Carol Vaughan

I haven't been able to find much information about this author. She is a lesser known writer who nevertheless wrote some interesting pony books including a series based on Percheron horses. As well as these novels, she was a prolific writer of short stories and these were regularly featured in Pony Club and Pony Magazine annuals over a number of years. Her stories were often set outside Britain and also often featured non-British characters and customs.

Jimmy and Mary-Anne series:
Series about two children, their friendship with a Percheron mare called Matilda and their other adventures.

1) MISSING MATILDA
(BLACKIE 1964)
ILLUSTRATED BY CONSTANCE MARSHALL
Reprinted in paperback by Knight
EDITION PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: Jimmy and Mary-Anne help rescue a Percheron mare called Matilda from an unscrupulous dealer and hide her in a deserted windmill. Mary-Anne is determined that Matilda should prove her worth in the local show but how can she when the mare is supposed to be kept hidden?

2) TWO FOALS FOR MATILDA
(BLACKIE 1965)
ILLUSTRATED BY CONSTANCE MARSHALL
Reprinted in hardback by White Lion in the 1970s
EDITION PICTURED: 1st edition, White Lion edition
SUMMARY: The children go to France to visit Matilda at the stud farm where she now lives. She is mothering two foals, her own and an adopted TB colt. There the children get involved with a film that is being made.

3) TREKKER'S TRAIL
(BLACKIE 1967)
ILLUSTRATED BY CONSTANCE MARSHALL
Reprinted in hardback by White Lion in the 1970s
EDITION PICTURED: 1st edition, White Lion edition
SUMMARY: The children set off on their ponies on a long distance ride to a premier of the film they helped make while they were staying in France.

Collectors info:
The first book in the trilogy was reprinted in  paperback. The other two were reprinted in hardback by White Lion with far less attractive covers; the Blackie editions are much preferable. Although all the titles are not common, they are still reasonably easy to get hold of from internet book shops. Certainly not as hard to find as The Dancing Horse (see below).

Other Horse & Pony Books:

THE DANCING HORSE
(BLACKIE 1966)
ILLUSTRATED BY CONSTANCE MARSHALL
Fairly rare.
SUMMARY: Michael owns a small stud and training yard. He is helped by his younger siblings. One day excitement enters their lives as they catch a group of circus horses who have escaped from a train accident. Amongst them is a beautiful chestnut Arab. They soon become friends with her owner Fleurette. But then mystery overtakes them: who is the mysterious masked rider who late at night rides in secret a horse which looks just like Fleurette's Arab?
PONYMAD VIEW: Aimed at a slightly older readership than the Jimmy and Mary-Anne series, with some of the main characters being grown up. Also has a slight element of romance.
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

KING OF THE CASTLE
(BLACKIE 1968)
ILLUSTRATED BY MICHAEL CHARLTON
SUMMARY: Horsy mystery. When Anna's two cousins come to stay they fall foul of their neighbour, the bad tempered Major who owns the local stables and is known locally as the 'King' - the major has been impossible to deal with since his son disappeared a year ago. When strange things begin to happen in the village it is up to Anna and her cousins, not to mention her pet pig, to turn detective!

Collectors info:
The Dancing Horse is quite rare and usually fairly pricey to buy. King of the Castle, although not particularly common, is much easier to find in the UK and not usually too expensive. It is more elusive elsewhere and may be more costly.

Horse & Pony Stories in Pony Magazine Annuals:
Carol Vaughan was a prolific short story writer and was a stalwart contributor to the Pony Magazine Annual for many years.

MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1962
(MAX PARRISH 1961)
ILLUSTRATED BY JOAN WANKLYN
(Not pictured)
SUMMARY: A girl holidaying on a ranch gets mixed up in a kidnapping.

THE BLACK COLT
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1963
(MAX PARRISH 1962)
ILLUSTRATED BY JANET & ANN GRAHAME JOHNSTONE

DUDE'S DOWNFALL
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1965
(MAX PARRISH 1964)
ILLUSTRATED BY JOAN WANKLYN
SUMMARY: American-set pony story.

BUCKING BRONCO
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1966
(MAX PARRISH 1965)
ILLUSTRATED BY JOAN WANKLYN
(Not pictured)
SUMMARY: American-set rodeo story. Jeff is heartbroken when the family ranch runs short of money and he has to sell his favourite sorrel stallion to the rodeo. Some time later when the ranch is doing well Jeff visits a rodeo to find that the well known bronc Red Riot is none other than his own sorrel.

ZIG ZAG
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1967
(MAX PARRISH 1966)
ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID ROOK
SUMMARY: Mary's appaloosa is not welcome...

PONY EXPRESS BOY
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1968
(MAX PARRISH 1967)
ILLUSTRATED BY JOAN WANKLYN
SUMMARY: A boy realises his ambition when he becomes a rider for the notorious Pony Express

SPANISH GOLD
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1969
(MAX PARRISH 1968)
ILLUSTRATED BY JOAN WANKLYN
(Not pictured)
SUMMARY: Pony story set in Spain.

REBEL RAIDER
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1970
(MAX PARRISH 1969)
ILLUSTRATED BY JOAN WANKLYN
SUMMARY: Historical story set in the Civil War where a girl helps some soldiers and their horses.

OREGON OUTLAW
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1971
(MAX PARRISH 1970)
ILLUSTRATED BY NINETTE BUTTERWORTH
SUMMARY: American-set 'wild west' type story. Mary is friends with the orphan Nez Perce Indian girl Miriam who has been adopted with her younger brother Billy by one of the town's white women. Miriam is distressed when Snow Leopard, a legendary wild appaloosa stallion who has sired many of the indian tribe's best horses is at last captured by a rich white man who plans to take him away. Mary realises that Miriam understands the horse needs to be free but what can the girl do to give him back his freedom?
PONYMAD VIEW: An excellent thoughtful western story which has female heroines for a change. The parallels between the wild horse and the Indians who have been 'civilised' by the white man is woven skilfully into the story.
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

KING COLE
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1972
(MAX PARRISH 1971)
ILLUSTRATED BY CHRISTINE BOUSFIELD
SUMMARY: Shire horse story.

ELEGANT EDDY
in PONY MAGAZINE ANNUAL 1973
(MAX PARRISH 1972)
ILLUSTRATED BY CHRISTINE BOUSFIELD
SUMMARY: Donkey story.

Collectors info:
The annuals vary a lot in price, with the mid 1970s to 80s ones generally being the easiest to find and the lowest in cost. All the annuals are harder to find outside the UK.
Ms. Vaughan was also a regular contributor to the Pony Magazine itself - although these old magazines are now hard to find. When time permits I may add some of these stories.

Horse & Pony Stories in Pony Club Annuals:
As with the Pony Magazine Annual, Ms. Vaughan's stories were a regular in the Pony Club Annuals also

A RIDER FOR ROCKET
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1968
(1967)
ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID ROOK

PONY CLUB POINT-TO-POINTER
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1970
(PURNELL 1970)
ILLUSTRATED BY HAROLD BEARDS
SUMMARY: The pony club members are roped in to exercise a point-to-pointer whilst it's owner is away. But the horse turns out to be big trouble...

FLIGHT OF FANCY
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1972
(PURNELL 1971)
ILLUSTRATED BY ELIZABETH BAILEY

UNDERSTANDING ULYSSES
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1974
(PURNELL 1973)
ILLUSTRATED BY CHRISTINE BOUSFIELD
SUMMARY: Story about a Carmargue horse.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1975
(PURNELL 1974)
ILLUSTRATED BY SALLY WEBB

LUCKY STAR
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1976
(PURNELL 1975)
ILLUSTRATED BY LESLEY BRUCE

FOREIGNERS ARE DIFFERENT
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1977
(PURNELL 1976)
ILLUSTRATED BY JANET  JOHNSTONE
SUMMARY: The Brownlows have to put up with two Italian kids riding their ponies.

AMBLING ANNA
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1978
(PURNELL 1977)
ILLUSTRATED BY SALLY BELL
SUMMARY: Overweight Anna longs to glide around on a beautiful dream pony, but the shambling hefty dun Monarch is more suited to her ample proportions. However when Miss Larkin asks her to look after an overweight Connemara whom she has rescued from ignorant owners who over-fed and didn't exercise her, Anna's life changes forever and so does her weight!
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

CRYSTAL CLEAR
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1980
(PURNELL 1979)
ILLUSTRATED BY SALLY BELL
SUMMARY: It seems a dream come true for Crystal when her family move to the country and she is given her very own horse: a promising jumper! But when she finds out she has been sold a dud by an unscrupulous dealer she is distraught - until help comes from an unlikely quarter…
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1981
(PURNELL 1980)
ILLUSTRATED BY ELLEN GILBERT
SUMMARY: Janie's mother breeds and sells horses and Janie enjoys helping her. But now she has fallen in love with Gorgeous, one of the horses, and he has just been sold! Things get even worse when she finds out his new owner is the wet Percy who has never even looked after a horse before! But at Pony Club Camp, she realises that maybe Percy isn't as bad as she first thought…
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

ROCKABYE RENEGADE
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1982
(PURNELL 1981)
ILLUSTRATED BY SALLY BELL
SUMMARY: An unhorsy aunt buys Patsy a pony because it reminds her of a childhood rocking horse! Patsy falls in love with Sea Breeze, a lovely Connemara, but the horse is barely broken and Patsy cannot manage him at all. Her mother tells her the pony must go…
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

HIGHWAYMAN'S COPSE
In PONY CLUB ANNUAL 1983
(PURNELL 1982)
ILLUSTRATED BY ELAINE ROBERTS
SUMMARY: Vanessa doesn't have a pony to join in with this year's Pony Club Camp, and she feels left out of things. She even has to take her bike to the mounted moonlight picnic! But when a pair of crooks determine to steal some valuable jewellery from a nearby country house, Vanessa alone on her bike is the one in the right place at the right time!
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

Collectors info:
The annuals vary a lot in price, with the mid 1970s to 80s ones generally being the easiest to find and the lowest in cost. All the annuals are harder to find outside the UK.