I was talking to an avid reader on the phone yesterday and was very surprised to learn that she had never read RIDERS or indeed any of the much loved Rutshire Chronicles series of books by JILLY COOPER.

Just in case there are more people out there who haven't yet become aquainted with the infamous Rupert Campbell-Black and co, I thought I would send out a brief introduction for newbies to the series.

These books are set in the glorious English country-side and star the most tremendous two-legged and four-legged characters. The first book in the series (and still my favourite) is RIDERS, set in the world of international showjumping and this is where we first meet the legendary Rupert Campbell-Black, a self-centred womaniser who we all love to hate.

From here on the books are set in different worlds and social sets, however many of the characters make reappearances throughout the series. For instance some of Ruperts' children feature in their own stories, and much loved characters like Billy Lloyd-Foxe make frequent re-appearances.

Some titles are more horsy than others, but all are great reads. I keep the three main horsy books in stock all the time, but bear in mind that it's not essential to read them in order. I would suggest you start with RIDERS as it's the first in the series and introduces you to the main characters, but from then on you can read whatever takes your fancy and make perfect sense of it all.

Here is a list of the books in chronilogical order.

1. Riders (1986) Showjumping
2. Rivals (1988; also known as Players) TV Station
3. Polo (1991) International Polo circuit
4. The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous (1993) An international stud who is also a rider plus it's fairly horsy
5. Appassionata (1996) Classical music and Orchestras
6. Score! (1999) Another Classical music one this time with a murder mystery.
7. Pandora (2002) The world of art.
8. Wicked! (2006) Elite English public schools
9. Jump! (2010) National jump racing

If you're a collector, I still have a few of the hardback, first edition copies of JUMP in stock. First edition Jilly's are very collectible and well worth investing in. I've been trying to collect the complete set in first editions myself, but RIDERS is as scarce as hen's teeth. It will be an exciting day when I finally get my hands on a copy.

If you're a reader and a horse lover, then the Jilly Cooper books are a must. Once read you'll be a fan forever.

This is a fairly new release and is proving to be extremely popular with a lot of people.

The 40 card divination set has been designed by Linda Kahonov the author of two best-selling spiritualist books THE TAO OF EQUUS and RIDING BETWEEN THE WORLDS.

Each card features stunning artwork by noted equestrian artist Kim McElroy and comes complete with a detailed book revealing the practical meaning of horse behaviour as well as the symbolic and spiritual significance of these noble animals.

It is a stunning set and would make a wonderful gift for any spiritualist horse enthusiast. I've had some very positive feedback from people who have already purchased this box set, and I'm sure you will be thrilled with it too.

THE WAY OF THE HORSE DIVINATION SET

All the people who have had the new Disney movie SECRETARIAT on pre-order have now had their copies shipped. If you haven't received yours by Monday at the latest, give me a call and I'll find out where your copy is.

This is also a great movie for Blu Ray users to buy as this edition comes complete with a DVD bonus disk as well. Great for watching on your portable player or in a second room in your home. SECRETARIAT BLU RAY EDITION

If you're interested in learning more about this legendary race-horse there are also some terrific books about the mighty horse.

SECRETARIAT by WILLIAM NACK is a detailed account of the horses life and racing career and has been released in conjunction with the movie.

THE BIG RED HORSE by LAWRENCE SCANLAN is also a great read, this time written with teenagers in mind. It not only tells of Secretariat's life, but also the life of his dedicated groom, Edward "Shorty" Sweat.

And finally if you're a fan of coffee table books, SECRETARIATS MEADOW is a stunner. A pictoral history of the horse and the famous farm where he lived The Meadow in Virginia USA.

The first official trailer for the upcoming WAR HORSE movie has now been released.

Like so many people, I can't wait the for new Steven Spielburg movie adaptation of the book by Michael Morpurgo to hit the big screens.

Due on Boxing Day here in Australia and throughout the world, it's already creating much talk and speculation of Oscars amongst the film community. The first official film trailer is now available for viewing, and it looks terrrific. I've posted it in the BLOG SECTION on the main page of my website.

I will be there at the front of the line for tickets on Boxing Day together with a big box of tissues on hand. I just hope there will be dozens of other horse nuts all around me, so I don't look so silly with puffy, red eyes on the way out.

If you would like to read the book before it hits the big screen, it's one I can highly recommend. WAR HORSE by MICHAEL MORPURGO

Or if you're interested in the way the incredible stage production of the book was made including the life-sized horse puppets then try THE MAKING OF WAR HORSE on DVD,