Sheila Chapman was born in 1942.  She grew up in a horsy family in Somerset, doing Pony Club (the Blackmore Vale) and gymkhanas and breaking and training young ponies at a local riding school.  She had her first pony (shared with her older sister) at the age of 7. She was obviously something of a live wire:  besides being a published author while she was still at school, she also hunted, competed, and taught at the junior Pony Club.  Her father was a gifted sculptor, and Sheila inherited his artistic gifts.  She went to art college, and then trained as a teacher.  She taught special needs children, and her next books, under the name Sheila Haigh, were inspired by them.  

During the 1970s she became a full time writer and artist, and held solo exhibitions.  Her son was born in the 1980s, a time she found”enriching and inspiring for me as I still wanted to write for children.” Her first book, A Pony and His Partner, was published at the age of 16.She started writing A Pony and his Partner at the age of 13; tore it up and then re-wrote it. It was published some years later, but was actually ready for publication when she was only 15.

She wrote three further books as Sheila Chapman, one of which, The Mystery Pony, is a sequel to A Pony and His Partner. Under the name Sheila Haigh she wrote eight children’s books for Methuen and Blackie, including The Little Gymnast. She is still writing, and under her married name, Sheila Jefferies, is working on several new books, on which you can find more information here.

Finding the books: the paperbacks do turn up, but Burke’s paperback series are not robust, and survivors tend to be in poor condition.  The hardbacks are hard to find but not impossible, and the trilogy is usually fairly easy to find.  The one exception to this is Ride for Freedom, which is very hard to find.  All the stories were republished in German, and are easy to find, so if you can read German that might be a way of filling in any gaps in your collection!  

Links and sources:

Correspondence with Sheila Chapman

Sheila’s website for her new books

Bibliography - pony books only

A Pony and His Partner
Burke 1959, illustrated by Geoffrey Whittam

reprinted in 1964 in pb as a Junior Pacemaker by Burke

Many thanks to Amanda Dolby for the picture of the hardback.

Carmen has come to live with her cousins, after her parents’ death.  She buys
Oberon, and though he is a difficult creature, she manages to ride him successfully
in the end, and also finds a new home.

The Mystery Pony
Burke 1960, illus

reprinted in 1964 in pb as Junior Pacemaker
reprinted in 1965 by Burke as a hardback (Pony Adventure)
together with The Mystery Pony and Hilda Boden’s Joanna’s Special Pony.

Many thanks to Amanda Dolby for the picture of the hardback.

Sequel to A Pony and His Partner, Carmen is initially happy, but
then visitors disrupt everything.  Carmen manages to sort everything
out after finding a mystery pony.

Pony from Fire
Burke 1960, illustrated by Geoffrey Whittam

reprinted in 1964 in pb as Junior Pacemaker

reprinted in 1965 by Burke as a hardback
together with The Mystery Pony and Hilda Boden’s

Joanna’s Special Pony.  

Yoland has a bad riding accident, and loses her nerve and her memory,
but after rescuing the difficult pony Wildcat from a fire, she forms a
bond with him, and at last, together, they win through.

Ride for Freedom
Burke, London, 1961, illustrated by Sheila Rose

159 pp.
This title is listed as being a pb Junior Pacemaker
on the rear of A Pony and His Partner

Many thanks to John Rees for the pictures.

Lynne lives with her horrible foster mother and sister,
and after they threaten to sell her pony, she runs
away, trying to find her original family and a better
life.