Media & BroadcastGill Books × Nina Carberry — Children's Book Series
Gill Books partnered with Sport Endorse to connect with champion jockey Nina Carberry, creating an authentic children's book series that became a bestselling publishing success.
Overview
The campaign
Gill Books partnered with Sport Endorse to create an authentic children's fiction series by connecting directly with champion jockey Nina Carberry. Together they launched the Rowan Tree Stables series, which reached the top three children's bestseller rankings, sold more than 20,000 copies in under a year, and continues to grow as a successful multi-book franchise.
The challenge
Gill Books wanted to develop a children's fiction series that would stand out in a competitive publishing market. Rather than using a traditional celebrity endorsement, the publisher sought a respected sporting personality whose real-life experience could inspire authentic stories and create a genuine connection with young readers.
Finding the right talent required someone who combined national recognition with deep credibility in the equestrian world, while also having the ability to build a long-term publishing property rather than support a one-off promotional campaign.
The Sport Endorse solution
Sport Endorse introduced Gill Books to champion jockey Nina Carberry, whose lifelong passion for horses and extensive equestrian career made her an ideal partner for the project.
The collaboration evolved beyond a traditional endorsement into the creation of the Rowan Tree Stables children's fiction series. Drawing inspiration from Nina's own childhood experiences with horses, the partnership combined authentic storytelling with Gill Books' publishing expertise to produce a new series designed to engage young readers across Ireland.
The relationship demonstrated how the right athlete partnership can become a valuable long-term intellectual property asset rather than a short-term marketing activation.
Athlete fit
Nina Carberry was a natural choice for the project.
As one of Ireland's most accomplished jockeys, she brought genuine authority and credibility to stories centred around horses and pony life. Unlike traditional celebrity partnerships, the books were inspired by Nina's own childhood experiences, allowing her personality and expertise to become part of the product itself.
Her strong public profile also extended beyond horse racing through television appearances and family entertainment, making her instantly recognisable to many parents while remaining highly relevant to the target audience.
This authenticity helped create stories that resonated with young readers while strengthening the commercial appeal of the series.
Deliverables
- Direct introduction between Gill Books and champion jockey Nina Carberry
- Development of the Rowan Tree Stables children's fiction series
- Creation of an authentic publishing partnership built around Nina's equestrian experience
- Publication of the first Rowan Tree Stables title
- Expansion of the collaboration into multiple sequels
- Ongoing promotion of the series through publisher and author channels
Results
“It's been a pleasure working with Nina Carberry and Sport Endorse on this series. Kids love these pony stories, and Nina's authentic storytelling has been a real selling point.”— Venetia Gosling, Children's Books Publisher, Gill Books
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