Thoroughbred (series)
Thoroughbred is a series of young-adult novels that revolves around Kentucky Thoroughbred racing and equestrianism. The series was started in 1991 by Joanna Campbell (better known as Jo Ann Simon, previously Haessig), and numbered 72 books, in addition to several "super editions" and a spin-off series, "Ashleigh", by the time it ended in 2005. The series focuses on a group of core characters, primarily Ashleigh Griffen, Samantha McLean, Cindy Blake/McLean and Ashleigh's daughter Christina, as well as Christina's friends. The series originally followed the adventures of Ashleigh as she was growing up; when  Ashleigh reached adulthood, the focus of the books shifted to young Samantha McLean. During Samantha's college and adult years, the books centered on Cindy Blake McLean, Samantha's adopted younger sister. Late in the series, there was a large "time gap" before the series focused on to a teenaged Christina and her cousin Melanie. The books, which are intended for a primarily pre-teen, female audience, explore the characters' adventures in horse racing, eventing, and steeplechase. Christina and Melanie, the two main characters, are both jockeys, and many of the books deal with their challenges on and off the  track: while their life with their horses comprises the main storyline, school, boyfriends, and family life often provide subplots. The Reese family farm, Whitebrook, is the setting for most of the series. "Thoroughbred" is published by HarperEntertainment, an imprint of HarperCollins. A total of twelve different authors have contributed to the series over the fifteen years of its existence. There are currently over two million "Thoroughbred" books in print . Structure of the books. The "Thoroughbred" series is written in the third-person narrative and is typically told from a single person's viewpoint. For the first twenty-three books, the  series is told from the viewpoints of Ashleigh Griffen (#1 - #5), Samantha McLean (#6 - #12), and Cindy McLean (#13 - #23). After book twenty-three, the series started what was called the "New Generation" and skipped ten years to a new group of characters: Christina Reese, Melanie Graham, Parker Townsend, and a small group of minor characters. These books were still written in the third-person, but the viewpoints of characters would alternate between books. Series overview. Books 1–23: Original series. Early on, the series primarily focuses on Ashleigh Griffen and her adventures at Townsend Acres, a racing and breeding farm  owned by Clay Townsend. Ashleigh's parents, Derek and Elaine Griffen, take over at the breeding area of Townsend Acres after their own farm, Edgardale, has to be sold because of a virus that spread around the farm and killed both mares and foals. Ashleigh dislikes her new life at first, but becomes more accustomed to it after an older mare named Townsend Holly gives birth to a small filly whom she names Wonder. Though Wonder is very weak and nearly dies multiple times, through Ashleigh's care, the filly grows up to be a Kentucky Derby and Belmont-winning  racehorse. After Ashleigh grows up, the plot is focused on Samantha McLean afterward. The New Generation. After book 23, "Cindy's Honor", the series skipped forward ten years and began anew with a focus on eventing. The new series involved Ashleigh Griffen's daughter, Christina, who traded Wonder's latest foal, Wonder's Legacy, for a racehorse, named Sterling Dream, which she turned into an eventer. After 12 books, the series quickly shifted from eventing back to racing due to popular demand from fans. After Ashleigh's Wonder's death, Christina became attached to Wonder's last foal, Wonder's  Star. From this point, the series retained a predominantly Thoroughbred-racing focus, leaving eventing to Parker Townsend, who became a regular part of the series soon after Wonder's death. The series then became focused on Christina and Melanie and their horses Wonder's Star, Perfect Image, and Hi Jinx. The last main character. Allie Avery, the final main character of "Thoroughbred", was introduced at the very end of the series as the daughter of Craig and Jilly Avery; Craig and Jilly had been removed from the series early on, but were brought back to make the introduction of a  new character possible. Allie was both interested in eventing and racing, bringing together the two disciplines in the "Thoroughbred" series, although she ultimately decided upon becoming a jockey. She is given Wonder's Legacy, the often-forgotten son of Ashleigh's Wonder, as a gift when she is fourteen. By late 2005, the "Thoroughbred" series was officially ended. The last book of the series was "Legacy's Gift", a book centered on Allie and Wonder's Legacy, as well as the birth of Legacy's daughter, Allie's Wonder. The end of the series was much-protested, despite the seeming  decline in quality of plots and writing. Authors. Joanna Campbell created the first fourteen "Thoroughbred" books, as well as the first two books in the spin-off series, "Ashleigh". After Campbell stopped writing, long-time editor Karen Bentley took over, writing books fifteen through twenty-three. After Karen Bentley left the series, there was a rotating "panel" of contributing authors: Allison Estes, Alice Leonhardt, Dale Blackwell Gasque, Lois Symanski, Mary Newhall Anderson, Karle Dickerson, and Jennifer Chu. "Thoroughbred" #36, "Without Wonder", was written under the pen name "Brooke James" by an unknown author. Special editions, spin offs, and story arcs . The "super editions". There have been four "super edition" "Thoroughbred" books. The events described in the super editions often take place during an interval between two of the regular books; for instance, "Ashleigh's Christmas Miracle" is supposedly set between books eighteen and nineteen of the regular series. The four super editions are: The super editions sometimes present problems of continuity in the regular series. For example, it is stated in "Ashleigh's Christmas Miracle" during Ashleigh's dream that the son of Brad and Lavinia Townsend is named Ross. In book #16 of the regular series Brad and Lavinia 's infant son is also named Ross, who disappears shortly after and returns during the New Generation with a different name all together (Parker Jamison Townsend). It is also suspected that the dream sequence of "Ashleigh's Christmas Miracle" influenced the series' plot lines, such as Christina's early interest in eventing. Wonder's Legacy. "Wonder's Legacy" is a trilogy within the regular series itself, comprising books thirty-six through thirty-eight. The trilogy deals with the aftermath of the death of Wonder, Ashleigh's favorite racehorse, as well as Christina's decision to shift her focus from eventing  to racing in order to become the jockey of Wonder's last colt, Wonder's Star. This has led to mixed criticism as some wanted Christina, whose preference for eventing was so clear that she often felt like an outsider, to stick with eventing. Others were pleased, but most agreed it was a too-sudden turnaround. Cindy's Lost Diaries. "Cindy's Desert Adventure" and "Cindy's Bold Start", volumes forty-seven and forty-eight, are two "lost diary specials" published within the regular series in an attempt to explain the missing characters and continuity problems created by the ten -year gap which occurred between "Cindy's Honor" and the New Generation. These books detail how Ashleigh miscarried her second pregnancy, the fate of Wonder's Champion, and Cindy McLean's travels to the United Arab Emirates, New York City, and finally back to Whitebrook Farm. Samantha's Arc. Similar to the "lost diary specials", Samantha also had a two book special, volumes sixty-five and sixty-six, published within the regular series. These books, "Bridal Dreams" and "Samantha's Irish Luck" are not distinguished with a separate title indicating their "special" status within the series, but are generally regarded  as such and were included within the regular series also in attempts to explain Samantha's story during the ten-year gap created by the New Generation. The books detail Samantha's marriage to Tor and their subsequent relocation to Ireland, Samantha's shifting focus from horse racing to eventing and show jumping, and the birth of Samantha and Tor's children. Section::::"Ashleigh". The spin-off series, Ashleigh, is 'supposedly' set in between Ashleigh's Hope and Ashleigh's Diary. However, this spin-off presents some major inconsistencies. In #2 Wonder's Promise (original series), Ashleigh states she's never  attended a live horse race before; however, in the Ashleigh series (and Ashleigh's Diary, the Super Edition), she attends several races. This leads to the other error/inconsistency. In #7 Derby Day (Ashleigh series), it is said that Rhoda Kat is the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. However, in the original series, Jilly Gordon clearly is. When the plague hits Ashleigh's family, various horses who survive or are sold before the first book, die (Midnight Wanderer, for example, who is put to sleep in the book, 'Goodbye Midnight Wanderer', apparently dies of the mysterious plague , rather than from the accident.) There is also large changes as to how Ashleigh and Mona get their horses. Ashleigh meets Stardust in Ashleigh's Hope and then owns (and must sell her) in Ashleigh's Diary, but in the Ashleigh Series she gets Stardust in #3 Waiting for Stardust and Stardust is expecting a foal in #15 Stardust's Foal (which this in never mentioned in Ashleigh's Hope or Ashleigh's Diary). In Ashleigh's Hope Mona gets a Thoroughbred she names Frisky on Thanksgiving Day, rubs it in, won't let Ashleigh ride Frisky, and the girls  have a big fight. But in the Ashleigh Series Mona gets a Thoroughbred for Christmas, names her Frisky like she and Ashleigh had planned, says she is sorry and is not trying to rub it in as soon as she tells Ashleigh, and asks her to come over tomorrow to ride Frisky. The entire Ashleigh series is in a sort of "time bubble" and none of the events really line up with the events in the other Thoroughbred books, so it is almost a stand alone series in and of itself. Ashleigh's Thoroughbred Collection. In 1998, HarperCollins republished three  books as part of the "Ashleigh's Thoroughbred Collection", books that were similar to "Thoroughbred" and were also written by authors of the series. Of the three books published in this collection, only characters in "Battlecry Forever!" have been referenced in the regular "Thoroughbred" series. Ashleigh's Thoroughbred Collection contains three stand alone books that do not tie into/effect the storylines of the other series. Battlecry Forever! is a slight exception though. It is about Battlecry (the sire of Fleet Goddess, a filly that Ashleigh Griffen purchases in #5 Ashleigh's Dream of the Thoroughbred series) but it is  considered stand alone (due to not playing a major role in the storyline of Thoroughbred), even though it is also still technically considered the only book written outside of the Thoroughbred series that is canon. Star of Shadowbrook Farm. Written by Joanna Campbell, "Star of Shadowbrook Farm" was first published in 1992 by HarperEntertainment, and again in 1998 as part of "Ashleigh's Thoroughbred Collection". It is the story of two unlikely eventing champions, Susan Holmes and Evening Star. The characters and storyline do not connect with the "Thoroughbred" series. The Forgotten Filly. Written by Karle Dickerson, "The Forgotten Filly  was published in 1993 by HarperTorch, and republished in 1998 as part of Ashleigh's Thoroughbred Collection". The characters and storyline do not connect with the "Thoroughbred" series. Battlecry Forever! Written by Joanna Campbell, "Battlecry Forever!" was first published in 1992 by HarperEntertainment, and again in 1998 as part of "Ashleigh's Thoroughbred Collection". The story concerns Battlecry, an unruly black stallion, and Leslie D'Andrea, who sets out to try to turn him into a champion. Battlecry is the sire of Fleet Goddess, a filly that Ashleigh Griffen purchases in the "Thoroughbred" series. It is the only book written outside  of the "Thoroughbred" series that is considered canon. Reception. The series was met with mixed reviews. One review noted that while the "Thoroughbred" books were reliant on the cliché of a bond between a girl and a horse, they were "better written and more knowledgeable" on racing. Charlene Strickland, in a review of "Wonder's Promise", wrote that while the book itself was enjoyable, it "frequently lapses into sentimentality". Later books in the series were less well-received, with critics noting a significant decrease in quality once Campbell retired from the "Thoroughbred" novels.