Red O'Malley – James O'Dea

In Series 1, no one could calm a spooked pony or cure a colicky horse better than Red O'Malley. With his excellent riding skills and wealth of experience, the girls couldn't work out why he didn't ride or train professionally.

In fact, his past was a complete mystery until the Saddle Club got on his case. The girls helped him deal with the very things that were holding him back from riding.

Red takes on more responsibility at the stables in the second series when Max goes away. He also falls in love with Dorothèe Doutey, the Junior European Evening Champion visiting Pine Hollow stables from France. With the help of the Saddle Club, he helps her regain her confidence to compete again after a nasty fall.

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James O'Dea plays Red O'Malley
James had trained hard for years to compete internationally in the Triathlon and was even offered a place in the Austrailan team. But when the opportunity to play Red in The Saddle Club came up, he turned it down.

Although James is a good fit for the role he still spent a lot of time preparing for it by talking to Graham Ware, horse trainer with The Saddle Club. "He had this bond with them that is incredible to see and I watch and try to pick up how he does it," says James.

James' interest in acting was sparked by a drama teacher who cast him as the lead in Bugsy Malone when he was 8 years old. And more recently 20 year-old James has appeared in the Australian drama Blue Heelers.

Red was played by Nathan Phillips in Series 1

James says: "Red is the stable hand and is a nice easy going laid back country boy. He is great with horses and loves riding. Red is a great companion to all the girls because he has a relaxed of talking to them and is so uncomplicated. I like him; he is a good guy."

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