Winning

I loved this series and to know that this is the last book published, it makes the book a little bittersweet. Like the previous reviewer, I in my adult years still read this series because it is more mature than most other pre-teen horse and girl series. The themes are those rarely touched on in "Saddle Club" such as poverty, divorce, bitterness, resentment and physical disabilities. In this book, Sharon must deal with mixed emotions as she plans to return to the show ring. Melissa's mother loses her job and they are unable to afford riding lessons and so Melissa must work at the stable to pay for them. Jenna and Katie don't feature quite as strongly but still support the other characters. There are several major side plots--Melissa witnesses a boarder treating her horse cruelly and earns the girl's wrath as she tries to prove it. The local newspaper is writing a story about former champion Sharon Finnerty (much to her horror) and all four girl's involvement in the local therapeutic riding program. The book has a sweet altough slightly predictable ending (no, Sharon doesn't win a blue ribbon. In fact, no one does.) but it wraps up this short series nicely. The ending also isn't "perfect" SPOILER!!! Melissa's mom does not get another job, Katie earns a ribbon but not a blue in her class, so does Sharon, and Jenna realizes that doing her personal best is all she needs. It's a pity that there are no more in the series. Strongly recommended for those who have grown up past the peppy and blue-ribbon winning Saddle Club.

There are few children's series that manage to pull enough oomph to carry you through college, and in to your working years... I rode my entire life, and still do so for pleasure, and one of my fav. books to read to the kids at the stable, or myself, were beth kincaid's Back in the saddle series. damn, I just wish she'd write more. I miss the Thoroughbrats. I miss Turbo.