Foxy: Rivalry at Summer Camp

by Belinda Rapley

  Copper was restless, not standing still for a second as Amber tried to groom him. As Amber returned from the tack room, carrying her own saddle and bridle for once, Charlie made a face.

  “He looks like he might be handful today,” Charlie said.

  Amber gave a weak smile. “I know,” she replied. “I’m going to get on him in a second so I’ve got loads of time to warm him up before we start. Then hopefully I can get some of the fizz out of him.” She pulled on her riding gloves and clicked her body protector into place, then glanced round at the riders bustling to and fro. “Oh, by the way, I bumped into Holly and Destiny near the tack room. Holly said she had something to tell you. I think she was heading into the feed room.”

  “What, now?” Alice asked, glancing over to Scout and wondering how much time they had before they were due to mount.

  Amber nodded.

  “We’d better be quick, then,” Charlie said, starting off in the direction of the feed room. The others followed and stepped out of the sunshine into the cool shade. They’d just got inside when they heard footsteps approaching.

  Alice was about to look and see who it was when the door suddenly swung shut in her face. Before she could react, the big key was turned in the rusty lock. She tried the handle, rattling it desperately. The door shook, but wouldn’t open.

  “Someone’s locked us in!” she cried as Charlie rushed over and started to bang on the door. “We’re trapped!”

  “It’s no good,” Mia said. “No one will hear us from the paddocks – they’re all gearing up for their cross-country starts.”

  “If this is one of the boys having a laugh, I swear I’ll bury them in the muck heap!” Charlie said, banging the door again crossly.

  “Somehow, I don’t think it is them,” Mia said, staying calm. “But whoever it is, we need to find a way out of here, quick.”

  “Well, maybe there’s a spare key somewhere,” Alice suggested, looking round at all the tins on the shelf. “We’d better get searching.”

  While Alice and Mia checked the shelves, Charlie and Rosie searched around the feed bins.

  “There’s something under here,” Rosie puffed. She grabbed a wooden mixing spoon and poked around.

  “Is it key-shaped?” Alice asked hopefully, moving onto the next shelf.

  “I can’t tell yet,” Rosie grunted, trying to reach further under with the spoon. “I’ve nearly got it… oh!”

  Rosie gave a final flick with her spoon and a copy of Pony Mad skidded out from underneath the bin, bringing with it a collection of screwed-up sachets. Alice grabbed one of the sachets, and flattened it out. “Devil’s claw,” she said grimly as Rosie ducked back down and fished under the bin again.

  “There’s something else caught under here,” Rosie said, before a second magazine came sliding out. “Another Pony Mad! That makes two copies – these must be the ones from the shop!”

  As Rosie flipped open the pages, looking for the article on Lily Simpson, Alice frowned. “But no one from camp could have bought them. We were all at Hilltop when the shop sold out.”

  “Apart from Amber,” Mia suddenly remembered. “She said she went to see her aunt, but she could easily have nipped into the village too. And these were under the feed bin in the same hiding place as the empty sachets. It has to be her!”

  “She knew everyone wanted copies of Pony Mad from the village,” Rosie said, “so there’s got to be something in this magazine article on Lily that she didn’t want any of us to see.”

  “Yes, but what?” Charlie asked, impatiently.

  Rosie turned the pages, almost ripping them in her haste.

  “Hang on, here’s the fact file on Lily’s top horses and ponies,” Rosie said, skimming through the article. “Foxy… here we go… So, he’s sixteen, he loves his chin being rubbed and he has one devil’s claw sachet in his morning feed. It helps keep him pain free after retiring through injury two years ago!”

  “Well, I guess that explains how Amber managed to get a stash of it,” Alice said, “she must have taken it from Chestnut Grove.”

  Rosie suddenly gasped. “Look! There’s a picture of Copper in the magazine!” The others quickly looked over her shoulder.

  “But the caption says it’s Foxy, not Copper.” Mia frowned, double-checking. “They must have got it wrong.”

  They all stared at the picture of a pony with the same white blaze as Copper, spread slightly over one eye, and an identical pink patch on his muzzle. The only difference was that the pony in the picture looked roughed off . His mane was longer and fluffier, and he had whiskers under his chin. But it still looked just like Copper.

  “And look,” Alice pointed out, “it says there that Foxy’s the only pony on the yard with a freeze mark. But Copper’s got one too, hasn’t he?”

  Mia’s heart raced as fast as her mind. “If that’s right, then all this information can only mean one thing… Copper must be Foxy!” she gasped. “Amber was so desperate to win that she sneaked one of Lily’s top ponies into camp and tried to pass him off as her own!”

  “That means Foxy’s been here, right under our noses, all along,” Rosie said, shaking her head.

  The Pony Detectives looked at each other, amazed by Amber’s reckless plan.

  “So where, then, has Amber hidden the real Copper?” Alice added.

  “How did she ever think she’d get away with swapping ponies like this?” Charlie asked.

  “And why would she go to such lengths,” Mia said, still feeling stunned as Rosie carried on reading the article, “just to win a Pony Camp competition?”

  “Oh my goodness,” Rosie whispered, her heart starting to race. “If that is Foxy out there with Amber, he’s in serious danger. Listen to this! Fact number seven: Foxy retired through injury. He damaged the ligaments and tendons in his near fore. He’s come back into work, but he can’t do anything too strenuous because if he injures his leg again, his tendons could be damaged beyond repair. The injury would then be life-threatening!”

  “But Amber’s about to jump him round a whole cross-country course! And she’s planning to take on the Joker! I can’t believe she’d be willing to risk Foxy’s life, just to get to the top of the leader board!” Alice cried. “We’ve got to get out there now! We have to stop her!”

  All the time Rosie had been reading out loud, Charlie had been searching the feed room. She’d been about to give up when she suddenly had an idea. She quickly grabbed a broken whip from the bucket in the corner, tugged off the flappy end bit, then prodded the exposed fibreglass shaft into the key hole.

  “Er, what are you doing?” Rosie asked, frowning.

  “Trying to get us out of here,” Charlie puffed. With a clink, the key dropped to the ground outside. Charlie quickly lay on her tummy on the ground, then slid the broken whip through the gap under the door. She scooped the whip, carefully teasing the key towards her.

  “Bingo!” Charlie cried, as it slid through the gap. “Let’s go!”

  She grabbed the key, turned it in the lock and the four girls fell out into the sunshine. As they raced to the paddocks, they looked over to the start of the cross-country course.

  “Where’s Amber?” Charlie called over to Holly, who was standing next to Phantom, a concerned look on her face.

  “Never mind Amber, where have you four been?” she asked. “It’s nearly your turn on the course! Me and Destiny have been looking everywhere for you!”

  “You could have tried the feed room!” Rosie cried. “Just tell us, has Amber gone out onto the course yet?”

  “She started a few minutes ago. She’ll probably be nearly at the end by now.” Holly frowned. “Why?”

  But the girls didn’t stop to explain. They grabbed their bridles, quickly put them on their ponies and leaped into their saddles.

  “Sorry, Phantom,” Charlie said to her horse, who skittered sideways as she shoved her feet into the stirrups. “But we’ve got to fly!”

  The four girls cantered their ponies
past the tents and out onto the estate grounds. As they reached the end of the trees that lined the paddocks, Amber and Foxy galloped into view. They were in the distance, but the girls could see that Foxy was flying up to the steps, his tail spread like a banner behind him, and every muscle under his copper-coloured coat was taut.

  Amber was standing up in the stirrups, trying to steady him, but it was clear that she’d lost control of the chestnut gelding. He skidded coming into the first step, suddenly realising what was in front of him. He bunched up and scrambled over the first couple of steps. Amber was unbalanced, but somehow she managed to cling on. Foxy took one big stride on the top then bounded down the drop. Amber almost tipped over the front. With all the weight over his shoulders, Foxy stumbled as he moved away from the fence and for the next few strides his steps faltered.

  On top, Amber looked pale and grim, but determined. She pointed her gutsy pony at the tiger trap and flew over, and was quickly onto the telegraph poles. They sailed over that combination and the shark’s teeth, too, but when Amber tried to turn him towards the pheasant feeder, Foxy started to prop, putting in short strides and raising his head. He spun round once, trying to edge towards the trees that lined the brook around the boundary.

  “He’s trying to get back home to Chestnut Grove!” Mia said as they pushed their ponies on.

  But Amber wouldn’t let him. She raised her stick and gave the little gelding a half-hearted slap on his rump. Foxy leaped forward, shocked. His stride got faster, his head up. Amber tangled her fingers into his mane with one hand as she yanked on the rein with the other, turning the recklessly galloping pony towards the pheasant feeder. They flew over. As Foxy’s speed got even faster, Amber hauled on the reins to turn the pony towards the Joker fence.

  “Amber!” Charlie shouted. “Don’t jump!”

  Melissa was jump-judging and she looked over to the Pony Detectives, then to the out-of-control pony. She immediately got on her radio.

  Amber was locked on the fence. Foxy’s head was high and he only saw it in the last few moments, suddenly adjusting his stride and launching himself into the air. He scrabbled over it in a muddle of hooves before landing awkwardly on the other side. He stumbled onto one knee, and looked like he was about to fall, but somehow he righted himself just in time. But Amber was shot out of the saddle and, free of her, Foxy suddenly turned and began to bolt back to the brook.

  “He’ll end up on the lane!” Mia called out. “Quick!”

  The gelding’s strides were uneven. His reins tangled round one leg as he raced on in a blind panic. The Pony Detectives squeezed their ponies into a fast canter, and set off in pursuit, flying past the table, the pheasant feeder and the shark’s teeth. The trees weren’t densely packed and the girls could see Foxy splash down into the brook, then spring out the other side. They had just ducked into the woods after him, sliding with their ponies into the brook when they heard it. A clatter of hooves on the lane and a squeal of tyres. A sickening thud followed, then silence.

  “Foxy!” Alice screamed.

  They clambered out of the brook, their hearts pounding, then scrambled out of their saddles and walked their ponies through the trees on the other side.

  “I don’t want to look,” Rosie whispered, as they emerged onto the lane.

  There in front of them, scrambling up from the road, stood Foxy. Alice saw ugly grazes all down his near side, blood beading rapidly from each one. There was a deep gash on his hip, stifle and hock. Foxy was trembling all over, his head low, his breathing laboured. He attempted to move, then clearly thought better of it. He swayed, then stood stock still.

  Charlie grabbed hold of Wish’s reins. Mia wanted to rush forward, but she made herself step quietly up to Foxy, before gently taking his bridle. Rosie chucked Dancer’s reins to Alice and quickly undid Foxy’s scuffed girth and slid off his saddle.

  Further up the road, a car had come off the road and come to a halt. The driver climbed out, shakily, as the door to the blue cottage was flung open.

  “It’s Holly’s Grammy,” Alice whispered.

  The old lady was very sprightly for her age. She ran to the road, her face full of concern, and helped the driver over to the wall to sit down and recover.

  Melissa splashed through the brook and emerged onto the lane. She already had her mobile phone glued to her ear, and within seconds the girls realised she was on the phone to the vet. She acknowledged the Pony Detectives with a nod, then took in Foxy’s injuries and the dented car with a sweep of her eyes.

  “Yup, it’s bad,” she said, catching her breath. “Fifteen minutes? Okay, I’ll organise a trailer.”

  She radioed through to Freddie and the girls heard him say that he’d get a trailer from Hilltop.

  Melissa spoke to the driver to understand exactly where Foxy had been hit, so that she could tell the vet.

  “He came out of nowhere,” the driver kept saying. “The pony came out of nowhere. I… I couldn’t avoid him. Will he be okay?”

  Melissa avoided answering the driver’s question as Amber appeared behind them, a grass stain on her hip from where she’d hit the ground. She froze, taking in Foxy’s drooping head, the dark sweat on his neck, his heaving flanks and the blood pouring from where he’d hit the tarmac. And he was pointing his near foreleg, not wanting to put weight on it.

  “Amber, what were you thinking?” Charlie demanded, shaking with anger at the sight of Foxy.

  Amber didn’t respond. She just stood there, staring at Foxy and barely breathing. “That’s the leg he injured before.” She spoke in an almost inaudible whisper. “What have I done?”

  Charlie’s anger drained away at once as she saw the guilt and fear on Amber’s pale face. She leaned against Phantom, who for once stood stock still.

  Melissa looked between the four friends and Amber. “Would someone mind telling me what on earth is going on?” she demanded. “What do you mean by the leg Copper damaged before? There wasn’t anything on his form to say he had an injury.”

  “This isn’t Copper,” Mia said.

  Amber stayed silent for a second, then looked up at the pony in front of her. “No, this… this is Foxy.”

  “What, Foxy as in your sister’s retired eventer, Foxy?” Melissa asked, confused. Then it sunk in. “You mean you had him at camp all this time?”

  Amber nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground. Melissa looked stunned. As they waited for Freddie to arrive with the trailer and the vet, Amber stood, pale-faced and with tears streaming silently down her cheeks. She moved over to Foxy and rubbed under his chin, but the gelding didn’t respond. His eyes were wide and staring as Amber whispered to him, stroking his ear over and over.

  Suddenly a car appeared, slowed to a stop, and a tall, broad woman in overalls jumped out. Alice felt a flood of relief wash over her – it was the vet.

  The vet examined Foxy, checking his eyes and heart rate as Melissa explained what had happened as best she could.

  “He’s in shock on top of everything else,” the vet said, giving him an antibiotic injection into his jugular vein, and another into his hind quarters. Foxy staggered slightly, looking confused all of a sudden. “He needs fluids, fast. We’ll have to take him back to the surgery for that. Trailer’s on its way, I take it?”

  At that moment, Freddie appeared, roaring round the corner. Within minutes they’d lowered the ramp right in front of Foxy, and helped him to move stiffly into the trailer.

  “Okay,” the vet said, checking her paperwork, “just to confirm, this is Copper, right?”

  “No, it’s Foxy,” Melissa said.

  The vet crossed something out on her sheet and scribbled the new name. Freddie, standing with them, gave a start.

  “Sorry, did I hear that right?” He looked from Melissa to Amber, who nodded miserably.

  “Yes,” Amber whispered.

  Freddie stared at her, taking it in for a second. “But Lily’s been going crazy about Foxy all week! She’s hardly been able to concentrate at all!
” he said, getting cross. “How could you be so thoughtless, Amber?”

  Amber hung her head for a second, then she looked up with a puzzled expression. “How come you know so much about it?”

  “Georgie may be Lily’s biggest rival,” Freddie said, “but despite all that the media say, they’re also close friends. Both of them nearly withdrew from Burghley so they could come back to search for Foxy. I’ve helped Georgie train so hard… Getting her to Burghley has been our plan for ages and she nearly threw it all away to help her friend out. I had to promise that I’d keep a lookout from here, just to persuade her to stay. Didn’t you stop to think what taking Foxy might do to Lily and everyone around her?”

  Amber stood miserably, looking down at the ground once more.

  Freddie reached for his phone. “I’ve got to let Georgie know. She can tell Lily that Foxy’s been found.”

  “No!” Amber pleaded, desperately. “Please don’t tell Lily! At least, not yet!”

  Freddie frowned. “She has to be told what’s happened, Amber.”

  “But she’ll rush home as soon as you call her!” Amber cried, glancing at Foxy. “And I… I’ve ruined enough for her already without completely wrecking her chances at Burghley, too.”

  He put his phone away. “All right. But I’m going to ring Georgie as soon as I know more about what’s happening.” With that he jumped into the Land Rover and drove away steadily, following the vet.

  As the trailer disappeared, Rosie noticed the old chestnut pony they’d spotted during the treasure hunt. He was poking his face through the hedge, trying to see what was going on. Amber saw him, too. Her eyes filled up again as Melissa came over.

  “Can you four take Amber back to camp while I make sure the driver’s okay?” Melissa asked.

  They nodded, then silently splashed their way in single file through the brook. Amber trailed behind them, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

  THE Pony Detectives led their ponies back, the water soaking into their jodhpur boots. Amber stayed silent. After they were back amongst the cross-country fences on the estate land, she glanced up at the girls, then looked back at the ground.