06/10/2025
I’m very sad to hear of the sudden passing of Jilly Cooper. Riders came out in 1985, when I was aged 11/12 and at the start of my junior show-jumping period - my photo is from 1986, I think, a team event at Chepstow. Riders (and then Rivals) meant everything to me, it was clever and reckless and joyful, and I was desperate to step into its pages. I don’t think I entirely understood that it was fiction. My social world was not posh at all, but that didn’t matter - I knew I would belong because everyone in Jilly-world was equally mad about horses and dogs. And I longed to have a pair of fancy seamless jodphurs from the book cover, rather than my slightly baggy ones 😆 Later, as a writer, Jilly Cooper had much to teach about rich characters, social observation and unashamedly commercial fiction. Thanks, Jilly, for the books and horses. I hope your heaven is a fabulous stud yard full of stallions 🐎
