“Bye everyone,” she called forlornly. “I’m off home now.” But no one answered her. Rosie shrugged her shoulders and slipped out of the doorway, heading over to her bicycle. For the first time ever, Rosie felt like an outsider at Sandy Lane. Sadly, she turned her bicycle out of the yard, taking one quick glance behind her at the tack room, now lit up by a yellow glow, the laughter spilling out into the night.
6
STANDARDS SLIP
In the excitement following the arrival of the newcomers to Sandy Lane, the forthcoming Tentenden Team Chase seemed to have been quite forgotten. The Sandy Lane regulars found themselves extremely busy. There was so much to do – so many hacks to organize, so many lessons to take, that they hardly had time to fit in any training. Four days had passed and Sam had only taken them out over the cross-country course once.
“Where’s Sam?” Rosie called, hurrying over to Alex and Tom. “I’ve been banging on the door of the cottage all morning. I’m sure he’s inside, but there’s no answer.”
“But that was part of the deal, wasn’t it?” Tom returned quickly. “I take lessons in the morning, he takes lessons in the afternoon and we all help around the yard. He doesn’t need to be around all the time.”
Rosie raised her eyebrows.
“They don’t seem to be helping much around the yard though, do they?” she said gruffly.
“Oh Rosie. You’re not still going on about that are you?” Tom said crossly. “Come on. Give them a chance. And Sam’s excellent over cross-country.”
“He may be very experienced,” Rosie said hesitantly. “But personally I don’t think I’m learning a great deal. He’s too busy congratulating himself most of the time. Anyway, it’s the yard I’m worried about, not his riding skills,” she continued. “The takings have been down for the last three days in a row and Vanessa’s completely useless. It was better when we did the appointments book ourselves. Yesterday, there were two double bookings. Nick and Sarah never turn pupils away, especially not regulars like Melissa White. And Melissa said that she might even try out the Clarendon Equestrian Centre. It’s the last thing Nick and Sarah need – having another stables’ takings boosted because of us.”
“It was a mistake, Rosie,” Tom said tersely. “Accidents do happen. Melissa wouldn’t really go to the Clarendon Equestrian Centre. It’s only been open six months and it’s already got a bad reputation. The horses look all right, but they’re really badly schooled. And as for the owner, Ralph Winterson, he’s never there anyway. He just leaves the stable girls to do everything.”
“He’s been had up for cruelty to horses before too, Rosie,” Alex added. “And I heard a rumour going round that he had to close down his last stables for rapping. He only got away with it because it was his word against a little girl’s. But no one doubted for a moment that he’d been lifting the poles to get her horse to jump higher.”
“Whatever you say,” Rosie said crossly. “But I do still need to see Sam...and now rather than next year. He needs to sign the Tentenden entry form,” she went on. “If it doesn’t go today it’ll miss the closing date. I’m almost tempted to forge his signature.”
Rosie wandered away, trying to look as if she didn’t care. But deep down she did care. She minded very much what her friends thought of her. She would have to keep quiet from now on, even Jess had started telling her to give it a rest.
Rosie hurried into the tack room to finish off the entry form. Methodically, she filled in the gaps in her neat, sloping handwriting, chewing the end of her pen as she carefully read the form. It was only when Jess put her head around the door that she realized how long she had spent poring over it.
“Look Rosie,” Jess cried excitedly. “A postcard from Nick and Sarah.”
“Read it out then,” said Rosie, taking the pen out of her mouth.
“Dear all,” Jess started. “Arrived safely. Sarah’s dad is on the road to recovery, so all is well. Hope Beth is working you hard for Tentenden. Very busy out here, but should still be back on the 20th as planned. Tell you more about it when we see you. Love Nick and Sarah.”
“It looks like they must have sent it before Beth’s accident,” said Rosie, thinking aloud.
“I suppose so,” Jess said, “I can’t quite make out the postmark. I’ll pin it to the notice board where the others can see it. Come on, Rosie,” she added. “Pepper’s waiting for you. And Sam has said he’ll take us all over the cross-country course.”
“Cross-country?” Rosie said puzzled. “I didn’t know we had training this morning. Is Sam up and about then?”
“Yes and waiting,” Jess grinned. “And he says he’ll take Kate and Alex too, not just the team for Tentenden.”
“Oh,” said Rosie, shrugging her shoulders. Jumping to her feet, she left the application form spread out on the desk in front of her. It could wait another hour. She followed Jess out of the tack room, just as Tom led Whispering Silver out of her stable.
“Where are you going with Whisp, Tom?” Rosie called out.
“Sam wants to try her over the cross-country,” Tom answered quickly.
“What? But Nick doesn’t let anyone ride Whisp over the course,” said Rosie. “Not even him. Her legs aren’t up to it, not if she takes a heavy rap. She’s getting older now. Nick wants to be careful with her.”
“Sam thinks it’ll strengthen her legs if he gives her a good bit of exercise and he’s going to jump her carefully, Rosie,” Tom said shortly. “Why are you always questioning his judgement? He is here with Nick’s approval you know. And I’m sure he knows better than any of us what her legs can and can’t take. He’s been riding for years.”
Rosie shrugged her shoulders and turned away. Tom had well and truly put her in her place. She wanted to say something to Sam, to question his decision to ride Whispering Silver, but somehow she didn’t feel she dare. Leading Pepper out to join the others, she shivered as a gust of wind blew across the yard.
“Is everyone here?” Sam asked, opening the gate to the fields at the back. Rosie followed on after the others in a daze.
“Everyone gather over by the big beech tree,” Sam continued.
The horses trotted over to the tree and stopped in a group. Sam cantered over to join them.
“OK. Let’s get going. And remember, speed is the key.”
Rosie felt a nervous tremor run through her. She knew that speed was vital but it wasn’t her greatest skill. Surely care and safety were as important too? She had never been intimidated by the cross-country course before, never doubted her own ability. But suddenly she felt unsure. Was it just a week and a half ago that she had stood so confidently in front of the jumps? Suddenly the tiger trap seemed to tower above her and the other fences loomed dangerously in the distance.
“I’ll go round once to show you how it’s done,” Sam said brusquely, snapping Rosie out of her trance. “And then, when I’m back, I’ll watch you one by one. OK? And by the way everyone, I’m not sure about the choice for the Tentenden team,” he laughed, looking at Rosie. “So convince me with your riding.”
Rosie gulped. Sam couldn’t alter the team now, could he? She looked around at the animated faces of her friends. None of them seemed worried by Sam’s remarks. She opened her mouth to protest, and closed it again. Digging her nails into her hands to stop the tears, she turned to Jess.
“Did you hear what Sam said? He wants me out of the team.”
“Don’t be silly, Rosie,” said Jess laughing. “It wasn’t aimed at you. I’m sure Sam wouldn’t alter the team now...not after all the training we’ve put in. It’s just his way of keeping us on our toes.”
“I hope you’re right,” Rosie said despondently. She didn’t know what to think. Maybe she was overreacting but it certainly hadn’t seemed that way to her. She felt faint as she turned to look at the course.
Staring into the distance, Rosie watched Sam turn Whispering Silver towards the first fence with a crack from his whip. The horse stumbled and hurtled towards the
tiger trap at breakneck speed as Sam crouched low onto her neck, his legs tucked neatly beneath him. They careered over the jump and, as they landed, Sam pushed her on. Faster and faster Whisp raced. Rosie hardly dared watch as the horse was spurred forward. Whisp responded bravely and battled her way over the next jump and then they went out of sight and into the woods.
“Wow. They’re going fast,” Jess cried, her eyes glinting brightly. “Are you all right, Rosie?” she asked turning in the saddle and seeing her friend’s white face.
“Yes,” Rosie breathed.
But Rosie felt sick. She wasn’t impressed. She knew Sam was asking too much of Whisp. Nervously she bit her lip, training her eyes on the outline of horse and rider. Nick would die if anything happened to that horse. Rosie dreaded to think what was going on.
“Here they are now,” Tom cried, as the pair of them emerged from the trees and headed for the next jump. Horse and rider skimmed over the fence and plunged into the water. But Whisp was sinking, her legs thrashing about under her as she tried to gather momentum. Tired, she staggered up the bank.
Rosie held her breath as they rode over the zigzag rails and then the gate, onto the stone wall. The ground fell away as horse and rider galloped up the hill and neared the group. Rosie grimaced. Whispering Silver was in a lather, her body was bathed in sweat as she quivered in the wind. Sam’s jodhpurs, clean on that morning, were splattered with mud.
“That was fast, Sam. It looked amazing,” Tom gasped.
“It was,” Sam said nonchalantly. “Now you try. I must say, I did have a bit of trouble in the woods. I think the old horse was tiring, took a bit of a rap.”
Rosie trembled. Her heart felt heavy as she looked down at Whispering Silver’s delicate legs. Sam’s words echoed in her head as Tom galloped Chancey to the first fence and Sam clicked his stopwatch.
Rosie had never seen them go so fast. They were out of control. And she knew Chancey wasn’t fit enough for it. It could strain his heart. But Tom must know what he was doing – Chancey was his horse after all. Thundering over the tiger trap, they raced to the brush hurdle. Rosie could hear the sound of hooves pulsating in her ears, the sound of metal shoes striking timber as the jumps were cleared in easy succession. Chancey hardly seemed to touch the ground as he came out of the woods and approached the water jump. But no sooner was he over it and out of the water, than Tom was pressing him on to the zigzag rails. Chancey tore over them, straining at the bit as he surged on to the low gate.
Sam clicked his stop watch as they cleared the stone wall.
“Good.” He beamed as Tom returned to the group.
Good! Rosie couldn’t believe her ears. It had been bordering on dangerous. And, as she had volunteered to go last, she would have to watch another four of her friends ride madly around the course before it was even her turn.
She turned Pepper away from the group, trying to keep her cool. She tried to relax as she loosened him up, but all she could hear were the words “speed, speed, speed,” ringing in her ears. She knew she wasn’t going to have a good round...knew that by going fast, she would jeopardize her style. She couldn’t bring herself to watch the others. When eventually it was her turn to ride the course, she had no idea how they had done. She circled Pepper, waiting for Sam to indicate that she should start, watching him for a flicker of movement. Then Sam nodded his head and she nudged the little pony forward. She turned him to the start and pushed him on into a canter.
“Faster.”
Rosie heard the roar from behind her and tried to lengthen Pepper’s stride. Pepper tried to put in an extra stride as he headed for the tiger trap and stumbled over the fence. Rosie knew she had completely misdirected the little pony. Her arms and legs were all over the place as she tugged at Pepper’s reins in an effort to slow him down. Hurtling over the brush hurdle, they bounded on to the hayrack.
Pepper was excited now and he snorted impatiently. Rolling his eyes, enthralled by the speed, he surged ahead and for the next two jumps, Rosie found herself hanging behind. They thundered into the woods.
Rosie felt the panic rising in her throat as the low-hanging branches brushed against her clothes. She was slipping in the saddle. She didn’t know how she managed to stay on over the tyres. And when the little pony checked himself at the water jump, Rosie almost flew over his head. Splashing on through the water, Rosie lost a stirrup. Desperately trying to regain her seat, she found herself completely off-balance for the next two fences and was shaking when she joined the rest of the group. It had been a terrible round.
“Not bad,” said Sam, clicking his stop watch.
Rosie stopped for a minute to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding and her arms ached. She had been frightened, actually frightened. Everyone must have seen that.
“Good pace, Rosie,” said Jess. “If we all go that speed at Tentenden, we’ll be in with a real chance.”
Rosie didn’t know what to say to her friend. She turned away, disgusted with herself. Hadn’t Jess seen how badly she had ridden? Nothing had been said about her place on the team and her time was still the third fastest. But she didn’t feel happy with the way she had ridden.
Turning back to the yard, Rosie led Pepper back into his stable. She tied him to the ring and closed the door behind her. Relieved to be alone at last, she untacked the pony.
“I won’t let Sam spoil Tentenden for us, Pepper,” she whispered to the little horse. As soon as she’d finished sponging him down, she went to complete the Tentenden application.
Adding the last finishing touches to the form, Rosie fished out a stamp from her pocket and attached it to the envelope. Then she hurried to find Sam. Knocking at the door of the cottage, she waited patiently.
“Sam,” Rosie said hesitantly as he answered the door. “I’ve got the entry form for Tentenden here. Do you think you could sign it before I post it? It should really go off today to make sure it gets there for Friday.”
“Just leave it there Rosie. I’ll sign it and send it myself,” Sam said.
But he wouldn’t meet her eyes and Rosie felt uneasy. Sam hadn’t said anything more about a change of team, but Rosie didn’t trust him an inch. Would he actually leave her name on the form, or would he substitute someone else’s? She hesitated. She couldn’t bring herself to ask him. She just wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
7
FROM BAD TO WORSE
Sleep didn’t come easily to Rosie that night and when it did, it was disturbed by dreams...dreams of horses falling at open ditches and thrashing about in icy water. Tossing and turning, she woke in a cold sweat. She looked at her watch. Six o’clock. There wasn’t any point in trying to get back to sleep, she’d have to be up in half an hour anyway.
Drawing back the curtains, she looked out of the window and sighed. It was just getting light and an eerie mist hung over the fields. Rosie felt uneasy as she remembered yesterday’s events. Sam really shouldn’t have given Whisp such a hard ride. She hoped the horse would be all right. As for her riding, it had been appalling.
Reaching to her bedside chair, she grabbed her clothes and pulled them under her duvet. They were cold to the touch as she struggled to put them on.
On the count of three, Rosie threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. Picking up her waterproof jacket, she tiptoed down the stairs and grabbed a piece of bread from the kitchen before making her way outside to her bike. The air felt heavy with rain. All was still and silent as she cycled to Sandy Lane. She passed no one on the empty country roads.
Turning into the drive, she rode into the yard and hopped off her bike, propping it up against the water trough as she walked over to Whisp’s stable.
At first Rosie couldn’t see anything when she looked over the door, but once her eyes had grown accustomed to the dark, she could see the shape of the horse lying down on the floor. Whisp looked up and struggled to her feet. Rosie grimaced as she realized that the horse’s back offside leg was swollen. Whisp’s head hung low and she teet
ered painfully on three legs.
“Damn you, Sam,” Rosie muttered through gritted teeth.
Drawing back the bolt on the door, she entered the box, talking sweetly to the horse all the time.
“It’s OK Whisp. You’re going to be all right, poor old lady,” she crooned. Whisp turned her face towards her and snickered softly. Swiftly, Rosie ran her hand down the horse’s leg and felt the heat.
“I think we’ll have to have the vet called out for you,” she said, fondly patting the grey neck.
Rosie hurried over to the tack room and dialled the vet’s number. When he heard what was wrong, he promised to come straight away. For the moment, there was nothing more Rosie could do, so she waited anxiously by the gate.
Soon the others arrived at Sandy Lane. Rosie was gloomy as she told them what had happened.
“Oh,” said Tom sheepishly. “Poor Whisp. Sam did take her round pretty fast. I suppose we’d better cancel her rides.”
Rosie headed off to check the bookings. Slipping into the tack room, she opened up the appointments book. That was strange – today’s page seemed to have been torn out. Rosie flicked through the book. Even stranger – all the other days were there, but today’s was clearly missing.
“Tom,” she called. “Tom, do you know anything about this?”
Tom hurried into the tack room as Rosie held up the book with the ripped page.
“Where can it have gone?” he puzzled. “Who can have taken that page? It’s our only record of who’s riding who. How will we ever work it out? Can you remember?”
“Not really. I know that Melissa White’s on Pepper at some time but that’s about it. Vanessa’s the only person who might know,” she said.
“What might I know?” a voice called.
Rosie saw Vanessa leaning in the doorway of the tack room.
Strangers at the Stables Page 5