The Saddle Club TV series was filmed in Victoria, Australia. The show is based on the fictitious Pine Hollow Stables and the lives of three friends.
The Saddle Club was developed by Sarah Dodd and jointly produced by Crawford Productions and Protocol Entertainment. The popular live-action TV series tells the story of three 12-year-old girls, their friendship, horses, and personal growth.
The live-action series is based on the best-selling book by American author Bonnie Bryant. The first season began airing on 30 April 2001 and instantly became famous among the young audience. Especially the young demographics between 5 to 12 were glued to the screen to watch the three friends get together on-screen.
The Saddle Club theme song titled ‘Hello World’ was played as the opening song for the series. The song would play at the very beginning and the end of every episode. It became a phenomenon among young audiences.
The intro and outro song, Hello World, was created by Grand Galop and featured the three lead characters, Sophie Bennett, Lara Marshall, and Keenan Macwilliam. It was released in 2003 and instantly resonated with young aspirants in the audience.
Where Was The Saddle Club Filmed?
The major portion of the filming of The Saddle Club was done in Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. The popular children show has encaptured the beautiful scenery of the town.
The first season of the Australian live-action series started in 2001. The filming began for the series in August 2000.
Yarra Valley is a region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria, which is not very far from Melbourne. After the demand for the second season surfaced, the original crew reunited at the same location to complete the shooting.
The series underwent a total re-cast for the third seasoning, and new actors were brought into the sets. The shooting for season 3 began in November 2007 in Daylesford, Victoria.
Daylesford is a town that lies at the bottom of the Great Dividing Range of Victoria. The town has a historical significance and offers many natural attractions that lure a lot of tourists.
The Saddle Club Cast
The Saddle Club cast has three lead members Viktoria Kampbell, Lauren Dixon, and Ariel Kaplan.
Viktoria Kampbell as Carole Hanson
Viktoria Kampbell plays one of the lead characters Carole Hanson in The Saddle Club. The actress took over the role of Hanson from Keenan MacWilliam in season 3.
Carole is a bright, smart African-American girl with a natural riding ability. The young girl faced the grave trauma of losing her mother to cancer at a very young age. However, her father, Colonel Mitch Hanson, encouraged young Hanson to follow her passion.
Carole has a passion for horses and wants to build a career in that field, no matter the demand of the job. This drive brings her to The Saddle Club, where she meets Stevie and Lisa and becomes friends with them.
At the beginning of the third season, Carol’s father gets re-deployed overseas again, and she learns that she now has to go to her aunt Penny’s house in the town. This means Hanson would have to leave The Saddle Club and Starlight behind, which she was unwilling to do.
In desperation, Carole goes to her best friends, Lisa and Stevie, to relate the situation. The friends vow never to split, and they offer Carole a place to stay until things get easier. Later, Hanson becomes the first ‘live in broader’ at Pine Hollow Stables, which allows her to stay at Pine Hollow.
Kampbelll was born in British Columbia, Canada, in 1996. The actress moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 2007 to shoot for the third season of The Saddle Club. After the third season wrapped up, the 26-year-old pursued a career in modeling.
The Linkedin profile of the actress states that she is currently working as the Executive Assistant of Lindsay Craig, the Director of Brad at Shopify.
Lauren Dixon as Stevie Lake
Lauren Dixon plays the role of Stephanie ‘Stevie’ Lake in the third season of The Saddle Club. Dixon succeeded in the role of Lake from Sophie Bennett.
Stevie is a troublemaker tomboy who dropped her given name ‘Stephanie’ and adopted ‘Stevie.’ Stevie doesn’t usually fit with any group of people, but she has an unwavering love for horses. This passion unites her with Lisa and Carol at The Pine Hollow.
Growing up with three brothers resulted in the overshadowing of her sensitive side by total prankster and goofiness. The girl is impulsive, stubborn, and sarcastic and often invites trouble. Phil Marsten, whom Stevie met on The Mountain Trail Overnight, developed a crush on her and later started dating. The two became the most enduring couple in the series.
Stevie gets injured during the race in the Willow Creek Time Trail in the seventh episode of the third season. Out of solidarity, Carole and Lisa offer to stop riding, which Stevie dismisses as a silly idea. Stevie excels in two particular events, cross-country equestrianism, and dressage.
Lauren Dixon is a Canadian actress born in Ontario on 12 October 1995. Dixon is the daughter of well-known singer Carl Dixon.
The actress was raised in Ontario with her elder sister Carlin. The Canadian, who debuted at 11 with a short movie, The Dream Catcher, made notable appearances in the TV movie Dark Betrayals and the series Rookie Blue in 2013.
The breakthrough role for the 27-year-old was Stevie in The Saddle Club, which earned her wide recognition. The actress currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Ariel Kaplan as Lisa Atwood
One of the lead characters Lisa Atwood is portrayed by Ariel Kaplan. The actress took over the role of Lisa in season 3 of The Saddle Club from Lara Jean Marshall.
Lara is a talented student who is of English-American descent. Unlike her best buddies, Stevie and Carol, Lisa was not much passionate about horses. In fact, she got into horse riding because of her mother’s desire for social climbing.
After joining The Pine Hallow, young Lisa fell in love with horses and developed a passion for the sport. Lisa is a perfectionist who wants to be the best at everything.
The very first horse Lisa rode was Patch until she got an ex-racehorse named Prancer. The young woman has an intuitive bond with the beast and is determined to make the racehorse a champion show jumper.
Lisa is overachieving and competitive, but she is loyal to her friends, Stevie and Carol. She is a good listener and has a pragmatic approach to every problem. Lisa’s strongest event in horse riding is Jumping.
Ariel Erin Kaplan was born on 4 April 1994 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kaplan belongs to a family of performers who are involved in the entertainment industry.
Kaplan’s father is a musician, and her grandfather was an actor. The actress has two elder sisters, Gemma-Ashley Kaplan and Dena Kaplan, both actresses.
The Kaplans moved to Australia when Ariel was young and settled in Melbourne. The Australian studied dance with The Jane Moore Academy and learned singing and piano with Harry Mullany.
The 28-year-old earned great fame after she secured a role in The Saddle Club in 2008. The Australian further cemented her career as an actress when she appeared in Australia’s longest-running soap opera, Neighbours, in 2013. The actress portrayed the character named Imogen Willis in the series.
The African Australian is also a model and spin instructor. The actress is in a relationship with Dean Cooper, with whom she has two sons. To learn more about Kaplan, follow her Instagram profile, where she shares all about her recent activities.
Other Cast Members of the series include:
- Kia Luby as Kristi Cavanaugh
- Marny Kennedy as Veronica diAngelo
- Connor Jessup as Simon Atherton
- Richard Davis as Max Regnery
- James O’Dea as Red O’Malley
- Conner Jessup as Simon Atherton
- Kaiya Jones as Jessie Cooper
Details on Season 4 of The Saddle Club
The Saddle Club is now back with its famous cast for a new season in 2022. The live-action returns on TV after 13 years due to popular demand.
The show will continue on the story of three aspiring equestrians, Lisa, Stevie, and Carol, who train and develop their riding skills at Pine Hollow Stables in Australia.
Tomboy Stevie has an impulsive nature and gets into trouble very often. Carole is dealing with the trauma of a family tragedy and is looking to overcome it by engaging in the sports she loves. Lisa is an overachiever with a point to prove to her family, especially her social-climbing mother.
Season 3 of The Saddle Club concluded on 10 April 2009, but the craze among the audience was so strong that the show had to return for a new adventure. The series is broadcasted on Nine Network Australia. You can also stream the whole series on Peacock.
The Saddle Club dropped a short video to introduce the characters of the series for a new season on 15 February 2021. And, of course, the famous theme song ‘Hello World’ was playing in the background. On 5 May 2021, the first song of Season 4, titled The Fun Never Ends, was released on YouTube. Shock Entertainment designed the soundtrack for the song.
The official teaser of The Saddle Club Season 4 was released on YouTube on 30 March 2021. The video revealed that the popular characters are back on TV with new adventures. Enjoy the video here.
How Many Episodes Are There?
The Saddle Club is designed into 26 episodes. Every episode has a runtime of about 24 minutes.
The famous Australian live-action show has been consistent in designing the episodes since the first season. Season 1 aired on 4 June 2001 and completed concluded with 26 episodes.
Similarly, the second and third seasons of the series, produced by Crawford Entertainment and Protocol Entertainment, followed the same pattern of 26 episodes. Each episode had a runtime of about half an hour.
The Saddle Club posted a teaser trailer on YouTube on 30 March 2021 for Season 4. The channel mentioned that the live-action would return on TV after 13 years for a new season with lots of surprises.