The Saddle Club
| The Saddle Club | |
|---|---|
|
The Saddle Club TV show logo | |
| Also known as | Saddle Club |
| Genre | Children's television series |
| Created by | Bonnie Bryant |
| Starring |
Keenan MacWilliam Sophie Bennett Lara Jean Marshall Heli Simpson Kia Luby (Season 1 – Season 2) Victoria Campbell Lauren Dixon Ariel Kaplan Marny Kennedy Aisha Dee (Season 3) |
| Opening theme |
Hello World (instrumental) (Season 1 – Season 2) "Hello World" (Season 3) |
| Ending theme |
"Hello World" (Season 1 – Season 2) "Together We Are" (Season 2) "Wonderland" ("Show Ponies Part 2") Various songs (Season 3) |
| Country of origin |
Australia Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 78 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Location(s) |
Yarra Valley, Australia (Seasons 1 and 2) Daylesford, Victoria, Australia (Season 3) |
| Running time | 24 mins |
| Production company(s) |
Crawford Productions Protocol Entertainment Connecticut Public Television American Public Television |
| Release | |
| Original network |
ABC TV (Seasons 1 and 2) Nine Network (Season 3) Disney Channel (Spain) Discovery Kids (United States) Boomerang (Latin America) PBS (2006–2011) (United States) |
| Picture format |
576i (SDTV) (Seasons 1 to 3) 1080i (HDTV) (Season 3) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release |
February 6, 2001 – August 10, 2003 September 7, 2008 – April 10, 2009 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The Saddle Club was an children's television series developed by Sarah Dodd, based on the books written by Bonnie Bryant and is an Australia/Canada co-production. Like the book series, the scripted live action series follows the lives of three teenage girls in training to compete in equestrian competitions at the fictional Pine Hollow Stables, while dealing with problems in their personal lives. This series debuted in 2001 and ended in 2003. However, due to popular demand, the series was renewed for a third season with new actors since the original ones were considered too old. The series revolves around the experiences of three girls, who form a club named "The Saddle Club" after recognizing their shared love for horse riding. Their rival is another young rider at the stables named Veronica DiAngelo.
Throughout the series, The Saddle Club navigates their rivalry with Veronica, training for competitions, horse shows, and the quotidian dramas that arise between friends and staff in the fictional Pine Hollow Stables. In each show, The Saddle Club prevails over its adversities, usually sending a message emphasizing the importance of friendship and teamwork.
Production(s)
The show was broadcast from 2001 until 2003, with 52 episodes in two seasons. The popularity of the series soon after its premiere on the ABC promoted international syndication, and it can now be seen in North America on, Horse Racing TV in Canada on YTV, and in the UK on Pop Girl. It currently (in 2013) is broadcast by the French children's specialty channel Gulli, dubbed into French. Regionally, the cast of the television series has released a series of music albums such as Friends Forever, On Top of the World, Secrets & Dreams and Hello World – The Best Of The Saddle Club, and has appeared in live performances such as the 2004 Sydney Royal Easter Show.
In 2007, a news release announced a casting call and the production of a third season, which was filmed from late 2007 to early 2008 and broadcast from September 29, 2008, to April 10, 2009. A new Saddle Club CD, Best Friends, was sold in Australia in stores and on The Saddle Club's website and in the USA and Canada as a digital download. Season 3 began on Discovery Kids in the US on February 22, 2009, and sneak views were shown on "Saddle Club Sundays" in December 2008. In Australia, the new series commenced on Channel Nine and WIN TV on March 7, 2009. The Saddle Club is available on Hulu in the US.
Cast
| Carole Hanson | Keenan MacWilliam Season 1 - Season 2 | Victoria Campbell Season 3 | |
| Stephanie "Stevie" Lake | Sophie Bennett Season 1 - Season 2 | Lauren Dixon Season 3 | |
| Lisa Atwood | Lara Jean Marshall Season 1 - Season 2 | Ariel Kaplan Season 3 | |
| Veronica diAngelo | Heli Simpson Season 1 - Season 2 | Marny Kennedy Season 3 | |
| Kristi Cavanaugh | Kia Luby Season 1 - Season 2 | ||
| Desiree "Desi" Biggins | Aisha Dee Season 3 | ||
| Melanie Atwood | Marisa Siketa Season 1/Jessica Jacobs Season 2 | Ella-Rose Shenman Season 3 | |
| Ashley Taylor | Janelle Corlass-Brown Season 1 - Season 2 | ||
| Jessica "Jess" Cooper | Kaiya Jones Season 3 | ||
| Elizabeth "Mrs. Reg" Regnery | Catherine Wilkin Season 1 - Season 2 | Briony Behets Season 3 | |
| Max Regnery | Brett Tucker | Richard Davies Season 3 | |
| Dorothee Doutey | Matylda Buczko Season 2 | ||
| Jackson "Jack" O'Neil | Troy Lovett Season 3 | ||
| Phillip "Phil" Marsten | Glenn Meldrum Season 1 - Season 2 | Cosmo Feltham Season 3 | |
| Mrs. Marsten | Fiona Corke Season 1 | ||
| Murray Richards | Troy Lovett Season 2 | Rory Donegan Season 3 | |
| Whitney Richards | Ailsa Piper Season 1 | ||
| Deborah Hale Regnery | Cathy Godbold Season 1 - Season 2 | ||
| Andrew "Drew" Regnery | Nikolai Nikolaeff Season 2 | ||
| Red O'Malley | Nathan Phillips Season 1 | James O'Dea Season 2 | |
| Scooter Mucahy | Alex Marriott Season 2 | ||
| Megan | Sophie Hensser Season 1 - Season 2 | ||
| Samuel "Sam" | Anthony Hammer Season 1 | ||
| Simon Atherton | Connor Jessup Season 3 | ||
| Dr. Judith "Judy" Barker | Maggie King Season 1 - Season 2 | Leverne McDonnell Season 3 | |
| Ashley "Chewie" Becker | Jackson Gallagher Season 3 | ||
| Eleanor Atwood | Marie-Louise Walker Season 1 - Season 2 | ||
| Colonel Mitchell Hanson | Christopher Kirby Season 1 - Season 3 | ||
| Helen diAngelo | Melanie Ryder Season 1 | ||
| Frances "Frank" diAngelo | Tony Hawkins Season 1 - Season 2 | ||
| Jacob "Jake" | Patrick Harvey Season 1 | ||
| Skye Ransome | Jeremy Hopkins Season 1 | ||
| John Brightsar | Nick Russell Season 1 | ||
| Greg Turner | Daniel Mashford Season 1 | ||
| Mr. Turner | Greg Parker Season 1 | ||
| Chelsea Owens | Wendy Strehlow Season 1 | ||
| Bud | Alan Hopgood Season 2 | ||
| Gus | Syd Brisbane Season 2 | ||
| Raffael | Damien Bodie Season 2 | ||
| Genna Elliot | Kate Osborn Season 2 | ||
Characters
Episodes
Discography
There have been a number of The Saddle Club albums released in Australia with the actors from the series. The albums were released by Shock Records. Each of the albums has made the top 50 of the Australian album charts and the first three records achieved gold record status.
Main albums
- Albums
- Fun For Everyone (2002) – #45 Australia
- On Top of the World (2003) – #20 Australia
- Friends Forever (2003) – #38 Australia
- Secrets & Dreams (2004) – #49 Australia
- Hello World – The Best of the Saddle Club (2004)
- Summer With The Saddle Club (2008)
- The Saddle Club – Greatest Hits (2009)
- Grand Gallop – Hello World (2009) – Released in France only.
- Best Friends (2009)
- Grand Gallop – Meilleures Amies (2009) – Released in France only.
- Singles
- "We Are The Saddle Club" (2002) – Australia
- "Hello World" (2002) – #27 Australia #8 France
- "Hey Hey What You Say" (2003) – #20 Australia
- "Hello World"/"Hey Hey What You Say" (2003)
- "Wonderland" (2003) – #17 Australia
- Special Mane Event EP (2004)
- "Boogie Oogie Oogie" (2003) – #29 Australia
- "Everybody Come On" (2003)
- "Undercover Movers And Shakers" (2004) – #42 Australia
- "L.I.F.E" (2004) – #34 Australia
- "Welcome To The Saddle Club" (2004)
- "Sleeping Under The Stars" (2004)
- "These Girls" (2009)
Read Along CD
- The Saddle Club: Horse Sense - (2002) - ABC Audio 3-hour, 3-CD set read by Lucy Bell
Sophie & Kia discography
- Albums
- Planet Tokyo (2005) – Australia
- He's Everything (2005) – Australia
- Raw Beauty (2005) – Australia
- Spin (2005) – Australia
- Raw Beauty Acoustic Sessions' (2005) – Australia
- Singles
- "Planet Tokyo" (2005) – Australia
- He's Everything (2005) – Australia #40 AUS
Heli Simpson discography
- Albums
- Princess Veronica (2004)
- Singles
- "Don't Ask Me" (2004) #16 Australia
- Princess Veronica Tour EP (2004)
Ashley and Melanie discography
- Singles
- "Trouble" (2003) Australia
Videos
- The Saddle Club: The First Adventure (2003)
- The Saddle Club: Horse Crazy (2003)
- The Saddle Club: Adventures At Pine Hollow (2001)
- The Saddle Club: The Mane Event (2003)
- The Saddle Club: Storm (2004)
- The Saddle Club: Friends Forever (2004)
- The Saddle Club: Saving Pine Hollow (2005)
- The Saddle Club: Horse Of A Different Color (2007)
- The Saddle Club: Series 1 (2009)
- The Saddle Club: Series 2 (2009)
- The Saddle Club: More Adventures at Pine Hollow (2009)
- The Saddle Club: The First Adventure (2009 Re-release)
- The Saddle Club: Horse Crazy (2009 Re-release)
- The Saddle Club: The Mane Event (2009 Re-release)
- The Saddle Club: Storm (2009 Re-release)
- The Saddle Club: Friends Forever (2009 Re-release)
- The Saddle Club: Saving Pine Hollow (2009 Re-release)
- The Saddle Club: Back in the Saddle (2010)
- The Saddle Club: Back in the Saddle (Handle Case) (2010)
- The Saddle Club: Horseback Riders (2010)
- The Saddle Club: Horseback Riders (Handle Case) (2010)
- The Saddle Club: Ride Free (2010)
- The Saddle Club: Staying the Distance (2010)
- The Saddle Club: Happy Trails (2010)
Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | On Top Of The World | Best Children's Album | Nominated |
| Best Original Cast/Show Recording | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | Friends Forever | Best Children's Album | Nominated |
| 2009 | Best Friends | Nominated |
Computer game
- The Saddle Club: Willowbrook Stables (2002)
External links
- The Saddle Club
- The Saddle Club at the Internet Movie Database
- The Saddle Club at TV.com
- The Saddle Club at Horse Racing TV
- The Saddle Club at Australian Screen Online