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Saddling up for TV series

14 Aug, 2007 10:34 AM
AN INTERNATIONAL television program could be based in Daylesford bringing an economic boost to the area.

Production company Crawfords Australia wants to move children's show The Saddle Club to Daylesford.

To film one series, The Saddle Club needs about 70 people on crew for nine months, which would provide international exposure and an economic boom for the district.

The television series is based on author Bonnie Bryant's series of children's books.

The show, which began in 2001, centres around the lives of three girls who take care of horses.

The show reaches 300 channels in the United States and is screened in Europe and the United Kingdom.

But a lack of infrastructure could see the show taken somewhere else.

Crawfords Australia chief executive Nick McMahon told The Advocate Daylesford was a suitable location, but it didn't tick every box of criteria.

Crawfords are looking at two properties in the Daylesford area.

"The Daylesford property is very beautiful but does not have the equine infrastructure that we need and building and installing that is very expensive," he said.

"It's still under discussion and we still have scouts out searching."

Mr McMahon said wherever the next series was filmed was likely to become the show's full time base.

"In the past The Saddle Club has been filmed in three locations across Victoria.

"The first series was filmed at Wandin, Springvale and the main office was somewhere else.

"We had our staff driving around in a big triangle and it was just too costly.

"We want to base everything in the one spot," Mr McMahon said.

Although a deal has not been established, Mr McMahon said the landscape at the two Daylesford properties were best suited to depict the show's location name Pine Hollows.

The show must depict Canadian and Australian landscape, meaning anywhere with a lot of gum trees was out of the question.

"Daylesford has done a lot of film work in the past.

"There's a long wish list of criteria for the Saddle Club location," Mr McMahon said.

He said Crawfords would be willing to work with the community if the show was based in Hepburn Shire.

"The financial benefits that the program would bring to the Daylesford area are enormous.

"We are also looking at getting local pony clubs involved," Mr McMahon said.

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