pair to look after them, but she leaves. They find Nico and his pony Rainbow. Nico’s father is threatening to sell the unschooled Rainbow so Augusta and Christina offer to help.
the pony seekers
Sparrow, 1981
Severn House, 1981
Lynn and David are desperate: their parents can no longer afford their ponies, and they will have to be sold. After their elder sister Briony gives up her jumping career after a tragic accident, they all found The Pony Seekers: a dealing business with a difference, but when they don’t get a new pony checked by the vet disaster strikes.
A FOAL FOR CANDY
Sparrow, 1981
Severn House, 1982
The dealing stables is slowly recovering from illness, but Candy, Lynn’s pony, proves to have a surprise in store – what that is you can probably work out from the title!
BLACK PIPER
In Black Beauty’s Family 2
Beaver, 1982
As far as I know, this wasn’t published separately.
Black Piper was born in Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, though travelled to England, and was saved from death by an Irishman.
A PONY FOUND
Sparrow, 1983
Severn House, 1983
After their dealing business was offered a home by a wealthy local man, the Pony Seekers thought their problems might be over, but the offer of a yard comes with a problem: their benefactor’s daughter, Mirabelle.
THE LONG RIDE HOME
Cavalier, pb, 1986
This is Diana’s last pony book, and is about Carey and her pony Sandpiper. Since she had meningitis, she has not been well, and when her mother goes on a journey, leaving Carey to be looked after by Hannah, Hannah exploits Carey’s weaknesses. To get away, she and Sandpiper set off to ride from the Scottish island where they live to Yorkshire, where Carey’s grandmother lives.
Compilations
True Horse and Pony Stories
Compiled by Diana Pullein-Thompson
Armada, London, 1976
Severn House, 1974
Contains: Shandy, Tarragona, Lost on the Moors
The Pullein-Thompson Treasury of Horse and Pony Stories
Award, 1995, illus Eric Rowe
Award, London, 2015, 480 pp, illus Eric Rowe
Contains stories by all three sisters.
Classic Horse and Pony Stories
Dorling Kinderseley, London, 1999
Chosen by Diana Pullein-Thompson, illus Neal Puddephatt, 96 pp
Other children’s books
The Secret Dog
Collins, London, 1959, 160 pp, illus Geraldine Spence
Armada, London, 1972
The Boy Who Came To Stay
Faith Press, London, 1960, 112 pp, illus Alan Breese
The Battle of Clapham Common
Max Parrish, London, 1962, 158 pp
Bindi Must Go
George G Harrap & Co, London, 1962, 91 pp, illus Sheila Rose
The Hidden River
Hamish Hamilton, London, 1960, 117 pp, illus Sheila Rose
Reprinted 1966
Short stories and articles
Cocktail Capitulates
Riding Magazine, January, 1941, written with Diana and Christine
A ruined pony is rehabilitated.
The Road to Ruin
Riding Magazine, Summer, 1942, written with Diana and Christine
A pony goes to the bad.
From a Trainer’s Casebook
Pony Magazine 1951-1952
A series of pieces on horses and ponies Diana trained.
Nearly an Expert
Collins Magazine Annual Volume 5 1952, illus Anne Bullen
Reprinted in Pony Stories, selected by Ian Woodward, Corgi, 1983
“Marjorie and Conker are ready for the Meet, smart, eager, confident. Then comes a bitter disappointment.”
Looking After Jenny
Pony Club Book 7, 1956, illus William Stobbs
Even the best people make mistakes sometimes…
Lost in the Hills of Scotland
Pony Club Book 8 1957
Non fiction piece on DPT’s long distance ride on her mare, Favorita. This was possibly (though I haven’t a copy to hand to prove it) the piece that appeared as Lost on the Moors in True Horse and Pony Stories.
Lettie Lonsdale
The Pullein-Thompson Treasury, Award, 1995
An extract from A Pony for Sale, 1951
Please Tame Him
The Pullein-Thompson Treasury, Award, 1995
The story of Jason and Jane, who live at an animal sanctuary. For the first time, they take on a pony.
The Ponies Must Go
The Pullein-Thompson Treasury, Award, 1995
The mine closes, Megan’s father loses his job, and the ponies must be sold.
Life and Death
The Pullein-Thompson Treasury, Award, 1995
A girl’s pony is stolen by gypsies, but all is not as it seems. A story where the gypsies are not, as they are in nearly all pony books, the villains.
A Sixth Sense
The Pullein-Thompson Treasury, Award, 1995
Thunderbird jibs and refuses to go on, but it turns out he had a very good reason.
The Gentle Giants
The Pullein-Thompson Treasury, Award, 1995
Two working horses, now redundant from the farm, are sold by their arrogant boss, who soon has cause to be grateful to the creatures he dismissed as out of date.
A Crazy Dog
Wild and Free Animal Stories, Orion, 1997
Adult fiction and non fiction
Riding for Children
W&G Foyle, London, 1957
Dear Pup: Letters to a Young Dog
Barrie & Jenkins, 1988
Ravette
Fair Girls on Grey Horses (written with Josephine and Christine Pullein-Thompson)
Allison & Busby, 1996
