JP Rose introduces Paddock Grove, her new riding school series
About Author
Follow life as student at Paddock Grove, a school for young people who are passionate about riding. Author JP Rose tells us more.
JP Rose has always loved horses, first falling in love with ponies as a child. She was an avid rider and dreamed of having her own horse. Now, as an adult, she's lucky enough to have three magical unicorns of her very own, Apache, Boo and Monarch, and they have helped inspire her new riding school series, Paddock Grove.
J. P. Rose has been shortlisted for several writing awards, including the Branford Boase Award for her debut YA novel The Haunting of Tyrese Walker.
Find JP Rose on X @jprosewriter or Instagram @jprosewriter
Interview
January 2026
Discover JP Rose's new boarding school series for young riders, Paddock Grove (Walker Books)
The Paddock Grove series, JP Rose's new riding school series for readers aged 9-12 years, follows a group of girls who are passionate about riding, and the stories offer a perfect mix of ponies, friendship and boarding school life.
JP Rose's love for horses shines through the novel - she has been a passionate rider since childhood - but these page-turning adventures are also for any young reader who loves a story with a mystery and questions to solve at their heart.
Review: "Well written and very readable, this 'Malory Towers with horses' series is going to prove very popular! I enjoyed the book very much." - Bev, ReadingZone
Find out more about A Pony to Own and Riding for Gold
Q&A with JP Rose, introducing her Paddock Grove series
"When I had the chance to write the Paddock Grove books, I wanted to bring all my experience, not just about the actual riding,
but about how it feels to have a friend as a horse, onto the page"
1. Thank you for joining us on ReadingZone to talk about your new Paddock Grove series. Can you tell us a little about yourself and what brought you into writing for children and young people? Have you enjoyed your writing journey so far?
I always wanted to write for children and young people; it was always a passion of mine to connect to young readers through stories and be part of helping children see themselves on the page. When I started out trying to get published over 13 years ago, there was an opportunity to step into writing fiction for adults after a publishing house read one of my manuscripts, but there wasn't an opportunity so much for the sort of children's books that I wanted to write, so I decided to jump at the opportunity of being published, even if that was for a different age group. However, I learnt so much from writing books for adults, and years later, I thought I'd give writing for children another go, and I'm so glad that I did. Looking back to when I was first published in 2013, it's been an incredible, exciting journey. Lots of fun and lots of hard work, but enjoyable hard work!
2. Paddock Wood follows a group of girls at an equestrian school. When did your own love of horses and horse riding start; what was your early experience in horse riding, and how has this and the horses you've ridden fed into these books?
I started riding when I was young, probably about eight years old, but even before then, I loved being around horses and ponies. I find that they are magical creatures and hold such beauty in their hearts and being. I couldn't imagine not having horses or ponies in my life, they feel so much part of me - my happy place - and no matter how busy I am or how I might have a tough day, being with my horses brings a calmness like nothing else, and when I had the chance to write the Paddock Grove books, I wanted to bring all my experience, not just about the actual riding, but about how it feels to have a friend as a horse, onto the page. I wanted the readers to feel like they were part of this incredible equine world and really live and breathe them like the characters in the book do.
3. What happens in the first two books in the series, A Pony to Own and Riding for Gold?
In, A Pony To Own, which is the first book, we follow Georgia - George, one of the main characters starting the new school with a new pony, a pony she wasn't particularly thrilled she was taking to Paddock Grove with her. It shows all the ups and downs of trying to fit in, trying to be true to yourself and mixes in the thrills and spills of owning a very mischievous pony.
Riding For Gold is the second book, and it follows Katie, one of George's new friends learning to deal with the pressure of responsibility when she's made team captain, however, not everyone is as pleased for her as her friends are, and Katie wonders if she's being sabotaged. Lots of riding and school capers.
4. Why did you decide to set your series in a boarding school for young riders - and how much would your younger self have enjoyed being at Paddock Grove? Did you research or visit equine schools before writing Paddock Grove?
I went to boarding school as a child, and whilst it wasn't an equine boarding school, we were able to ride there, so I used my own experience to show what it was like to be a full-time boarder, which comes with its difficulties but also with its adventures. I also had friends who went to equine boarding schools and sports schools, so it was very familiar, but a real joy to bring to the page.
5. Who are the four girls at the heart of these stories, and why did you decide to write each book focused on each of them and their horse? Do you have a soft spot for any of the girls?
So in the books, there is Katie, George, Lili and Tabitha, they all have their own stories and horses. It was my editor and myself who decided that having a different girl and horse at the heart of each story over the four books, would make it fun for readers, this way they can really get to know each girl well. I have a soft spot for all of them actually, because whilst they are all different, they all have some wonderful qualities… as well as annoying ones!!!
6. Their life at equestrian school looks idyllic, but they each have issues to overcome. Can you tell us about the issues and sensitivities around privilege that you explore through George in the first book, A Pony to Own, and what Katie has to learn in Riding for Gold?
The life at Paddock Grove is wonderful, but at any school and maybe particularly at boarding school it's important to be yourself, and this can be very difficult sometimes, especially for George feeling because she doesn't have the money her peers do, or the incredibly expensive horses, they do, that some how she isn't worthy of her place there, and she feels imposter syndrome. I wanted to show that the value of a person isn't about how much money someone has or how shiny their things are - the value of someone comes from within.
In Riding For Gold, Katie has to learn that it's okay not to be 'perfect' - I wanted to show that just because things might go wrong, or a person can't manage something as well as they wanted to, that doesn't mean they have failed, or they're a failure, it simply means that they may need more time to learn that particular thing, and we don't always have to get things right straight away.
7. Other than great adventures, what would you like your readers to take from Katie and George's experiences in the first two books?
I want them to fall in love with the equine world, and whilst it can seem very elite, there is a place there for everyone, and horses and ponies don't judge what your background is or how much money you have, they judge how kind you are. It's simply your heart they want.
8. What do you feel a strong hobby or passion can bring to a young person's life, and is this what makes writing stories about horses and riding such a rich vein to write about?
I think having any passion or hobby gives a sense of purpose and self-worth, no matter what it is, but with the horse world, what you do get is a bond, and it's an honour to share your life with horses, and the highs of lows of doing so, make it a pot of stories to write.
9. What else do you have planned for the Paddock Grove series? What are you writing currently?
Book three and four of Paddock Grove are coming out this year, which will be all about Tabitha in book three and Lili in book four. Lots of fun adventures . . . and a few tears!
10. Do you still love to ride? What do you do to relax when you're away from the keyboard?
I ride several times a week and couldn't imagine not doing so. I have a rescue dog, Dolores, who comes with me which is a joy. But when I'm not at the keyboard, you'll find me with the horses!
JP Rose's School visits:
I love to do school visits and connect to young people, and apart from talks about the inspiration of the books and assembly talks, I absolutely adore doing creative writing workshops - a sheer delight for me - where we create characters, looking at friendships and letting the children and young people create their own pupil and horse for Paddock Grove. It's fantastic fun. Schools can get in touch with me via my email or via Walker Books. Find out more at my website.
Paddock Grove: Riding for Gold
Paddock Grove: A Pony to Own
