Patsey Gray wrote about English and Western disciplines. Her books were mostly illustrated by Sam Savitt
(Challenger and Diving Horse
are particularly lovely).
Her longest series is the Star series: Horse Trap is nominally the first of the series, though not essential to it, as Star is born at the end of the book. The series is about Western Pleasure:
The Horse Trap
Star Bright
Star Lost
Lucky Star
Star the Seahorse
Other Western titles:
Loco the Bronc - in which a girl rescues and tames a rodeo bronc
Show Ring Rogue - a girl rescues and rehabilitates a horse that had been used in the bull ring, while overcoming polio herself
The Mysterious Buckskin (as Virginia Clark)
East meets West:
Horse in Her Heart - this title features both English and Western riding
Showjumping:
Challenger
Jumping Jack
Horsepower
Blue Ribbon Summer
Racing:
Doggone Roan
The Flag is Up
Others:
Diving Horse - a diving horse in Atlantic City
4-H Filly - raising a filly as a 4-H project
Heads Up! - stunt/circus riding
Galloping Gold - girl loves horse, loses horse, gets horse back
Double Standards - more modern than her other titles and published only in paperback
Many, many thanks to Susan Bourgeau, who supplied all the information, and virtually all the cover shots.
Finding the Books
Challenger was the only title issued in the UK: it can be picked up cheaply if you’re lucky, but can also be extremely expensive. Horse Trap is another which is expensive. Finding any of the titles as non-library editions is difficult.
