Jump! Book

Jilly Cooper returns to horses in a fabulously entertaining romp through the world of jump racing. Etta Bancroft - sweet kind still beautiful - adores racing and harbours a crush on one of its stars the handsome high-handed owner-trainer Rupert Campbell-Black. When her bullying husband dies Etta's selfish ambitious children drag her from her lovely Dorset home to live in a hideous modern bungalow in the Cotswold village of Willowwood. Etta's life changes when in the snow in nearby woods she finds a horribly mutilated filly which she names Mrs Wilkinson and nurses back to health. The filly charms everyone in the village then tests reveal her to be a spectacularly well-bred racehorse. After a nail-biting court case she is awarded to Etta thus ensuring the lasting and vengeful enmity of her former trainer and owner. A village syndicate is formed to put the filly into training consisting of a riotous mix of local characters who set off to the races in a minibus clanking with bottles.Ridden by Rupert's delectable god-daughter Amber Mrs Wilkinson captivates vast crowds as she progresses from point-to-point to major races and brings fame and fortune to the syndicate until at last she is entered in the Grand National. Can she be the first mare in over fifty years and Amber the first woman ever to win this mighty race? In "Jump!" you will meet rich capricious owners obsessive trainers gallant stable lads and lasses and tough brave jockeys; you will fall in love with the horses and above all with Mrs Wilkinson herself - hilarious heroic and gutsy she will gallop into your heart forever.

Etta Bancroft - sweet kind beautiful - adores racing and harbours a crush on one of its stars the handsome high-handed owner-trainer Rupert Campbell-Black. When her bullying husband dies Etta's selfish children drag her from her lovely Dorset house to live in a hideous modern bungalow in the Cotswold village of Willowwood. One night Etta finds a horribly mutilated filly in the snow in the nearby woods. Miraculously she recovers and by now called Mrs Wilkinson captivates everyone in the village. DNA tests reveal her to be a spectacularly well-bred racehorse. Etta forms a village syndicate to put the filly into training and Mrs Wilkinson becomes a star ridden by Rupert's delectable god-daughter Amber.