Riders (novel)
Encyclopedia
Riders is an international best-selling
novel
, written by the English author, Jilly Cooper
. It is the first of a series of romance novel
s known as the Rutshire Chronicles
, which are set in the fiction
al English county
of Rutshire. The story focuses on the lives of a group of top show jumping
stars and follows the ups and downs of both their personal and professional lives. A television adaptation of the novel was made in 1993, directed by Gabrielle Beaumont
and broadcast by ITV
.
countryside, Riders follows the fortunes of a group of fame and money hungry show jumping
stars.
Jake Lovell, the gypsy-born hero of the novel, is a brilliant horseman desperately seeking revenge for years of bullying at the hands of the glamorous, but brutish aristocrat, Rupert Campbell-Black
. With the help of his rich debutante wife, Tory Maxwell, he is able to set himself up his own yard and begins building a reputation on the show jumping circuit. Meanwhile, Rupert is content living the jet set lifestyle with best friend Billy Lloyd-Foxe, plus a string of beautiful women, horses and dogs. Meeting his beautiful wife, Helen Macaulay, does little to curb his promiscuity and he eventually falls back into a life of parties, alcohol and casual sex.
When Jake and Rupert meet again for the first time since school, old rivalries are sparked back to life as they fight it out to prove who is the greater horseman and perhaps more importantly, the greater lover. Along the way, Cooper gives us a peek into the lives of this close knit community of tops riders, their horses, grooms and families. We see the highs and lows of life in the equestrian world, but who will eventually come out on top in the final showdown at the Los Angeles Olympics, and will success ultimately lead to disaster for Jake?
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, written by the English author, Jilly Cooper
Jilly Cooper
Jilly Cooper OBE is an English author. She started her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. She is most famous for writing the Rutshire Chronicles.-Early life:Jilly Sallitt was born in Hornchurch,...
. It is the first of a series of romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s known as the Rutshire Chronicles
Rutshire Chronicles
The Rutshire Chronicles is the name given to a series of romantic novels by Jilly Cooper. The stories tell tales of mainly British upper-class families, as well as the show-jumping and polo crowd, in numerous different sexually charged scenarios, often laced with adultery, illegitimate children,...
, which are set in the fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al English county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Rutshire. The story focuses on the lives of a group of top show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
stars and follows the ups and downs of both their personal and professional lives. A television adaptation of the novel was made in 1993, directed by Gabrielle Beaumont
Gabrielle Beaumont
Gabrielle Beaumont is a British film and television director.Her directing credits range from Hill Street Blues to Star Trek: The Next Generation. She is best known for directing, writing and producing the TV special Diana: The People's Princess...
and broadcast by ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
.
Plot Outline
Set against the backdrop of the English CotswoldsCotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
countryside, Riders follows the fortunes of a group of fame and money hungry show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
stars.
Jake Lovell, the gypsy-born hero of the novel, is a brilliant horseman desperately seeking revenge for years of bullying at the hands of the glamorous, but brutish aristocrat, Rupert Campbell-Black
Rupert Campbell-Black
Rupert Edward Algernon Campbell-Black is a fictional character in the Rutshire Chronicles series of romance novels written by Jilly Cooper. Campbell-Black's first appearance is in the novel Riders, which follows the lives and loves of a group of horse riders and show-jumpers...
. With the help of his rich debutante wife, Tory Maxwell, he is able to set himself up his own yard and begins building a reputation on the show jumping circuit. Meanwhile, Rupert is content living the jet set lifestyle with best friend Billy Lloyd-Foxe, plus a string of beautiful women, horses and dogs. Meeting his beautiful wife, Helen Macaulay, does little to curb his promiscuity and he eventually falls back into a life of parties, alcohol and casual sex.
When Jake and Rupert meet again for the first time since school, old rivalries are sparked back to life as they fight it out to prove who is the greater horseman and perhaps more importantly, the greater lover. Along the way, Cooper gives us a peek into the lives of this close knit community of tops riders, their horses, grooms and families. We see the highs and lows of life in the equestrian world, but who will eventually come out on top in the final showdown at the Los Angeles Olympics, and will success ultimately lead to disaster for Jake?