Kit Hunter Show Jumper Series by Peter Grey

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The Kit Hunter Show Jumper Series was published exclusively in the United Kingdom by World Distributors during the 1960s.  The books were written by Peter Grey. 

The Sally Baxter Girl Reporter, Shirley Flight Air Hostess, and Sara Gay Model Girl series were also published by World Distributors in the United Kingdom.

List of Titles:

  1. The Wild One, 1959
  2. South American Mission, 1959
  3. Rival Riders, 1959
  4. Bush Adventure, 1959
  5. The Mystery of the Mine, 1960
  6. Moor Grange Mystery, 1960
  7. Fiesta for Wild One, 1960
  8. Phantom Horse, 1960
  9. Little Outlaw, 1961
10. The Last Hurdle, 1961
11. Royal Command, 1961
12. The Homing Trail, 1961

Availability

Since this series was published in the United Kingdom, nearly all books that come up for sale originate in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.  It appears that all of the titles went through about the same number of printings and that multiple titles were issued simultaneously.  It is generally no more difficult to acquire the last titles in the series as it is the earlier titles.

For more detailed information about the Kit Hunter Show Jumper Series and other World Distributors series, please visit my series book website.

Kit Hunter #4 Bush Adventure

I am reading the fourth Kit Hunter book, Kit Hunter, Show Jumper, in Bush Adventure. During a certain scene, I suddenly realized that the cover art shows Kit on a horse trying to escape from a fire in the Australian bush country. I had not made the connection that all of the pretty yellow, orange, and red colors depict a fire. I believe the problem is that Kit looks a bit too happy in the cover art. She is smiling like she is out for a fun gallop on her horse. If the picture had shown her looking like she is worried, I might have realized that she is surrounded by fire. This is a perfect example of someone looking at something yet not really looking at it.

This book has a very good mystery and is quite exciting. Colonel Hamden, Kit, and Mary have gone to Australia with John Parker, a very wealthy rancher who just purchased some horses. The plan is for Colonel Hamden and the others to oversee the horses during the first few months they are in Australia and to make certain that the horses make a good impression, thus improving their business.

During the journey to Australia, a storm strikes the ship, and Kit worries about the safety of the horses down in the hold. When Kit checks on the horses, several of them have escaped from their stalls, and a crewman is found seriously injured. Kit learns from the crewman that he accepted money in return for making something bad happen to the horses. Kit wonders whether someone has a grudge against John Parker.

Upon her arrival in Australia, Kit overhears a suspicious conversation, giving her further reason to believe someone is out to get John Parker. At the ranch, Kit learns that Mr. Parker had fired a previous tutor for his two young children because the man had begun to meddle in his affairs. Mr. Parker has hired a new tutor, and Kit soon becomes suspicious of him.

Kit decides to withhold her suspicions of the new tutor since she is not certain of anything. Too late, Kit realizes that she should have said something, because Kit is blamed for something that the tutor did. Kit finds herself in a very difficult position and must solve the mystery in order to exonerate herself.

So far, I have liked the fourth Kit Hunter book, Bush Adventure, the best. It has so many of the traditional elements of mystery and suspense that are found in series books.

Kit Hunter #3 Rival Riders

After several weeks in which I did not read at all, I have now resumed reading the third book in the Kit Hunter series, Kit Hunter, Show Jumper, in Rival Riders. Here is an amusing scene from page 50:

Françoise Dubois, having now received the homage of the officials rather than paid her respects to them, took deliberate stock of the rest of the company. She coldly scrutinised everyone thoroughly with unabashed disdain, as if deciding whom she would honour with her presence. Her arrogant gaze lingered on Kit for a few seconds as she inspected her from head to toe.

Kit could not resist turning round slowly like a model gracefully displaying every feature of a gown for the benefit of a wealthy customer. Françoise was quick to get the point, and Kit had the satisfaction of seeing the girl's expression change abruptly from one of lofty condescension to a self-conscious irritation, and one or two people tittered . . .

I have really enjoyed this book. Once Kit competes against Françoise for the first time—and wins, Françoise becomes a bitter rival. At one point Françoise causes Kit to have a serious accident that places her in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Kit finds an unexpected ally in Françoise's escort, Pierre Latour, who helps Kit after her accident.

I always enjoy books which have a mean, bitter rival who is seething with hatred, and I love seeing the rival get what is richly deserved. I haven't gotten that far yet, but I'm sure Françoise will get what is coming to her.

The Kit Hunter Show Jumper Series

I have decided to read the Kit Hunter series—finally. I read the first book, Kit Hunter, Show Jumper, in The Wild One, around four years ago in order to determine whether I should build a set. I liked it a lot and did eventually purchase all twelve books. Once I completed my set of twelve books, I was busy reading other books and had never gotten around to reading the rest of the Kit Hunter books. I recently re-read the first book and just finished the second book. I have now started to read the third book.

The Kit Hunter Show Jumper series is a British series that was originally published in hardcover with dust jacket by World Distributors from 1959 through 1961. World Distributors also published the Sally Baxter Girl Reporter, Shirley Flight Air Hostess, and Sara Gay Model Girl series. I have read all of the Sally Baxter and Sara Gay books and enjoyed all of them greatly. I have read most of the Shirley Flight books and did not enjoy them quite as much, which is why I lost interest before reading the complete set. I must get back to Shirley Flight and finish reading the remaining titles.

Kit Hunter is an orphan whose mother recently passed away. I do not recall any mention of Kit's age, but I assume that she is an older teenager, probably around 16 to 18 years of age. As Kit grieves for her mother, she recalls the wonderful times she spent at Colonel Hamden's home, Moor Grange, when she was a young child. Kit writes to Colonel Hamden, who invites Kit to come stay with him.

Colonel Hamden's life was once saved by Kit's father, who was Colonel Hamden's commanding officer. Colonel Hamden feels indebted to Kit's father, which is why he is protective of Kit and invites her to come live with him. Kit refers to the Colonel as her adopted uncle.

In the first book, Kit arrives at Moor Grange to find it greatly changed. Moor Grange has fallen on hard times, and Colonel Hamden may have to sell out. Kit learns that Colonel Hamden had invested all of his money in South American horses and bred them with moorland ponies. The Colonel's scheme was nearly successful, but others sabotaged it. If Kit could find the one horse which was crossbred, she might be able to prove that the Colonel succeeded and turn his luck around.

The Colonel's secretary, Miss Ashford, despises Kit, who suspects that Miss Ashford wishes to marry Colonel Hamden. In time, Kit discovers that Miss Ashford has a particular plan in mind, and the first book centers around Kit's discovery of the scheme and her finding of Wild One, the one surviving crossbred horse.

In the second book, Kit travels to South America to try to find the person who sold Colonel Hamden his horses. It is a race against time, as another person wishes to prevent Kit from finding the dealer so that he can profit from the Colonel's ideas.

Both of the books that I have read so far have been very engaging. Sometimes I have trouble getting into books, and those are ones that I decide not to collect. These books are quite interesting. It is hard to say which series this one is the most like. The best I can do is compare what I have read so far to Trixie Belden, since Trixie and the Bob-Whites are always around horses, and Kit Hunter's main interest is horses. Also, Moor Grange is a rural setting similar to the setting of the Trixie Belden books. My opinion may shift once I read additional titles.