Bernadette Kelly

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May Gibbs Fellowship

News | Posted by Bernadette on Monday 8 February 2010

Exciting news! I have been awarded a fellowship from the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust. This will involve a month long visit to Canberra In August. What heaven, a month to focus on writing and visiting schools. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of Canberra school students, as well as having a chance to explore our capital city.

The first four titles of the Riding High series are now on sale in the United States. The books have been given fresh new hardcovers and Making the Grade will be known as Courage To Ride.

Also on sale in the USA are my Pony Patch books. They are in hardcover and the series has been retitled Pony Tales. Losing Norton has been retitled as Who Stole Norton, and Norton’s Blue ribbon is known as Norton’s First Show.

And an update on my horses at home…My daughter and I have been working on the two young horses, Jaspar and Cadence. Cadence went to her first show in November last year and behaved brilliantly. Both are learning how to wear a bridle and saddle, stop and turn, and both have been sat on. They have been very good and seem to enjoy all the attention. They have both had a ride in the horse float and have been taught to work on the lunge. Cadence has now progressed to working with long reins – Jaspar’s turn next.

The rest of the horses are having an easy life. No competitions, just an occasional trail ride, and they seem to enjoy going out. I hope all my Australian readers had a lovely summer holiday and have settled back into school life. Before we know it, it will be holiday time again, with Easter upon us.

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Back to Winter

News | Posted by Bernadette on Thursday 18 June 2009

Those of you with horses to look after know that winter is not always about having fun on horseback. Riding is still great, of course, and the ponies are always wonderful, but it’s cold outside and sometimes it’s harder to make the effort to get out and do stuff. The horses are muddy, and long winter coats are harder to groom than glossy, sleek summer ones. But with the extra work comes plenty of reward as the competition season is at its peak in the winter months.
For me, this winter means navigation rides, my Morgan, Cruise, and I have again teamed up with our friends, Andrea and her quarter horse, Commanche. We rode our first nav ride for the season last month at Maryborough and then the next day at Beaufort. Both were great rides and we even managed a third place at Beaufort so it was nice to bring home a ribbon. next one is at Echuca, where we will be riding through the beautiful Barmah forest.
The other ponies are mostly just hanging out in their paddocks with not much work to do. Jaspar and Cadence are now 20 months old and looking like horses instead of foals. Both are very quiet and easy to handle so should be no trouble when the time comes to train them for riding. Bickham has a new home with my friend, Diane, to be mated with her lovely young stockhorse stallion, Merool Flashboots.
Spider is resting in the paddock. Now 16 hand high and almost four he has grown up to be a beautiful big boy. Tuck and Doc are basically just having a bit of a holiday and not being ridden too much, but that will change when my daughter Josie finishes year 12 in November.
In my book world the Pony Patch series is soon to be re-released as a collection with a cute new cover, and exciting news, there will be a new picture book out next year.
I now have a page on Facebook so take a look, friends! Also on Twitter as ‘Pony Author’.
Happy reading everyone!

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EQUITANA MELBOURNE

News | Posted by Bernadette on Friday 5 December 2008

Were you lucky enough to make it to Equitana this year? I was. Equitana is a celebration of all things equine. Last year’s devastating attack of Equine influenza in our country meant that Equitana had to be postponed from 2007 until 2008. Well, was it worth the wait? Absolutely!
The venue was the Melbourne Showgrounds and I was lucky enough to be invited to be part of it with Saddleworld Australia. For four days I had the chance to catch up with readers and talk to them about my Riding High and Pony Patch books. I was kept busy signing – everyone wanted to buy a book. Some wanted stocking fillers for children and friends and some just wanted them for themselves. Lots of you had already read some or all of the books and some of you even bought books in from home for me to sign!
As well as plenty of book signing action, I got to watch the World Cup Showjumping event, which was won by Olympian Laurie Lever. I also had the chance to see a demonstration by well known trainer and bush poet, Guy Maclean. What a wonderful way he has with his beautifully trained horses and he’s a born entertainer too. Olympian eventers, Megan Jones and Clayton Fredericks, proudly sporting their silver medals from Athens, were also at the Saddleworld store.
There was so much to see and do at Equitana that it was impossible to fit it all in. Can’t wait till the next one in 2010 so I can catch what I missed this time!

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November 2008

News | Posted by Bernadette on Monday 17 November 2008

Gosh, things have been so busy for me that I have had no time to update this page until now! Not much has been happening with the horses. My lovely black mare, Summer Eclipse, now has a new home as a games and jumping horse. Congratulations to her new owner, Andrew Rodaughan. Andrew is an expert novelty rider and has represented Victoria many times as part of the state games team. I know Jess and Andrew are going to have heaps of fun together.
My darling little babies, Jaspar and Cadence, are now over one year old and growing very fast. Both are very friendly and always come running to the gate to greet me. They love to be rubbed and cuddled but I have to take care not to spoil them too much so that they don’t become too pushy.
Bickham is enjoying just relaxing in the paddock without a baby to look after this year, and Spider has been started under saddle and is now having a bit of a spell too. He is three years old now and almost 15.3 hands high.
My two Morgans, Cruise and Tuck, are both fat and full of mischief. Tuck is having a break after competing at a few navigation rides over winter. He and I were very happy to place in four out of five of them, two firsts and two seconds, which gave us third place in the HRCAV top ten award for 2008! Cruise has just finished a dressage competition where he performed well. He and I will have our next competition at a show in early December.
From the 20th to the 22nd of November I will be at Equitana at the Melbourne showgrounds. I have been invited to appear as a guest of Saddleworld to sign books in my Riding High and Pony Patch series. Equitana is a huge horse event with lots of displays, educational presentations and things to buy and look at. It has everything and anything you can think of to do with horses – horse heaven really! So, if you want to stock up on pony books for Christmas, I will be there and would love to meet you and personally sign my books for you.
I have more exciting news too. I will be releasing another book next year. It’s still quite secret so I cant tell you any more than that but keep your eyes and ears peeled in May 2009.

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March 2008

News | Posted by Bernadette on Tuesday 25 March 2008

Finally, after a long wait (especially for me), Norton is back. Once again Liz Alger has done a beautiful job of bringing my naughty Norton to life in Norton Saves The Day, and, Norton’s Blue Ribbon. He’s just as cheeky and naughty as ever and twice as lovable. Both books will be in bookstores in April.

And now for horsey news…

Both foals, Jaspar and Cadence, are now in perfect health and both growing very fast. My little Morgan superstar, Cruise, performed well at Barastoc in the Performance Pony section, and managed to place eighth against a lot of older, more experienced ponies. He jumped a beautiful clear round and scored well in both the dressage and led sections as well. This weekend, he and Tuck are off to compete at the Australian National Morgan Show. After that, I’ll be hanging out in front of my computer, working on my next book. This one will be something new and different – horses will be part of it, and it’s about an amazing adventure that took place in Australian history but that’s about all I can tell you for now.

It’s a huge relief to know that Equine Influenza has finally been eradicated from Australia, after a long spring and summer of no competitions in most states. I hope all of you who are lucky enough to have your own ponies are back out enjoying pony club and other activities with your horse.

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New Riding High Book for March 2007

News, Uncategorized | Posted by Bernadette on Friday 15 December 2006

Riding High is certainly doing that. Keep a lookout for book five, to be titled, Heads or Tails, which will be released early next year.

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