Riders (the Prequel to Rivals)

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About The Book

Before you watch Rivals—Season 2 now streaming on Hulu/Disney+—read the prequel now!

The first book in the steamy, scandalous Rutshire Chronicles series—an intoxicating blend of swooning romance, adventure, and hilarious high jinks set within the elite world of equestrian show jumping.


Welcome to the cutthroat world of international show jumping, a dazzling sport where fearless athletes, wealthy sponsors, and beautiful starlets collide. Against the glorious backdrop of the Cotswold countryside and the glamorous playgrounds of Europe, a bitter rivalry between two of the sport’s most brilliant stars is about to reach its breaking point. Jake Lovell is a brooding, prodigiously talented horseman, under whose magic hands even the most difficult horse is charmed. Haunted by a troubled past, he is driven by an all-consuming loathing for one man: Rupert Campbell-Black.

Dashing, impossibly handsome, and fabulously wealthy, Rupert is the darling of the show ring who takes what he wants, when he wants it. For years, the feud between the two men has simmered. They’ve pinched each other’s horses, competed for the same women, and drunk their way around the capitals of the world, leaving behind them a trail of broken hearts and bitter memories. Now, their rivalry is set to explode on the world’s biggest stage: the Los Angeles Olympics. As the competition intensifies, their personal war escalates with devastating and far-reaching consequences.

A timeless and beloved bestseller that has captivated generations of readers, Riders pulls back the curtain on a world where the brave horses are almost human, but the humans behave like animals. It’s a deliciously scandalous, utterly addictive story of love, ambition, and revenge that will leave you breathless.

About The Author

Photo Credit:

Jilly Cooper was a journalist, author, and media superstar. The author of many number one bestselling books, she was lauded as “the grande dame of English romance novels” (The New York Times).  Awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of Gloucestershire and Anglia Ruskin, she also won the inaugural Comedy Women in Print lifetime achievement award in 2019, and was appointed DBE in 2024 for services to literature and charity. She died in 2025. She lived in Gloucestershire where her groundbreaking Rutshire Chronicles series was set.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atria Books (July 3, 2007)
  • Length: 912 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416565369

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Raves and Reviews

“Sex and horses: who could ask for more?” —Sunday Telegraph

“Fun, sexy and unputdownable – a classic.” —Marian Keyes

“Joyful and mischievous. I know of no woman my age who won't admit that Rupert Campbell-Black nearly ruined them for other men for life . . .” —Jojo Moyes

“Jilly Cooper is the funniest and the sharpest writer there is. A heroine, an influence and a legend to half my generation of female authors (the fun half).” —Jenny Colgan

“Jilly Cooper’s writing is hilarious, witty, wise, astute, flawlessly entertaining and a celebration of all that is the most fun about being British.” —Helen Fielding, author of BRIDGET JONES DIARY

“Exhilarating, irresistible and one of our nation’s most beloved novels. If you’re about to read Riders for the first time, you’re in for a joyous experience!” —Jill Mansell

“It's all here: swooning romance, skulduggery in the stables and, yes, bonking; all set in the Cotswold countryside. Tally ho!” —Elle

“Blockbusting fiction at its best.” —Mail on Sunday

“I defy anyone not to enjoy her book. It is a delight from start to finish.” —Daily Mail

“Has any book of the past 70 years given as much pleasure as Cooper's rumpy-pumpy, show-jumping classic?” —The Times

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