Whether you’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of Stevie, Carole and Lisa and their fave horses, or are new to the scene, this international hit TV series based on the popular books by Bonnie Bryant has a little something for everyone to enjoy. With “The Saddle Club Rides Again” you’ll watch as three young girls experience the excitement of the horse world, while dealing with common challenges, such as peer and family pressure, school and boys. And this time the show’s bringing on a brand spankin’ new cast.

We spoke with the three new stars—Lauren Dixon (Stevie), Victoria Campbell (Carole), Ariel Kaplan (Lisa)—and they dished on everything from riding horses to the beautiful Australian scenery. Read on!

GL: Tell us a little bit about this season and your character.

Lauren: This season has some awesome new stories that fans of the previous seasons will enjoy. I play Stevie Lake who, like all of her friends, is a bit younger than when we last saw our horseback heroes. Stevie is a fun-loving adventure girl who has a strong love of her friends and horses.

Victoria: Filming The Saddle Club was really, really fun. Getting to meet all the horses and cast was great. Carole is a lot like me; she loves purple, she is not a tomboy or a girly girl and loves to spend time with her friends and animals. Carole would do pretty much anything for her horse and her friends.

Ariel: This season of The Saddle Club is full of excitement! In every episode there’s a new adventure, lots of riding and friendship. I am lucky enough to play the role of Lisa. [She] is known to be quite the goody-goody and worry wart, but I really feel that deep down and in times of need, [she] shows how courageous she is. She is a strong girl with a good heart.

GL: What was it like coming on board? Did you feel there was a lot of pressure filling the shoes of past actresses and living up to possible expectations of fans?

Ariel: We all knew we had a lot to live up to. I think all of us used to watch the old series and loved it as well. There are so many fans out there who watch the show and a new generation that will hopefully begin to watch it. I really hope everyone will give the new cast a chance and grow to love us like they did the girls from the previous seasons. Although we might not be exactly the same, we really are doing our best to keep the characters as they were, but at the same time we bring a brand new, fresh and different twist to things.

GL: The show was filmed on location in the Hepburn Shire in Australia. What was it like?

Lauren: Hepburn was amazing. The view from where we were filming was so magical. We all lived very close to one another, so we’d always be able go out to the different cafés and shops together when we weren’t memorizing lines. My favorite part of Hepburn was the fact that it was small, but so full of art and culture. The simplest things were just so beautiful and fun.

Victoria: It was hot with lots of flies, but very pretty. Because Hepburn Shire is in the country, we were able to experience the different wildlife and plants. My favorite creatures in the area were the Kangaroos the Kookaburras, and the worst were the massive Huntsman spiders. They are sooo disgusting!!!

GL: Were you used to riding horses before filming began?

Lauren: I had done natural horsemanship before the series had started, and was really enjoying that, but it was awesome to learn other techniques and styles of riding.

Ariel: To be honest, I had never ridden a horse in my life. I had always loved the thought of it, but never really got the chance. When I was cast as Lisa, I was pretty scared [but] from the first day of riding training, I fell in love with it and the horses. It would have to be one of my favorite parts of doing the show and I am so thankful to have had such a wonderful horse master (Grahame Ware Jr.). These days, I ride every week and am really improving and loving every second of it. I literally can’t get enough of horses!

What are these talented actresses like off set? Check in next week as they talk friendship, school, and hidden talents!

by Patricia McNamara | 2/1/2016