by Sue Bentley
Show-Jumping Dreams
To Beauty, who helped me gain confidence—SB
GROSSET & DUNLAP
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Text copyright © 2009 by Sue Bentley. Illustrations copyright © 2009 by Angela Swan. Cover illustration © 2009 by Andrew Farley. First printed in Great Britain in 2009 by Penguin Books Ltd. First published in the United States in 2013 by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN: 978-0-698-15937-2
Show-Jumping Dreams
SUE BENTLEY
illustrated by Angela Swan
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter ONE
Chapter TWO
Chapter THREE
Chapter FOUR
Chapter FIVE
Chapter SIX
Chapter SEVEN
Chapter EIGHT
Special Excerpt from Magic Ponies: A Twinkle of Hooves
About the AUTHOR
Comet folded his gorgeous golden wings as his shining hooves touched down on the grassy plain. The magic pony gave a whinny of excitement. It felt good to be home on Rainbow Mist Island.
But his happiness lasted only a moment as he thought about his twin sister. Destiny had been lost for so long. Surely she must have returned safely by now.
The scent of the sweet grass reminded Comet that he was very hungry, so he lowered his head and began eating. Sunbeams slanted through the swirling multicolored mist that gave the island its name. They gleamed on his cream coat and gold mane and tail.
Chewing, Comet looked up, scanning the landscape for signs of any of the other horses that belonged to the Lightning Herd. His large deep-violet eyes widened as he caught a movement.
Comet could see a shadow stretching across the grass. His coat twitched with nerves as he stiffened. Was it a magic pony or one of the dark horses who wanted to steal the Lightning Herd’s magic?
Comet hesitated, weighing the danger. “Destiny?”
The magic pony’s lonely heart quickened with longing as he thought of his twin sister who he missed so much. He snorted, deciding to take a risk, and cantered toward the trees.
Just as Comet reached them, the low branches parted and an older horse with a wise expression and calm gold eyes stepped out.
“Blaze!” Swallowing his sadness, Comet bowed his head before the leader of the Lightning Herd.
“I am glad to see you again, my young friend,” Blaze said in a deep neigh. “But I am afraid that Destiny has not returned to us.”
Comet sighed deeply. “She must still think she is in trouble for losing the stone.”
The Stone of Power protected the Lightning Herd from the dark horses. Destiny had accidentally lost it when she and Comet were cloud-racing. Comet recovered the stone, but Destiny had already fled.
Blaze nodded gravely. “I do not think she will come back, unless you find her and explain all is now well.”
Comet’s beautiful violet eyes flashed with purpose. “I will go to the other world and search for her!”
“We must ask for the stone’s help to find where she is hiding.” Blaze stamped his foot and pawed at the grass. A fiery opal appeared, which swirled with flashes of multicolored light.
The magic pony looked down and peered deeply into the rainbow. The stone grew larger and rays of dazzling light spread outward.
An image formed in the glowing center. Comet gasped as he saw Destiny standing beneath a tree in a world far away.
“I will leave at once!” he whinnied.
There was a bright flash of dazzling violet light, and rainbow mist surrounded Comet. The pale cream pony, with his flowing golden mane and tail and gleaming gold-feathered wings, disappeared. In his place stood a handsome palomino pony with a warm caramel-colored coat, a sandy mane and tail, and glowing deep-violet eyes.
“Use this disguise. Find your twin sister and return with her safely,” Blaze urged.
“I will!” Comet vowed.
The magic pony’s caramel coat bloomed with violet sparks. Comet snorted as he felt the power building inside him. And the shimmering rainbow mist whooshed into a whirlpool as it drew Comet in . . .
“Go on, Alex! Go for it!” Zoe cried.
With her best friend shouting encouragement, Alexandra Judd gritted her teeth and concentrated hard as she rode toward the final fence. If Pasha soared over this one, too, it would be a clear round.
Her mom and dad were in the crowd watching the horse show. She hoped she could make them proud. It would be great to win a trophy to take home.
Alex sat tall, looked straight ahead, and kept her heels down. Strands of her shoulder-length brown hair blew out from under her riding hat.
“One! Two! Th—” she said under her breath. “Oh!” At the last moment, her chestnut pony seemed to miss a step.
Pasha swung her hind legs sideways, just avoiding banging into the fence. But with a whinny of pain, the pony sank on to her haunches. Alex only just managed to stay on as Pasha scrambled to her feet and stood with her head hanging down.
Alex gasped with dismay as she realized that something was really wrong.
Dismounting quickly and trying to fight panic, she led her pony away from the course. “Poor girl. Did you hurt yourself?” she said gently. “Come on, take it slow. Let’s get the vet to look at you. She’ll make you feel better.”
As she led the limping pony to one side, her mom and dad were already racing toward her. Alex gave up all pretense of being calm.
“Mom! Dad! Something happened to Pasha!” she wailed.
“All right, honey. You’re doing all the right things.” Her dad took over. He bent down and swiftly ran his hand down the injured pony’s back leg. Pasha flinched and tremors ran over her chestnut coat. “I hope it’s just a sprain and not a torn ligament.”
A torn ligament was serious. A feeling of dread jolted through Alex as she saw her parents exchanging serious looks. She’d had Pasha for three years and loved her to pieces. She couldn’t bear to think of the plucky little chestnut pony being in pain.
A voice came over the loudspeaker. “Vet to show jumping, please. Right away.”
It seemed like hours before the van arrived and the vet was examining Pasha with her expert eye. Alex stoo
d with her arms around her pony’s warm neck, trying hard not to cry. “Don’t be scared, Pasha. The vet’s a nice lady. She’s going to help you,” she said gently.
Mrs. Judd put a hand on her daughter’s arm. “Why don’t you go and wait with Zoe, sweetie? She looks worried sick for you over there. We’ll take care of Pasha. I’ll come get you the moment the vet’s finished.”
Alex didn’t want to leave Pasha, but she nodded miserably. She walked over to her best friend who was standing a few feet away with Maxi, her brown-and-white Welsh pony.
Zoe looked close to tears, too. “Poor Pasha. What a terrible thing to happen. Is she going to be okay?” she asked.
“I don’t know. The vet’s still examining her.” Alex gulped, grateful that Zoe was there. They lived a few miles away from each other up at Denton Moor and had known each other since they were little. They were both crazy about ponies and did everything together.
Alex swallowed, blinking away unshed tears. A horrible thought dawned on her. “Was . . . was it my fault? I’m not as good at jumping as you are. I . . . I might have done something wrong that made Pasha land awkwardly.”
Zoe shook her head. “I don’t think so. Everything looked fine from where I was.”
Alex nodded slowly, hoping that Zoe was right and not just saying that to make her feel better.
The wait was almost unbearable, but eventually the vet was finished. The moment the vet dusted off her hands and rose to her feet, Alex rushed back.
“What’s wrong with Pasha? Her leg’s not broken, is it? She’s not going to have to be . . .” She couldn’t say the awful words.
“No,” the vet said quickly, banishing Alex’s worst fears. “But it’s a bad sprain and she split her heel. Your pony’s going to be out of action for some time while she rests that leg.”
Alex was so relieved that Pasha wasn’t more seriously hurt that it took a few seconds for the news to sink in. “But . . . she is going to get all better?”
The vet nodded. “There’s no reason why she shouldn’t make a full recovery. I gave her some medicine, so she’ll be more comfortable on the trip home.”
Alex felt faint with relief. She turned and gave Zoe a thumbs-up. Zoe waved back, beaming.
With the vet and her dad helping, they managed to get Pasha safely up the ramp and into their truck. The big horse truck wasn’t new when they got it recently, and there was a dent on one side. Inside, it had room for four ponies and lots of space for equipment.
Once Pasha was tethered in her stall, Alex gave her a handful of oats. “You were so brave,” she crooned, patting her. “Take a nice nap now.”
Back outside, she didn’t know what to do. Zoe was grooming Maxi and her mom was making lunch. Her dad suggested they take a walk around the show’s booths, which sold everything from riding boots to the latest saddle soap.
Alex didn’t really feel like it. Pasha’s injury had cast a shadow over the day for her. “Thanks, but do you mind if I go for a walk by myself instead?” she asked him.
“’Course not, honey. It’ll do you good. Don’t be too long.”
“I won’t.”
She wandered across the truck park. Riders on ponies and horses passed her on their way to and from the show-jumping and dressage enclosures. It was a warm spring day; families were enjoying picnics on the grass as they watched the different competitions.
Alex went through a gateway that led to a small wooded area. Flame-shaped yellow crocuses glowed against the dark soil next to shy violets. One or two people were walking their dogs, but the place was mostly empty. The rich smells of bark and grass surrounded her.
Alex paused on the shore of a small lake. She noticed a patch of mist hovering above the water. It seemed to be drifting toward her.
Suddenly there was a bright flash of violet sparkles, and a shimmering cloud filled the entire clearing. Alex saw rainbow droplets glistening on her skin.
“Oh!” She narrowed her eyes, trying to peer through the strange multicolored mist.
As it began to fade, Alex saw that a pony was walking toward her. It was a palomino with a glossy caramel-colored coat, a sandy mane and tail, and bright deep-violet eyes.
“Can you help me, please?” it asked in a velvety neigh.
Alex froze. She stared at the pretty pony in complete astonishment. She must still be feeling so upset about poor Pasha that she was imagining things! Whoever heard of a pony that could talk?
“What are you doing in here? I wonder who you belong to,” she murmured aloud to herself.
The pony lifted its head proudly and flared its nostrils. “I belong to no one. I am Comet of the Lightning Herd. I have just arrived here from far away.”
Alex’s jaw dropped. “Y-you can talk? B-but how come?”
“All the magical Lightning Horses in my herd can talk,” Comet told her. “What is your name?”
Alex swallowed, still not quite believing that this was happening. She felt like she’d stumbled into a real live fairy tale.
“I-I’m . . . um, Alexandra Judd, but everyone calls me Alex,” she found herself stammering. “I’m . . . here at the horse show with my parents and my best friend, Zoe . . .”
Comet dipped his head in a formal bow, and his pale sandy mane swung forward. “I am honored to meet you, Alex.”
“Um . . . me too,” Alex said, feeling as if she should curtsy or something. “Did you say that you came from far away? Like a different country?”
“Much farther. I live in another world on Rainbow Mist Island with my twin sister, Destiny.”
“Really? Wow! Is she here, too? Where is she?” Alex asked, fascinated, looking around for another talking palomino.
Comet shook his head. “Destiny is here in your world, but she is in hiding. She fled here after the Stone of Power was lost during our game of cloud-racing. The stone protects our herd from the dark horses who want to steal our magic. It has been found, but Destiny does not know this. I have come to find her and take her home.”
Alex blinked at the handsome pony. What he had told her was so magical and strange. She wasn’t sure that she could take it all in. But one thing in particular was puzzling her.
“Cloud-racing? What’s—” she began.
Comet’s violet eyes widened. “Stay back, please,” he snorted.
Alex felt a strange tingling sensation flowing down to her fingertips as violet sparks ignited in Comet’s caramel-colored coat and shimmering rainbow mist swirled around him. The palomino had disappeared, and in its place was a pale-cream pony with a flowing gold mane and tail that sparkled like spun silk. But it was the wide gold-feathered wings springing from his shoulders that stole Alex’s breath.
“Oh!” She gasped in utter amazement at the incredible sight. Nothing could have prepared her for anything so beautiful. “Comet?”
“Yes. It is still me, Alex. Do not be alarmed,” Comet said in a deep velvety whinny.
Before Alex had time to get used to seeing Comet in his true form, there was another spurt of violet sparkles and the multicolored mist broke into shining dust and disappeared, revealing the palomino pony once more.
“That’s an amazing disguise! Can Destiny make herself look like a normal pony, too?”
Comet nodded, his ears swiveling. “But her disguise will not protect her if the dark horses find her. I must search for my sister. Will you help me?”
“Of course I will,” Alex said, even though she had no idea where to look. “Do you think Destiny might be here at the horse show?”
Comet twitched his sandy tail. “I cannot sense that she is near. We will need to look for her on the slopes and hills nearby.”
“It’s pretty wild up in the high fields. There are tons of places among the rocks and caves where Destiny could hide,” Alex said thoughtfully. “I’ll be going home to Scarp Hill Farm in a few hours. I could ask Mom and Dad if you could come with me. We’re used to taking care of animals. There’s lots of room in our horse truck, even with two ponies in it
already. That’s Pasha, my pony. She just hurt herself,” she said, feeling a ripple of anxiety. She dragged her attention back to the magic pony. “And . . . and Maxi, who belongs to Zoe, my best friend. I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when I tell them about you!”
“No! You cannot tell anyone my secret,” Comet neighed, his violet eyes serious. “You must promise me, Alex.”
Alex pressed her lips together. She felt disappointed that she couldn’t tell her parents about the amazing pony. But it seemed even worse to keep secrets from Zoe. They usually told each other everything.
She nodded slowly. “Well—okay . . . ,” she said, prepared to agree if it would keep Comet and Destiny safe from their enemies.
Comet reached out to bump his nose gently against her arm. “Thank you.”
“No problem!” Alex smiled and reached up to stroke him. She rubbed between his eyes, feeling proud that he had chosen her for his friend.
“I will come to your home. It will be a safe place to stay,” Comet neighed.
“Cool! I’d really love that. But how am I going to explain about you and where you suddenly came from . . .”
“There you are!” called a voice.
Alex spun around to see Zoe running up to her. “Your mom sent me to find you. Lunch is ready . . . wow! Who does that gorgeous pony belong to?”
“What pony?” Alex asked, too flustered to think straight.
“Du-uh! The palomino standing right there in front of you!” Zoe pointed at Comet.
“Oh, that pony. Well . . . he’s . . . um . . .” Alex fumbled for an explanation before an idea suddenly came to her. “I . . . er, found him running loose. He probably belongs to someone at the horse show.”
Alex knew that if she reported Comet no one would be missing this magic pony! They’d probably assume that his owner had left without him, and her mom and dad definitely wouldn’t mind looking after Comet while they waited for him to be claimed.