Back in the Saddle

by Catherine Hapka

  Wow. He’s really an amazing horse, she thought. Probably too good for someone like Claire. . . .

  Feeling guilty for the uncharitable thought, she tried to forget about the rider and just enjoy watching the beautiful horse move. But she couldn’t help noticing that even the amazing Dragon didn’t automatically make his circles round on his own, and just like last time, Claire wasn’t really bothering to ride all the way into the corners. But that just reminded Haley to do better herself.

  When she reached the warm-up ring a short while later, only a few riders were in there. One of them was Andrew. He and Turbo were standing in the middle of the ring. The thoroughbred gelding’s head was high, and he kept shaking it and trying to back up.

  Haley rode over. “Everything okay?”

  “Not really.” Andrew shot her a frustrated frown. “Turbo must’ve been talking to Cancun or something, because one of those cows started mooing just as we were walking in here, and now he’s all freaked out.”

  Haley was surprised. Turbo could be sensitive and overly energetic at times, and would occasionally spook at something unexpected, but he was usually pretty unflappable about strange sights and sounds. Jan said lots of ex-racehorses were like that, since they were exposed to so much at the track.

  Then again, Haley supposed that most racetracks didn’t have cows grazing in the infield. So maybe Turbo had finally found something that made him nervous.

  She sneaked a peek at her watch, calculating how long she had before her ride time. If she wanted to win, she and Wings needed to be on top of their game. And while she was confident that Wings could jump any course after a short warm-up or none at all, she wasn’t so sure when it came to dressage.

  Turbo sidestepped, shaking his head so vigorously that Andrew could barely hold on to the reins. Haley quickly moved her pony around so he was between Turbo and the cow field.

  “Okay, let’s try this,” she said. “I’ll stay over here, and we’ll walk around and show him it’s no biggie.”

  “Thanks, Haley.” Andrew shot her a grateful smile. “I’m sure he’ll get over it in a second.”

  But it took a lot longer than a second before Turbo relaxed enough for Haley to begin her warm-up. She ended up rushing through it and had to hurry to get back into the ring in time.

  “There you are!” Jan exclaimed when Haley arrived. “I was about to send out a search party.”

  “Sorry.” Haley didn’t bother to explain. The previous rider was already leaving, and by the time Haley and Wings got into the ring and halfway around the outside of the chains, the judge was ringing the bell.

  Haley turned her pony and headed back down the side, feeling frazzled. She took a deep breath, trying to focus as she and Wings turned and entered at A for their test.

  CHAPTER

  10

  FOR THE NEXT few minutes Haley almost felt as if she were watching her own dressage test from above rather than riding it. The first several movements were rushed and a little wobbly, and she felt anxiety rise inside her.

  Not again! a little voice in her head cried out.

  Haley closed her eyes for a moment as they trotted down the long side. Taking a deep breath, she finally felt herself relax into the saddle. She could do this. Good warm-up or not, she wasn’t going to mess things up again. Not this time.

  After that the test improved. Haley was careful to ride deep into every corner and focus on making every turn and circle as round as it could be. By the time they halted and saluted, she was smiling.

  “Nicely done,” the judge called as Haley rode forward afterward. She was an older woman with short gray hair and a pleasant smile. “What kind of pony is he?”

  “Chincoteague,” Haley replied proudly.

  The judge smiled. “Thought so. One of my favorite breeds—ever since I read Misty of Chincoteague as a girl.”

  Haley grinned. “Me too!”

  When she rode out of the ring, Jan was waiting for her. “Great recovery,” she said, patting Wings on the shoulder and then Haley on the leg. “I could see you were tense when you started, but you pulled it out.”

  “Yeah.” Haley’s smile faded a little as she thought back over those first few movements. If only she’d had more time in the warm-up ring, she was sure she could have done better. Now, once again, they’d have to make up ground in the jumping phases.

  After sliding down from the saddle, she loosened Wings’s girth and started walking him around to cool him off. She wanted to stay by the ring to cheer on Andrew and Jan, who would both be going soon.

  Kyle had already taken Augie back to the trailers and returned to watch the others. He wandered over to join Haley as she walked. “You missed Riley’s test while you were warming up,” he said.

  “Oh?” Haley tried to sound disinterested, though she didn’t really succeed. “Perfect, I assume?”

  “I wouldn’t say that.” Kyle shrugged. “She had a little trouble with her canter departs this time, and her horse looked kind of tense all the way through.”

  “Hmm.” Haley felt a twinge of hope, though she tried not to get too excited. Kyle was so nice—he was probably just trying to make Haley feel better about her own botched movements.

  Just then Haley’s friends rushed over. She had almost forgotten they were there.

  “Haley, you looked fabulous!” Emma exclaimed, giving her a hug.

  “Yeah,” Tracey agreed. “Don’t you think so, Owen?”

  Owen didn’t answer. “Hey,” he said to Kyle, glancing down at his breeches. “Nice pants.”

  Vance snorted with laughter, but Kyle just shot the other boys a tight smile. “I’m Kyle,” he said. “And you are?”

  “We’re Haley’s friends,” Tracey told him. “I’m Tracey. That’s Emma and Vance. And Owen, of course.”

  Kyle glanced down at Owen’s well-worn cowboy boots. “You ride?”

  “Yeah. We both do.” Owen hooked a thumb toward Vance. “Real riding, that is—Western.”

  “Cool.” Kyle shrugged. “That’s probably fun. You know, if you don’t want to jump.”

  Owen narrowed his eyes. “Why would we want to jump when we could do something fun instead?”

  “Boys, boys!” Tracey sang out with a laugh. “Let’s not fight, okay?” She turned toward Haley and winked broadly.

  Haley had no idea why her friend looked so amused. She just wanted to get away from the boys’ silly squabble and focus on what she had to do next.

  “Excuse me,” she said. “I need to take Wings back to the trailer now so he can rest before cross-country. Catch you guys later.”

  She took off without waiting for an answer.

  “Come on.” Kyle hurried over to Haley. She was brushing out Wings’s tail, which had gotten a little tangled by the wind. “Jan’s starting soon.”

  Haley nodded and dropped her tail brush. Jan had asked to go first in their division on cross-country so she could coach her students afterward. That meant they’d all be able to watch her ride, since none of their start times were coming up soon.

  Most of the course was located in a pair of hilly adjoining fields below the parking area, with just a short portion going off through a patch of woods. That meant it was easy to see the majority of the jumps from the top of the rise near the corner of the cow pasture. Haley hurried out there and perched on the post-and-board fence between Andrew and Kyle. She could see her school friends standing with a small cluster of spectators below them on the hill, but she didn’t call out to them. All four of them were shoving at one another and laughing, clearly not paying much attention to the action on the course. Haley wanted to focus on her trainer’s ride, not the boys’ goofy jokes.

  “There she is.” Andrew poked her in the arm, snapping her out of her thoughts.

  Jan was riding toward the start box. “Cancun looks good,” Kyle commented.

  “Yeah.” Haley watched the gray gelding lift his head and stare at the horse currently a few fences through the course. “Maybe still
a little nervous, though.”

  “That’s only natural. It’s his first event, remember?” Andrew said.

  Haley nodded and watched Cancun break into a jig as they neared the start box. She crossed her fingers, hoping Jan had a good ride.

  A moment later Jan rode her horse into the start box and burst out a few seconds later. “And they’re off!” Kyle cried like the announcer at a racetrack.

  Haley smiled but didn’t take her eyes off Cancun. The dapple gray’s canter looked more like a gallop for the first few strides, but Jan had eased him back to a more suitable pace by the time they reached the first fence, a line of barrels laid on their sides, with the farm’s name printed on them. Cancun pricked his ears at the fence and sailed over easily.

  “One down, lots to go,” Kyle commented.

  “Yeah.” Haley held her breath as Cancun neared the second obstacle, a coop. Once again the horse jumped it easily, and Haley started to relax a little. “So far, so good . . . ,” she murmured.

  The next few jumps went fine too. Then the course turned and wound partway up the hill, passing close to the spot where they were sitting. Haley glanced at the nearest obstacle, an attractive brush jump, and wished she’d brought her camera. It would be fun to get a picture of Cancun sailing over it.

  She forgot about that as she heard a murmur rise from the spectators. Glancing back to the horse and rider, she saw that Jan was having trouble. The gray gelding was flinging his head and skittering to one side as they approached the brush.

  “Oh no,” Haley said, realizing what must have been bothering Cancun. “The cows!”

  She glanced over her shoulder at the herd, which was grazing peacefully just a few yards from the fence. Cancun had seen them too, and clearly didn’t want to get too close.

  Haley held her breath as Jan growled and booted the horse forward. Instead of cantering on, though, Cancun planted his feet and bucked hard.

  Haley gasped along with everyone else. But somehow Jan stayed on, circling Cancun away from the cows and then back again to the line for the brush jump. Cancun didn’t buck this time, but he stopped and backed up several strides out.

  “Yikes,” Haley said. “He’s really scared.”

  “Yeah.” Andrew sounded worried.

  Jan stopped her horse and gave him a rub on the neck. Then she urged him forward again at a walk. He hesitated but did as she asked, keeping a wary eye on the cows. Jan walked him back and forth, getting closer each time, then stopped and patted him. Glancing at the jump judge by the brush, she raised her hand, then rode over to talk to the woman.

  “Wait, what’s she doing?” Haley said.

  Kyle shrugged. “Retiring, looks like.”

  “What?” Haley couldn’t believe it.

  But it seemed to be true—Jan was talking to the jump judge, who pulled out her walkie-talkie and called someone. Haley and the others were too far away to hear what Jan and the judge were saying, but after a bit more discussion Jan nodded and rode off at a trot, passing the brush fence without even trying to jump it.

  “Why did she do that?” Haley said. “Cancun was calming down—I’m sure she could’ve gotten him over the brush and the ditch after it. Then they’d be away from the cows again and everything would be fine. Even with a refusal and some time faults, she might still have finished up okay.”

  “She isn’t doing this for a ribbon,” Andrew reminded her. “She’s training Cancun, remember? The only thing she cares about is giving him a good experience his first time out. And if she’d pushed it with the cow thing, well . . .”

  Haley frowned, but she realized he had a point. “Still, it’s too bad.” She watched Jan and Cancun, who were close to the end of the course by now. They stopped beside fence thirteen, an inviting roll top, and Jan spoke to the judge there. A moment later she circled around, sent Cancun into an easy canter, and popped him over the jump.

  “Good,” Andrew said. “See, she ended the course on a good note.”

  Haley nodded and checked her watch, realizing she needed to go get Wings tacked up soon for her own round. She still thought it was too bad that her trainer had decided to retire on course, but suddenly she realized there was a silver lining.

  With Jan out, that means we’re definitely riding to win! Haley thought with a shiver of anticipation as she slid down from the fence and hurried toward the trailer.

  Before Haley knew it, her ride time was almost there. She and Wings had had a good warm-up and were waiting near the start box when Riley rode into view. The older girl was starting two riders ahead of Haley, and Haley was glad she’d get to see Riley’s first few fences.

  That way I’ll have a better sense of how much we need to do to beat her, she thought, smiling at Riley as the older girl rode past.

  Riley didn’t seem to notice her. She had her hands full—Athena was on her toes, snorting and jigging as they approached the start box.

  “Wow, she looks tense,” Haley murmured, patting Wings, who was alert but calm as they waited.

  Moments later Athena trotted out of the start box, skittering sideways a few strides, before Riley got her cantering toward the first fence. The mare took off from an awkward short spot but still cleared the barrels with at least a foot to spare. The next jump, the coop, went better; Athena met it out of stride and jumped cleanly and quickly.

  Wings was getting restless, so Haley circled him. When she came back around, she was just in time to see Riley and Athena’s approach to the next obstacle, a double hanging log at maximum height. Haley thought that jump was one of the most imposing on the course—it was big and solid and dark, set on a slight uphill approach that made it look even bigger. It looked as if Athena didn’t like the looks of it either. The mare was tossing her head, seeming agitated and trying to veer out to one side. But Riley kept her going, and their approach to the logs looked pretty good—until a large bird suddenly flew up from some tall weeds nearby with a flurry of wings.

  The big mare spooked and spun, then let out a hard buck—flinging Riley headfirst into the solid jump.

  CHAPTER

  11

  “OH NO!” HALEY blurted out, clutching her reins so tightly that Wings backed up a few steps. People were pouring toward Riley from all directions. The jump judge was at the girl’s side in seconds, kneeling down beside her still form.

  Please be okay, please be okay, Haley chanted in her head.

  “Hold on course!” the man running the start box yelled, though Haley didn’t know why he’d bothered—it was pretty obvious to everyone.

  “Loose horse!” someone else shouted.

  Again, that seemed obvious. But a second later Haley saw Athena galloping in her direction with her reins trailing and stirrups flapping. Haley had been so focused on Riley that she’d lost track of the mare for a second, but it looked as if Athena was still pretty freaked out. A few people darted out and tried to grab her or head her off, but Athena dodged them all easily and kept going, charging up the slight hill in the direction of the start box and the trailers beyond. Haley gulped, picturing the carnage the panicked mare could cause to herself and others in the crowded, cluttered parking area.

  “Come on, boy—get up!” Haley didn’t stop to think as she booted Wings into a canter, heading to cut Athena off from the quickest path to the trailers.

  The rider waiting to go just before her, a young woman on a compact little bay gelding, caught on quickly. She sent her horse out as well, angling to block Athena’s escape in the other direction.

  Athena saw them coming and slowed slightly, veering suddenly off to the right. Haley didn’t even have to tell Wings what to do—he spun to cut her off, head lowered and ears flattened.

  Just like when we’re chasing cows, Haley thought with a small smile.

  “Send her this way!” the other rider hollered.

  Haley nodded, sending her pony spurting forward to turn the bigger horse back toward the bay gelding. Athena broke to a trot as she headed in that direction, then
suddenly stopped and spun over her hocks like a reining horse.

  Haley pushed Wings forward, leaning out of her saddle as far as she could. She held her breath and grabbed for the mare’s swinging reins, letting out a gasp of relief as her fingers closed around them.

  “Gotcha!” she cried, sitting up and back in case the mare tried to pull away.

  But now that Athena had been caught, the horse’s panic seemed to leave her all at once. The big mare’s head dropped, and she let out a long sigh.

  One of the volunteers from the start box jogged over. “Thanks for catching her. That was great,” the woman exclaimed. “I can take her back to the trailers, have the vet take a look just in case.”

  Haley handed over the reins. She patted Wings on the neck, proud of him for doing what needed to be done.

  “Come on,” she told him. “Let’s go see if Riley’s okay.”

  She kicked him into a trot, and then slowed to a walk when they neared the crowd by the log fence. Tracey spotted her coming and hurried to meet her.

  “Oh wow, that was crazy!” she exclaimed. “Good thing Owen and Vance know first aid.”

  “Huh?” Haley stood in her stirrups to peer over the heads of the crowd. She was relieved to see that Riley was sitting up, though she was leaning against the jump and looked pretty dazed. The two boys were kneeling on either side of her.

  “Where’s my horse?” Riley’s weak voice drifted toward Haley on the breeze. “Is she okay?”

  “Don’t try to talk,” Vance told her. “I’m sure your horse is fine.”

  Haley jumped down from the saddle and tossed the reins at a surprised Tracey. “Here, hold him a sec,” she ordered. Then she pushed her way through the crowd.