by Stacy Gregg
“I can’t believe it! She jumped it!” Issie gave Blaze a huge slappy pat on her neck. “It was like flying.” She had a grin from ear to ear. Stella and Kate, who had been watching the whole thing, were clapping and whooping on the sidelines.
Blaze, too, was buzzing with pleasure. She pranced lightly from side to side, obviously keen to take the fence again.
Avery held the mare still as Issie dismounted. “Well done, you two.” He smiled at his pupil. “That’s what natural horsemanship is all about. A horse and rider working as a team. Remember,” he told her, “if you have a good seat you don’t need to rely on a saddle or bridle. You know Vaughn Jefferis? He’s one of New Zealand’s most famous eventing riders—he has a fantastic seat—and he learnt to ride bareback. It took four years before his dad finally realised he was serious about being a competitive rider and bought him a saddle. That’s why he has such perfect balance when he rides a cross-country course—he’s totally in touch with his horse.”
Avery looked at Issie. “Your riding has improved more than you realise over the past month since you’ve been riding Blaze. You two make quite a team now.” Avery continued, “In fact, I think you’re both ready to come along to the rally this weekend.”
“Really?” Issie was shocked; it seemed too soon to take the mare on a pony-club outing, but if Avery was convinced that she was up to it…
“That’s settled then,” he said briskly, turning and walking off towards his truck. Then he span on his heels to face Issie: “Oh, and one more thing—when you arrive at the club grounds on Sunday, meet me at the horse truck. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“Another surprise?” Issie squawked. What on earth did Avery have in store for her this time?
CHAPTER 10
As she rode Blaze through the gates of the Chevalier Point Pony Club grounds Issie felt a twinge of embarrassment. It was only a rally day but even so, all of the ponies would be nicely turned out, with their gear polished and oiled. And here she was riding without even a saddle!
Not only that, Blaze was still totally unpredictable. What if she decided to act up and Issie found herself falling off in front of the whole club? A million thoughts were racing through Issie’s head—none of them good. After all, the last time she rode here had been a disaster, a disaster that had ended with Mystic’s death.
“Stay calm or you’ll pass your nerves on to your horse,” Issie told herself firmly Certainly Blaze seemed happy enough as they entered the grounds. Issie trotted her up to where the horse floats were parked and headed to her usual tethering spot under one of the massive plane trees. It was going to be a scorcher of a day and the big plane would shade Blaze from the heat of the sun.
The smell of privet flower filled the warm morning air. It was still early around nine a.m., but already there were over a dozen riders here, tacking up their horses and preparing for the rally.
Issie dismounted and slipped Blaze’s halter on over the top of her bridle, tying her to the nearby fence. “I won’t be gone long, girl, I promise.” Issie gave Blaze a quick pat on the neck and headed for the clubrooms. There was time to grab a cold Coke out of the drinks machine before the rally began.
As she reached the clubroom steps Issie looked back over her shoulder to check on her pony. Blaze seemed happy enough. She was standing peacefully under the trees with eyes half closed in a doze, resting one hind leg and swatting the summer flies away with her pale golden tail.
Issie was so busy looking at her horse that she didn’t notice another girl racing down the steps as she was going up them. The two of them ran headfirst into one another and a mug of tea went flying.
“Watch where you’re going, you stupid cow!” snapped the girl.
Issie looked up and saw Natasha Tucker, her white riding shirt soaked with tea, her face set in a vicious scowl.
“I’m so sorry!” Issie said.
“My shirt is ruined,” Natasha snipped. “Calvin Klein! Ruined.”
“I’m really sorry,” Issie apologised again. “Have you got something else to wear for the rest of the day? We could try rinsing it off under the tap by the horse trough—”
“Yeah, what-ever.” Natasha rolled her eyes, obviously losing interest in the whole conversation. “I’ll give it to Mum; she can sort it out. Say…” she peered at Issie carefully, “don’t you ride that old grey pony? That’s your horse, isn’t it? But I thought he was…”
“Hit by a truck. Yes…” Issie felt her lips start to tremble. She was determined not to let the thought of Mystic upset her. She didn’t want to lose it in front of Natasha. She wouldn’t understand.
“He was killed in the accident,” Issie said matter-of-factly. “I’m riding a new horse now.” She pointed to Blaze who was standing under the trees with her rump towards them.
“What? That skinny bag of bones!” Natasha said. “She doesn’t look up to much.”
“Actually” Issie felt her blood boiling, “she’s got an amazing jump in her. I was riding her the other day and we went clean over the gate between the two paddocks where I graze her. And she hasn’t even been properly schooled yet. I’m sure she’d make a great showjumper with a bit more work.”
Issie didn’t mean to boast but she just couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t stand the way Natasha was so smug. Besides, she wasn’t exactly fibbing—Blaze did jump over the gate. Issie just didn’t mention the fact that it was all Blaze’s idea and all she did was fall off.
“In fact,” Issie continued, “I plan to train her up as an eventing mount. I’ll be competing on her shortly.”
“Oh, really?” Natasha smirked. “So you’ll be riding at the Chevalier Point one-day event next month, I suppose?”
“Oh, definitely. We’re in training for it now,” Issie lied.
“Me too,” said Natasha. “Goldrush’s last owner rode her to area trials and I expect to do the same, so this will be a warm-up competition for us…”
Natasha had been staring distractedly at Blaze while she spoke. Now she turned back to Issie. “Where’s your saddle?”
“What?”
“Your saddle,” repeated Natasha. “I don’t see one on your horse. Where is it? You’re not planning to ride her bareback at a one-day event are you?”
Issie didn’t know what to say. It was no use lying about it because the rally was about to get underway and Natasha would soon see the truth for herself: that she didn’t have a saddle, or any other gear for that matter.
“I, umm…the thing is…”
“Actually Isadora has two saddles. One for dressage and another for jumping and cross-country. We just weren’t sure which one to tack Blaze up with for today, were we, Issie?” Tom Avery smiled as he stepped out of the clubrooms and stood beside the two girls.
“So what do you reckon, Issie? Shall we put the dressage saddle on her this morning then swap to the jumping saddle after lunch?”
Issie just nodded. She couldn’t believe it. Tom to the rescue!
“Come on. I’ve got your tack in my truck; let’s get her ready.” Avery bounded down the stairs towards his horse truck and Issie gratefully followed, relieved to be getting away from Natasha.
She finally caught up with Avery just as he reached the truck. “Tom, thanks so much for covering up for me,” Issie gasped, “it’s just that Natasha is such a, well, a snob, I suppose, and if I’d told her that I really didn’t have a saddle—” Tom cut Issie off in mid-sentence.
“Covering for you? I don’t know what you’re talking about, Isadora. I was telling Natasha the truth. I’ve got both your saddles right here in the cab. Can’t have you riding bareback at a pony-club meet now, can we?”
Avery opened the front door of the horse truck, and there on the passenger seat of the truck cab sat two saddles. “Remember the other day I said I had a surprise for you?” Avery reached in and grabbed the nearest one. It was made of soft black leather, and had the deep seat and straight-cut flaps of a traditional dressage saddle. “It’s a Bates
Maestro,” he said, handing it to her so that her arm slid through the gullet. “It used to be my eventing saddle. I’ve ridden dressage tests in this saddle in all the big competitions around the world—at Burghley, Badminton and Lexington. It’ll be a tiny bit big for you, I suppose, but it has adjustable kneepads which will help, and we can alter the stirrups, of course. It should fit Blaze just fine. As should this one…”
Avery reached across the seat and lifted out the second saddle. It was made of dark tan leather and seemed more well worn than the first saddle; the kneepads were scuffed a little and there were sweat stains on the padding underneath. Not surprising, thought Issie—this was clearly Avery’s cross-country saddle.
“This one was made especially for me.” Avery stared at the saddle proudly. “It has a flat seat and the first time I rode a cross-country in it I swore I would fall off, but it’s actually very comfortable compared to those old-fashioned deep-seated models. It’s not ideal for the showjumping phase, but it does the trick.
“It’s just the sort of saddle you’ll be needing,” he added, “if you’re going to be riding Blaze at that one-day event.”
Issie was stunned. Avery must have heard her entire conversation with Natasha, including all her boasting about entering the one-day event.
“I’m not really entering…” Issie began.
“But of course you are!” Avery boomed. “You’ve got the saddles. You’ve got the horse. What else do you need?”
“But I’ve never even ridden Blaze over a proper fence yet!” Issie protested.
“Nonsense,” Avery said, “you said yourself she has a big jump in her. And from what I’ve seen I’d say this mare is no novice jumper. It looks to me like she’s been well-schooled already in the past. All you need to do is bring out the best in her again.
“The one-day event isn’t until the end of the season, so you’ve got nearly two months to train. You’ve already got her well fed and her fitness is improving. You’ll have to commit yourself to training solidly every day from now until the event, of course, but you can do it. Now let’s get this saddle on Blaze and see how it looks, shall we?”
For Issie, the rest of the day passed by in a sun-filled blur. There were around fifty riders in the Chevalier Point Pony Club—the best ten riders of the club being chosen to train with Avery. Issie was thrilled when she was singled out along with Kate, Stella, Dan and the dreaded Natasha to join Avery’s group.
The morning was spent schooling the horses and Issie was amazed at her own progress. The weeks without a saddle had actually done her some good and she had developed an independent seat. Still, having a fabulous new saddle certainly helped and Blaze behaved like a perfect angel, trotting around the ring with her neck flexed and on the bit. Her paces seemed so light it was as if she didn’t touch the ground, but floated around the arena.
It was nearly two in the afternoon by the time lunch break came, and Issie was exhausted and starving. She had just taken Blaze’s bridle off and loosened her girth a little so she could relax, then thrown herself down on the long grass under the tree, when Dan appeared. “Hey, no slacking off!” He grinned. “You’re my new groom, remember?”
“What?” Issie didn’t understand.
“We made a bet,” Dan said, “at the gymkhana, remember? The loser had to groom the winner’s horse for a week. Well, I’m ready to take you up on that now.”
“I can’t believe you!” Issie was shocked. “After all that happened to me that day you actually want me to come over and brush down your horse! God, Dan, you’re so insensitive!”
“Hey, hey…” Dan’s smile was gone. “I was just kidding, Issie. Honestly. I really came over to see if you want to join us for lunch. Mum’s made a giant bacon and egg pie—it’s too big for even me and Ben to finish off. And there’s stacks of sandwiches and banana cake and…”
“I’d love to.” Issie smiled, feeling foolish about her outburst. “Just let me tie Blaze up and I’ll be right there.”
On the grass beside the Halliday’s horse float Dan’s mum was laying out the picnic. “Isadora! It’s so good to see you riding again!” Mrs Halliday smiled. “Where’s your mother today?”
“Ummm, she had too much work on and couldn’t make it,” Issie said, silently thinking to herself that this must be her day for telling whopping great lies. First she fibbed to Natasha about entering the one-day event, and now she was lying to Mrs Halliday about her mum. The truth was, she still hadn’t told her mother about Blaze. She had been too scared to mention it. And now, well, the longer she left it, the harder it seemed to confess that she had started riding again. And with her mum away at work all day, and no school for the rest of summer, it was easy for Issie to slip away each day to school Blaze without being found out.
“Would you like a slice of pie or a sandwich?” Mrs Halliday offered.
“Oh, Mum, give her both! It’s been a tough day.” Dan laughed, standing up and dusting off his jodhpurs. “I’m going to the drinks machine. Anyone else want anything?” Issie shook her head and watched as Dan walked off to the clubrooms to get a drink. She watched as he ran up the steps and bumped into, of all people, Natasha Tucker. This time, though, Natasha didn’t seem upset about banging into someone. Instead she let out a torrent of girlish laughter as Dan said something to her, and then she placed her hand softly on top of his as they chatted.
Seeing them together like that made Issie feel sick to her stomach. She’d never actually thought about Dan as a boyfriend or anything before, but now that she saw him smiling and laughing with Natasha, she realised she was more than a little jealous.
“God, she is such a flirt!” Issie muttered under her breath.
“What’s that?” asked Ben, who was busily tucking into his third piece of bacon and egg pie.
“Uhh, nothing,” Issie pulled herself together, “I was just wondering what we’ll be doing first after lunch.”
“They’re setting up the games now so I suppose it will be bending and flag races,” Ben said, sounding a little disappointed. “It’s a shame really. I had been hoping to get in some jumping training.”
“As if you need it!” Issie laughed. “I’m the one who needs the jumping training. I’m entering the one-day event.”
“On Blaze?” Ben was shocked. “Well, you’re right. You do need to train more than I do. Dan and I are already having lessons on Wednesday and Thursday with Tom. Why don’t you join us? We meet here at the club grounds at four.”
“That sounds great!” Issie agreed. This would give her a chance to prepare Blaze for the one-day event—and hang out with Dan at the same time. Life was definitely starting to improve, she decided as she took another egg sandwich and lay back on the grass with her eyes shut and the sun on her face.
CHAPTER 11
“Working Trot at K, proceed around the arena to H…” Tom Avery was reading instructions out loud from a piece of paper as Issie trotted Blaze around the dressage arena. There were just two weeks to go until the one-day event, and Avery was taking his squad one by one through a practice run of their dressage tests. For the big day the riders would have to know all the movements off by heart, but today he was reading the test out for them as they rode.
The dressage arena had been marked out with white boards, each one painted with a large capital letter. The letters were set up at various points around the ring and Issie had to make sure Blaze did exactly as she asked when she reached the right marker.
“At C, canter on in a twenty metre circle…” Avery’s voice boomed across the ring.
Issie held Blaze lightly with her hands and asked her gently with seat and legs to move into a canter. The pretty chestnut needed only the subtlest of commands, she was so responsive. As she flew around the ring in a graceful canter, Issie could almost imagine she was competing at some huge event like the Badminton Horse Trials. She pictured Blaze with her blonde mane and tail perfectly plaited up, with tight white bandages over her white socks. And there she was on her
back in tails and a top hat, entering the ring, saluting the judge…
“No, no, no! Wake up, Issie, you’re not paying attention! You should be changing the rein at B across the arena!” Avery barked at her. “Change the rein, change the rein! Then turn up the middle at A, halt at X and leave the arena on a loose rein.”
Issie woke up with a jolt and got back on track, trotting up the centre line beautifully to halt and salute with Blaze standing perfectly square and calm.
“If I keep daydreaming like this,” Issie muttered to Blaze as they left the arena, “we’ll never make it to the Chevalier Point one-day event, let alone Badminton.”
Avery smiled at Issie as she pulled the chestnut mare up beside the other riders. “Well, apart from having a dilly dream for a rider, Blaze is doing pretty well,” Avery said. “Seriously though,” he continued, “all your hard work is beginning to pay off.” Avery ran his hand across Blaze’s shoulder. “Look how much her muscle tone has improved. And look at the shine on her coat. She’s a different horse from the sad, skittish thing I dropped off here a few months back. You’ve done a fantastic job.”
Issie blushed. She wasn’t used to such praise from Avery. He was usually so tough on his riders that it meant a lot to her. But before she had time to feel too proud he was off again. “Still an hour left, people. Let’s get them over some cross-country jumps. All right then, who’s first? How about you, Ben?”
“Oh, no,” Ben groaned. “Why do I have to go first? Max is totally hopeless today.” He trotted off to warm up over a practice fence, while Dan trotted over to sit next to Issie and wait for his turn.
“Avery is right, you know,” Dan said. “You and Blaze have come a long way”