Terry grinned. “I don’t think he’ll complain.”
Her father tore open the end of the packet, shook the loose sugar into his palm and extended his hand to Tic-Tac. The horse’s breath sent some of the granules flying as he carefully licked off the sugar.
“He’s really beautiful,” her mother said. “Now I see why you love him so much. Over the first few jumps, I just prayed he’d take care of you. But, not only was he safe, he was fantastic!” She hesitantly stroked Tic-Tac’s gleaming neck.
“I’ve been foolish, Terry,” she apologized. “I thought your riding was just a dangerous whim that you’d hopefully outgrow. But, I was wrong. You have a marvelous, natural talent. I should have had more faith in you.”
Terry smiled gratefully. “Thanks. That really means a lot that I’ve earned your confidence. Now, I’ve got to cool out and put Tic-Tac away. Want to watch?”
“Can’t think of anything we’d like more,” her father encouraged. “Lead the way!”
When Terry’s parents were gone and she had finished cleaning the afternoon tack, Captain Riskin supervised her first ride on Mrs. Kirk’s horse, Domino. Terry instantly liked the bay gelding. Although he lacked Tic-Tac’s youthful spirit, he moved with balance and confidence, the result of years of careful training.
“He’s wonderful!” she exclaimed to Captain Riskin who watched her from the center of the ring. “It’s like he knows what to do before I tell him.”
She had just fallen into the steady rhythm of Domino’s gaits when the Captain’s voice snapped her to attention. “That is enough work for him. Cool the horse out.”
As soon as Terry brought Domino back to a walk, Captain Riskin left the ring. “I hope I did okay. He didn’t say anything during the ride.”
The Captain paused at the gate. “Come to my office when Domino is put away. I think you have time to work two more horses for me today.”
“You mean I was okay?” Terry asked hopefully.
He nodded. “You will do unless you waste any more time talking.”
Terry threw her arms gratefully around Domino’s neck. “Thanks for the help, boy. Now I really am an exercise girl.”
Chapter Seven
The weeks passed quickly for Terry. She worked hard at her job, applying the experience she gained from the horses she exercised to Tic-Tac. Though pure determination, she and Tic-Tac grew for be a formidable team.
When the day of the show team tryouts finally arrived, Terry felt confident. “Bobby and Paula will make it for sure,” she had told her parents the previous night, “but Captain picks three riders and an alternate. I think my chances are as good as anyone else in Summer Club. A month ago I never would have thought I had a chance, but Tic-Tac and I have improved so much since then.”
The sun glared down on the riders as they solemnly led their horses single file into the outdoor ring. The August heat intensified the tension that had been building in the students since the previous week. That morning, instead of the usual raucous commotion, the bus had been filled with a strained silence. Everyone had his or her own special reason for wanting to make the team that for the moment jeopardized even the closest friendships.
They waited beside their horses until Captain Riskin and an unfamiliar man carrying a clipboard entered the ring. Terry was curious about the stranger. He was a lean, middle-aged man with a leathery, suntanned complexion.
“This is Mr. Wilson Krepper,” the Captain introduced. “He is a top ranking trainer and judge. I have asked him to choose our show team this year.”
Terry felt panic well up inside. “He can’t!” she thought with alarm. “If I make a mistake, Captain knows I can do better, but this guy doesn’t.”
Mr. Krepper removed his sunglasses and tapped them against his clipboard as he solemnly surveyed the class. After a moment, he nodded to Captain Riskin. “Fine looking group this year. Let’s hope they perform as well as they appear.”
Terry glanced down the line at her friends to see if they were equally as worried about the surprise guest judge. Next to her, Jerry nervously fidgeted with Irish Mist’s reins. Mary looked down, intently scuffing her left boot against the ground. Liz whispered angrily to Donna who tried to ignore her.
Tic-Tac tried to lower his head to nibble the infield grass,
but Terry quickly jiggled the reins to keep his attention. Annoyed at the restraint, he restlessly stamped his hoof and shifted backwards.
She gave his velvety nose a calming stroke. “How could Captain do this to us?” she wondered. “Why can’t he judge us?”
“From your faces, I see you wonder why I do not choose the team,” the Captain explained as though reading her mind. “I have invited Mr. Krepper to make this important decision because I do not want my personal opinions to hinder the choice of the best possible team to represent Briar Hill at the show. As a professional, he will only judge what he sees in the ring without any knowledge of background or personalities. But, do not worry. He will not bite. He is here to help you.”
Terry looked at the stern judge who stood waiting, hands folded behind his back, clipboard tucked under his arm. “Bet he really does bite,” she whispered to Jerry.
“Good luck to everyone,” Captain Riskin offered. “Now mount your horses!”
At his command, the riders swung lightly onto their saddles. Only Flip side-stepped out of line, but Whitney quickly checked him and returned to his place without his usual wisecrack excuse.
“We begin with equitation on the flat,” Captain Riskin told them. “Then you will jump a figure eight course for equitation over fences. We finish up in the back field over a hunter course.”
Mr. Krepper took a pen from his jacket and jotted a notation on the clipboard. Terry wondered what he could possibly have found to critique before they had even moved out of line.
“Class, take the rail to the left at the walk!” the Captain commanded.
As they circled the ring, Terry was uncomfortably aware of Mr. Krepper’s critical eye. She lifted her chest and pulled back her shoulders until they ached. Raising her chin a little higher, she fought off the urge to look down to check if her body position were correct.
Mr. Krepper watched the class walk, trot and canter; then had them line up in the center of the ring. Terry watched the judge walk to the head of the line. He spoke quietly to Whitney and then moved on to the next rider.
It wasn’t until he stopped beside Lois, two horses away from Terry, that she could overhear his comments. “Sloppy,” he said bluntly. “Your legs constantly swing. The hands bob up and down. That’s why the horse is lazy. He’s bored and tuning you out. I recommend more work without stirrups to tighten up your position.”
Terry quickly rethought her ride, but couldn’t think of any glaring mistakes. She confidently scratched Tic-Tac’s neck. “Hopefully it’s good news. My equitation never felt so good.”
She smiled expectantly at Mr. Krepper when he stopped beside her, but he continued to frown as he looked down at his clipboard. “Lovely horse,” he commented dryly. “But, you’re too tense, like a stick. Relax, so you don’t spoil this horse’s naturally smooth action. The horse and rider must always be unified.”
Disappointed, Terry watched him move on to Susie. “Why couldn’t he see how hard I was trying? Just wait until we jump. I’ll show him I’m not tense!”
While Mr. Krepper conferred with the rest of the class, Billy and Sonny set up the jumps under the Captain’s direction. Terry watched, expecting the course to be so difficult that even the best riders would cringe. She pictured the judge scratching off the names of each rider whose horse, in a valiant but hopeless effort, crashed through one of the huge fences. She was certain his only reaction would be to signal emotionlessly to the next rider to take the course, while the bodies of his first victims were dragged from the ring. But to her relief, when the course was finally set, none of the fences exceeded three feet.
When the course was ready, Whitney was selected to go first
. Mr. Krepper carefully watched every jumping effort then made rapid notations on the clipboard before the next rider began the course.
Terry impatiently watched the others while she awaited her turn. She wished she wasn’t ninth to go. The pressure of having to out jump her classmates’ good rounds made her nervous.
“C’mon, Tic,” she encouraged when their turn finally came. “Jump your heart out!”
Tic-Tac didn’t need any extra urging. He seemed to know that they were on trial and rose to the pressure. With ears pricked alertly forward, he cantered around the course, jumping so flawlessly that Terry had only to concentrate on her form.
She beamed as Tic-Tac sailed cleanly over the last fence. “Dare Mr. Krepper to fault that!”
But, to her disappointment, when the final rider completed the course, the judge left the ring without comment to any of them.
“Out to the back field,” Captain Riskin called cheerfully, leading the way out of the arena gate. “Do not look so unhappy. We are almost finished.”
As the students rode down the lane to the back field, they were talkative for the first time that morning. Their angry conversation relieved much of the silent strain Terry had sensed on the bus.
“Do you believe that guy?” Jerry demanded.
“Told me I slouched,” Whitney complained.
“That’s nothing!” Mary cried indignantly. “He said my hands looked like I was wearing boxing gloves!”
“How’d he get to be a judge?” Lois asked.
“Sure hope he’s not the judge at Westfield!” Susie declared. “After all this criticism, I’m sure none of us would ribbon.”
“Probably wouldn’t let us in the ring if he was the judge,” Bobby added.
Terry’s shoulders drooped. “Wish Captain was judging us today.”
When the class reached the back field, Captain Riskin outlined the course they were to jump. “This time we reverse the order of go. We begin with Greg, Susie, Terry and so on down the line.”
Before Terry had time to tense up, it was her turn. She confidently cantered Tic-Tac toward the log pile. He eagerly picked up her signal and soared boldly over the fence. Despite his aggressive pace and the size of the fences, Terry knew Tic-Tac had the heart and ability to answer whatever questions the course asked.
Tic-Tac quickened his stride as the last fence loomed ahead, a coop topped by a pole. Terry knew she should steady him, but the temptation to finish the course with an extra big flourish was too strong to resist. She laughed, half at the fear, half at the excitement of approaching the fence at such a powerful pace.
Tic-Tac never hesitated. Three strides from the coop, he made a bold leap. But, the excessive speed and the long spot, didn’t allow him to jump high enough to clear the fence. His knees rapped soundly against the pole, sending it flying out in front of him. Upon landing, he had to crow hop awkwardly over the loose pole to keep from falling.
Terry struggled to slow and balance him, trying to retain as much form and calm as possible as she returned to line. “Show off,” she angrily accused herself. “Couldn’t play it safe. I had it made then had to get greedy for the big stride!”
“You did a good job staying on after the coop,” Susie whispered. “I’d have been off for sure.”
“Thanks … I guess,” Terry murmured, knowing that a knockdown from an over ridden fence during these trials wasn’t much better than falling off.
The building heat and tension caused many of the other riders to also make careless mistakes. However, there were still enough clean rounds to make Terry’s knockdown, plus Mr. Krepper’s critique of her equitation, ruin her hopes of making the team.
“I’ve seen enough,” Mr. Krepper announced when the final rider had completed the outside course. “As a group, I am impressed by your basic ability. One day some of you will make fine horsemen and horsewomen. To those who make the team, good luck at Westfield. To those who aren’t chosen, don’t feel too badly. It will be a hard decision.”
“You are dismissed,” Captain Riskin concluded.” When the horses are cool and put away, I will treat everyone to a Coke for working so hard this morning. Meet in the clubroom in twenty minutes and I will announce the team.”
The readers headed back to the barn, anxious to dismount and learn the results. When they were out of earshot of Mr. Krepper and the Captain, they began speculating on who would be chosen for the team.
“Doesn’t matter,” Terry thought sadly. “I blew my chances on that mess I made of the coop.”
She slowed Tic-Tac and rode back to the barn behind the others. Trying to forget the team, she focused on all the work waiting for her after class. With three horses to exercise, plus oiling a new bridle for Captain Riskin, it was going to be a long afternoon.
At eleven-thirty, the students filed silently into the clubroom. Terry wondered who the lucky four would be. Bobby and Paula were definite choices, but she wasn’t sure about the third team member plus the alternate. She thought Susie, Whitney and Gayle had ridden the best, but it could be any of them.
“Wish I hadn’t knocked down that pole, but there always next summer to make the team,” she vowed as Captain Riskin and Karen entered the room.
“Mr. Krepper had to leave,” the Captain told them, “but I will tell you his decision. He has chosen a fine team. We will be well represented at Westfield. Before I announce the names, I want to tell you what is planned for the next two weeks.”
“Aw, Captain!” the students groaned.
“That’s not fair to make us wait!” Whitney protested.
“C’mon,” Mary pleaded. “Tell us who’s on the team.”
Captain Riskin raised his hands. “Silence. This will only take a minute. If I wait until after the names are announced, no one will listen. This week you will continue to ride in your regular groups. Next week I will work privately with the team, while Karen conducts the class. She has planned a cross-country ride and a picnic. Remember, next week is the final week of Summer Camp, so make the most of your lessons.”
Terry looked at him with surprise. The time had passed so quickly that it was a shock to realize the summer was nearly over. She glanced around the room at her friends; realizing things would never really be the same again. Even if all of them took riding lessons in the fall, school would start and with it would come new interests and new friends.
The students grew silent as Captain Riskin took a slip of paper from his pocket. “I approve of Mr. Krepper’s selections. The riders on this year’s team are Bobby, Paula and Susie. Terry will be the alternate.”
Suddenly, everyone was talking at once. Terry looked at Captain Riskin with disbelief. “You’re kidding!” she blurted above the commotion. “I’m the alternate?”
He laughed at her surprise. “Yes, Terry. You really are the alternate. Mr. Krepper was very impressed with your riding especially for the short time you have been here.”
“But I had such a mistake on the coop and knocked down a pole,” she protested. “Plus he said I ride like a stick.”
“Often he exaggerates to make a point,” the Captain explained. “If it were not for the pole, and some rough edges on your equitation, you would be a regular team member. I am very pleased with the progress you have made this summer.”
“Wow!” Terry whispered as the realization began to sink in that she would go to the show, even if only as an alternate. “Wait until I tell Mom and Dad!”
“It’s tradition to baptize the new show team members in the horse trough,” Karen reminded the class. “Whoever catches them gets the honor of dunking them.”
“Get ‘em!” Mary yelped, jumping up from her chair.
“Greg! Jerry!” Whitney shouted. “Get Bobby!”
“C’mon, Lois!” Gayle called. “Grab Terry!”
“Better start running, Susie!” Liz warned.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Terry, Susie, Paula and Bobby raced out of the clubroom, hotly pursued by the rest of the students.
> Chapter Eight
Karen waited to begin talking until all the students were seated in the outdoor arena grandstands for the morning lecture. “With the team riders beginning show prep, this is the last time we’ll all meet together as a group this summer. So, as a special treat, this morning the Captain is going to give us a demonstration of dressage. While most of you are interested in jumping, Captain feels it is important to have a basic dressage foundation in all training. It helps to develop your horse to be the best possible athlete.”
Bobby poked Terry. “Now you’ll see some really good riding!”
“Dressage is the art of perfecting the horse’s natural movements,” Karen explained. “From the basic working gaits of walk, trot and canter, the horse is taught to extend and collect. The more advanced movements include half pass, pirouettes, piaffe and passage. The horses also do tempi changes which means doing flying changes in numbered sequences beginning at every four strides down to every stride. The everys look just like the horse is skipping. Very, very difficult to execute, but incredible to watch.”
While she talked, Captain Riskin led a handsome grey horse into the center of the ring. Terry leaned forward in anticipation as he gathered the reins and mounted in one gracefully movement.
“Captain studied at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria for many years,” Karen told the class. “He trained this horse in dressage several years ago for one of our boarders. Captain will now demonstrate some basic dressage exercises.”
Throughout the demonstration the Captain sat seemingly motionless, while the gray moved as if by remote control. First, he half passed, daintily crossing his legs at a walk, trot and canter. Next, he trotted across the ring with such perfect extension of his legs that he seemed to float above the ground. His neck was flexed with every muscle rippling beneath his dappled coat as he easily lowered his haunches and turned a full pirouette in canter. For a grand finale center ring, he obediently piaffed, trotting elevated steps on the spot while the Captain dropped his right hand from the reins to salute the class.
Tic-Tac Page 7