Reginald Ottley (1908-1985)

This well-loved author was born in London, England in 1908 but settled in Australia in the 1920s. Here he worked on a cattle station for a number of years, and then as a manager on a number of different stations in Australia, the Fijis and the Solomon Islands. He also worked in the army during the war, breaking horses. During the 1960s he lived in England and Ireland and began writing children's novels. Some of his stories were horse-themed, his most famous being The Yamboorah series which was set on an Australian cattle ranch and made authentic by his many years experience of such places.

Despite all the horse stories being set in Australia, they were for the most part, first published in the UK.  Most were also published in the USA but only two were actually published in the country in which they were set.

The Yamboorah Series:
Trilogy set on a cattle ranch in Australia, the first book is not really horse-related but the other two are. I have included all three for clarity.

1) BY THE SANDHILLS OF YAMBOORAH
aka A BOY ALONE (USA edition)
(ANDRE DEUTSCH [UK] 1965)
ILLUSTRATED BY CLYDE PEARSON
Reprinted in hardback by original publisher.
Reprinted in paperback by Armada in 1971.
Published in the USA in 1966 by Harcourt, Brace & World where it was re-titled.
Published in Australia in 1988 by Macmillan &  University of Queensland Press (UQP) in 2003
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Andre Deutsch reprint, Armada paperback, USA edition
SUMMARY: Minimal horse content, A young boy struggles to come to terms with the loneliness of living in a vast cattle station with only the cattle dog  Brolga and her pup Rags for company.

2) THE ROAN COLT OF YAMBOORAH
aka THE ROAN COLT (USA edition)
(ANDRE DEUTSCH [UK] 1966)
ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID PERRY
Reprinted in hardback by original publisher.
Reprinted in paperback by Armada in 1971.
Published in the USA in 1967 by Harcourt, Brace & World where it was re-titled.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Armada paperback, USA edition
SUMMARY: The boy's life looks up when he is taught to ride. When he sees a roan colt which is doomed to be shot because it is lame, he determines to save the horse.

3) RAIN COMES TO YAMBOORAH
(ANDRE DEUTSCH [UK] 1967)
ILLUSTRATED BY ROBERT HALES
Reprinted in hardback by original publisher.
Published in the USA in 1968 by Harcourt, Brace & World.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, USA edition
SUMMARY: Roany's lameness has been cured and the boy can at last ride him. But the lack of rain soon begins to cause trouble on the station.

Collectors Info:
Although set in Australia, the books were first published in the UK and only the first one has been published in Australia itself. All three were however published in the USA. The first two books were also reprinted as paperbacks, and these two titles are very easy to find in the UK and USA. The third story in the trilogy is slightly harder to find and may be a little more expensive. Despite only one of the three being published in Australia, none of the books are particularly hard to find there either.

Other Horse & Pony Books:

MUM'S PLACE
(COLLINS [UK] 1974)
EDITION PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: From blurb: "As well as the human world, Ottley vividly portrays the world of horses and the relationship of his characters to them. It is a rough, tough world, but one in which competition, jealousies and dangers exist side by side with kindness and understanding."

BLACK SORROW
(HUTCHINSON [AUSTRALIA] 1980
ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN VAN LOON
Reprinted in paperback.
As far as I know no UK or American editions published.
EDITION PICTURED: Not known
SUMMARY: Fifteen year old  Jody has been hurt in a car accident which also killed her mother. Her grief is worsened by the fact she can now no longer ride or help with the mustering on her father's cattle station. But when her father buys a badly treated brumby stallion for the rodeo, she forms a close bond with the horse.

Collectors Info:
Both books are harder to find in the UK and USA than the Yamboorah series, especially Black Sorrow, which I believe was only published in Australia.

Short Story Collections:

BRUMBIE DUST
(COLLINS [UK] 1969)
Published in the USA in 1969 by Harcourt, Brace & World.
EDITION PICTURED: USA edition?
SUMMARY: Collection of stories by the author about the wild brumbies of Australia.

A WORD ABOUT HORSES
(COLLINS [UK] 1973)
EDITION PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: Collection of stories set in the Australian outback with a horse theme.

Collectors Info:
As far as I know only published in the UK. Harder to find in the UK than the Yamboorah series, but not particular rare here either. A Word About Horses is hard to find in the USA. One or two copies of both titles can be found in Australia.