I had the misfortune of reading The White Dragon first...before I realized it was the last in a series. So...I went back and started over with Dragonquest and read them all...ending with The White Dragon again. Ruth and Jaxom great characters once I learned the history.
Back in the day, I was a member of Harper's Hall and created a character of my own. Not a dragon rider but a rather roguish wanderer. That was many PCs ago. I can't find his 'bio'. Oh well.
McCaffrey wrote the Pern and Brainship series while Kurtz wrote the Deryni series. Sheesh, I can’t even keep the authors straight anymore.
Like you, I read the white dragon story first, as a short story actually. In fact, I seem to have picked up every series somewhere near the end and have had to go off looking for the beginning. Kinda frustrating but a bit fun too. Hunting down the originating story/book is a joy in itself.