Solo the Super Star

By Pippa Funnell

Tilly dreams of having a pony of her own. One that only she can ride to stardom. Will her wishes come true when she joins Silver Shoe Farm Stables?

Tilly's riding has improved by the day and now she's ready for her first Pony Club competition, riding Rosie. She's nervous, and so is Brook who is competing with his horse, Solo. He's lost his lucky talisman, but the huge surprise that he and Tilly uncover makes up for everything.

Collect all 18 titles in this series of irresistible, uplifting and heartwarming pony adventures. Printed in a dyslexia friendly font and packed with up to date tips from three times Olympic Medallist, Pippa Funnell, as well as a helpful glossary and black and white illustrations on every spread.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Dec 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781804542972

Pippa Funnell

Pippa Funnell has been pony mad for as long as she can remember. She is a three-times Olympic medallist, three-times Badminton winner, and BT Action Sports Woman of the Year (2019). She was also the first person to win the Rolex Grand Slam (2003). Pippa lives in Surrey with her husband, international show jumper, William Funnell. Twitter: @pippafunnellPPT Facebook: PippaFunnell Instagram: pippafunnell.official

Book preview

For my godson, Harry Wales

Hello Everyone,

The idea for my stories grew while I was out on long rides and driving to various competitions. I found my imagination full of characters and storylines. So Tilly and her horsehair bracelets, based around a simple bracelet that was made out of the tail hairs of a wonderful horse I once rode, were created.

I wrote the series to help us all understand the responsibilities we have when involved with horses and ponies, whether looking after them, riding them or even dreaming about them – building those partnerships based on trust and mutual respect.

I love the saying ‘If you want to have a good friend, you need to be a good friend’. This is how we should all be to both horses and humans!

More than anything, I want you to realise how wonderfully special our four legged friends are. I have been so very lucky and privileged to have had many, many great moments with them. They are absolutely my whole life and it’s thanks to them these stories about Tilly following her passions came into being.

I hope you enjoy them –

One

Tilly Redbrow was pleased that summer had arrived. She didn’t mind getting up early to go to Silver Shoe Farm to feed and muck out the horses, but it was always easier when it was light outside and the weather was warm. She’d been helping at the farm for almost a year and had learned lots about looking after ponies and riding.

She loved every bit of it.

The thing she was most looking forward to, though, was her first ever Pony Club competition. Shows and rallies were being arranged throughout the holidays. Every weekend, horseboxes were being loaded up in the yard; and in the club room, everyone was busy chatting about where they were taking their horses and ponies to compete.

With only a few days to go before the Seaton Show, Tilly was keen to get as much practice in as possible. She would be jumping her strawberry roan, Rosie, in the class for beginners. Tilly shared Rosie with her friend Mia. Mia would be riding Rosie in the next class, with slightly bigger jumps, so it was going to be a busy day for the little pony!

Angela, the owner of Silver Shoe Farm, was certain Tilly was ready for her first competition. After years of dreaming about riding and competing, it was thrilling for Tilly to be able to do it for real. Angela had seen how much Tilly’s confidence had grown and the enormous improvement she had made. She’d been giving her riding lessons ever since she’d joined Silver Shoe Farm after helping to rescue Magic Spirit, an abandoned horse, who had quickly become Tilly’s favourite.

‘Come on then, Tilly. Now you’re warmed up, let’s start popping over the cross pole,’ she called, pointing towards a single cross pole in the middle of the large sand school.

‘Remember to interfere as little as possible.

Keep your heels down, hands quiet, and and sit as still as you can. I don’t want to see any driving with your bottom,’ said Angela.

Tilly always found this difficult. Rosie could