New Rider

by Bonnie Bryant

  She led Starlight outside and mounted up. The others were chatting together in a small knot. Unfortunately she had to pass by them on her way to the practice ring.

  “Hi, Carole. Going for a ride?” Stevie asked.

  Before she could answer, Lisa spoke up. “You should have seen how fast Zach picked up on his turns.”

  “It wasn’t as hard as I thought after all,” Zach said, grinning happily. “Are there any other games we can play on horseback?”

  “Oh sure,” Stevie assured him. “Lots.”

  “I think I’ll try a round of jumps,” Carole told them. “Keep up the good work, Zach,” she added, not wanting them to think she was jealous. I’m not jealous, of course. Not jealous at all. I’m simply concerned that all this praise will go to Zach’s head.

  Carole entered the ring and forced herself to focus. After jogging Starlight around the arena a few times to warm him up, she felt he was ready and set her sights on the first jump. She could tell from his pricked ears that he, too, was eager and paying attention.

  With a little pressure from her legs, Carole sent Starlight into a controlled canter. They arrived at the fence in perfect position for the jump. Up and over they soared in absolute unison. With every fence they cleared, Carole felt better and better. At the end of the round they hadn’t so much as brushed a pole, let alone knocked one down.

  Gleefully she trotted Starlight over to her friends.

  “What did you think, guys, not bad, huh?”

  “Oh, sorry, Carole,” Lisa said. “I was watching Zach. Did it go well?”

  Carole was miffed. “I thought so, didn’t you, Stevie?”

  Stevie shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, I was watching Zach, too.”

  Carole could hardly believe it. She had just ridden a perfect round of jumps, her timing and style flawless. If this had been a horse show she would have won first place for sure, and absolutely no one had paid her the slightest bit of attention. She felt herself burning inside, and she started to ride away.

  “Hey, you want to meet at TD’s later?” Stevie called. Tastee Delight was the local ice cream parlor and one of their favorite places for having Saddle Club meetings. Carole opened her mouth to accept when Lisa jumped in.

  “Good idea, Stevie. We could take Zach. He looks like he could use a break.”

  That’s it! Carole thought. If Zach is going, there is no way I am! “Can’t make it, guys,” she told them. “I’ve got work.” She headed quickly into the stable.

  Actually she didn’t have anything planned for the rest of the day at all, but whatever she did or wherever she went, she did not want to hear another word about Zachary Simpson!

  THE EVENING BEFORE the schooling show, The Saddle Club met at Pine Hollow to make sure everything was in order.

  “I’m glad the other clubs are coming here instead of us going to them,” Lisa said.

  “It does make it a lot easier,” Carole agreed. “When we travel to a show it seems like we have to bring practically every piece of equipment in the stable.”

  Stevie smiled happily. “This time if we forget something, all we have to do is run back in here and get it. Or if something breaks, we’ve got plenty of replacements right on hand.”

  “Which reminds me, I need to take one last look at my tack to make sure none of the straps are worn,” Carole said.

  “Me too,” Lisa agreed.

  While Carole and Lisa made a quick but thorough inspection of their equipment, Stevie gave Barq’s saddle a once-over, too, since she knew Zach would be riding him in the show. She was surprised by what she found. “Take a look at this,” she said, motioning her friends over.

  While the leather was in good condition, due to all the years of loving care that Max and his riders devoted to its upkeep, there were obvious flecks of dirt that recent riding had deposited on it.

  “It seems Zach forgot to clean his saddle after his last ride,” Carole observed.

  Lisa held up another piece of equipment. “Not to mention his bridle.”

  Stevie was amazed. “How could he possibly forget to clean his tack the night before a show?”

  “Maybe he’s a little scattered,” Lisa suggested. “He does have a lot to remember.”

  Stevie frowned. “Taking care of your equipment is simple, basic horsemanship.”

  Carole’s lips were pressed in a disapproving line. “I know that and you know that, but apparently Zachary Simpson doesn’t know that.”

  Stevie examined a strap with white crusty sweat marks. “He’s definitely going to lose points when the judges spot this.”

  Lisa nodded. “And they will spot it.”

  “Guaranteed, since one of the judges is Max,” Carole agreed.

  “Okay.” Stevie sighed. “We’d better get to work.”

  Carole put her hands on her hips. “Are we going to do what I think we’re going to do?”

  Stevie was already reaching for the saddle soap. “Yep.”

  “I’ll get some water,” Lisa volunteered.

  Carole got the buffing cloths and metal polish from a shelf. “You know, he really should be doing this himself.”

  Stevie settled herself comfortably and set to work. “I think we should cut him some slack. He is new.”

  Lisa returned with a bucket of water and placed it where all three of them could reach it easily. “He’s really nice. I don’t mind helping him out.”

  Carole started cleaning the snaffle bit. “It’s not the helping him out part that bothers me. How is he going to learn if he doesn’t bother to study?”

  Lisa frowned as she worked on Barq’s throatlatch. “He seems enthusiastic about riding, and he’s definitely got natural talent.”

  “Talent without discipline,” Carole noted.

  From out of nowhere Max’s mother, whom everyone called Mrs. Reg, appeared in the doorway. “Working the late shift, girls? I would have thought the three of you would have had your tack ready for the show by now.”

  “Oh, it’s not ours, Mrs. Reg,” Lisa told her. “We’re helping out a friend.”

  The elderly lady nodded. “Very commendable. Not everyone enjoys that kind of work.”

  “But they still need to do it,” Carole mumbled.

  “Did I ever tell you girls about Sprinkles?”

  Stevie shared an uh-oh look with her friends. Mrs. Reg was known for her love of telling rambling stories. Her tales usually had hidden meaning, although most of the time the girls couldn’t figure out what it was until long after the telling. They had learned that the best thing to do was to simply listen politely.

  Mrs. Reg leaned against the door frame, her eyes taking on a faraway look. “Sprinkles was a darling little pony. He was black with little white dots on his muzzle and rump. It made him look like he had been sprinkled with powdered sugar. That’s how he got his name, of course.”

  Stevie nodded. “He sounds cute.”

  Mrs. Reg continued as though Stevie hadn’t spoken. “Sprinkles was an unusual creature, though. He had the smoothest walk of any horse I’ve ever known. It was almost more of a glide than a walk. He was lovely to watch and a real joy to ride. That made him terrifically useful for beginners to learn on; since there was no jarring, they had no fear of falling off.”

  “A horse with that smooth of a gait would be very valuable for teaching,” Carole observed. “That’s an interesting story.”

  Mrs. Reg looked reproachfully at Carole. “I’m not done yet, dear.”

  Stevie struggled not to giggle. She had no idea where this story was going, but at least it was passing the time while they worked.

  “As I said, his walk was a natural gift, a real talent, and we loved him for it. However, his trot was like sitting on a pogo stick. You know, one of those bouncy things that can shake the fillings out of your teeth?”

  The girls nodded.

  “His canter was worse. The poor little thing always gave his best, but there was simply nothing to be done about it.”

  Max�
��s mother fell quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

  “So I guess you sold him then, huh?” Stevie prompted.

  Mrs. Reg looked surprised. “Oh no, dear, not at all.” She turned to leave. “Now don’t hang around here too late, girls. Tomorrow is a big day.” With that, she disappeared down the hallway.

  The three girls tried to suppress their laughter until they were sure the older woman was out of earshot, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

  “What did that have to do with us?” asked Lisa, snickering softly.

  Stevie wiped a tear of choked laughter from her eye. “Where does she get this stuff?”

  “And what does it mean?” Carole chuckled.

  “Beats me,” Stevie admitted. “But Pine Hollow wouldn’t be the same without her.”

  Lisa and Carole agreed.

  The girls chatted quietly while they completed their task. By the time they were finished, Barq’s saddle and bridle practically gleamed in the dim light of the tack room.

  Stevie stretched her cramped back. “I’m going to check on Belle before I head home.”

  Lisa and Carole accompanied her.

  “Any news on her progress?” Lisa asked as they walked to the mare’s stall.

  “Judy was here yesterday. She says Belle’s healing and is well on the way to being completely sound.” Stevie had been overjoyed to hear the news. Even though Judy had assured her that Belle’s injury wasn’t that serious, somewhere in the back of her mind there had been a nagging doubt.

  Belle came forward in her stall like a good hostess to greet her visitors. Stevie automatically reached out to stroke her.

  “When will you be able to ride her?” Carole asked.

  “She’ll be ready in another week or so. Which works out fine, because that’s when the doctor says I’m allowed to get on her again.”

  “Excellent!” Lisa said. “We should plan something special for that day.”

  “Absolutely,” Carole agreed. “Trail ride? Picnic?”

  Stevie grinned. “How about both? Then TD’s and a Saddle Club sleepover! We’ll make it a real celebration.”

  The girls laughed in happy anticipation.

  On the way out of the stable, they swung by Sunset’s stall to take a quick look. As usual, the mare was pacing restlessly. Carole called to her and offered her a friendly hand to sniff, but the horse would have none of it.

  “Do you think she’s okay?” Stevie asked.

  Carole shrugged. “I guess so, but her behavior bothers me. I thought she would have settled down by now. She should be feeling more at home after the last couple of weeks, but she seems just as restless as when she arrived.”

  “Do you think her restlessness means she’s getting ready to foal?” Lisa asked.

  “Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t,” Carole answered, moving into the stall.

  “Gee, could you vague that up a little?” Stevie cracked.

  Carole smiled over her shoulder. “What I mean is that the signs vary from animal to animal. When their time gets near, some horses become restless while others refuse to move at all unless forced to.” She brought the mare to a halt.

  Stevie watched, intrigued, as Carole examined Sunset more thoroughly. “Are there any absolute signs she’s about to go into labor?”

  “As a rule, yes,” Carole told her. “I’m checking for them now.”

  Stevie and Lisa fell silent, not wanting to distract their friend. After a few moments Carole seemed satisfied.

  “I’m sure she’s not ready yet,” Carole announced, joining them outside the stall.

  Sunset resumed her restless pacing.

  “So what are the signs?” Lisa asked. Even though all three girls had participated in births before, Carole was the only one who knew all the details about what to look for—and what to expect.

  “Walk me to the bus stop and I’ll fill you in,” Carole offered.

  “Are we about to have an ‘ick’ moment?” Stevie asked.

  Carole grinned. “Remember The Saddle Club credo. If you’re going to love horses, you have to love everything about them.”

  “Yep, we’re going to have an ‘ick’ moment.”

  Lisa grimaced. “Come on, Stevie, maybe if we walk fast enough she won’t have time to get to the really gross parts.”

  With that the three girls headed for home at a brisk pace. As far as Stevie was concerned, it wasn’t fast enough.

  IT WAS EARLY morning on the day of the show and most of the participants were still arriving. Since Stevie wasn’t competing, she could easily have gotten to Pine Hollow later, but she was eager to spend as much time in Phil Marsten’s company as she could.

  She watched as Phil carefully unloaded his horse, Teddy, from the rusty but sturdy red-and-white trailer. “Teddy looks like he’s in good shape, but I’m not so sure about his rider,” she quipped.

  Phil smiled good-naturedly. He was used to her sense of humor. In fact, he always said it was one of the things he liked the best about her. “I think I can manage to hold my own.”

  “That should be good enough, since I won’t be riding today.”

  “As I recall, it was me who snagged the blue ribbon the last time we competed,” he reminded her.

  “I was having a bad hair day. A girl can’t do anything right on a bad hair day.”

  Phil tied his horse to a rail. “Are you sure you didn’t throw yourself off Belle and bump your head in order to avoid the possibility of losing to me again?”

  Stevie bristled. She truly adored Phil, but they were both extremely competitive when it came to riding. “Believe me, leaving Belle’s saddle was definitely not in my plans,” she assured him grimly.

  Phil came over and took her hands. “I’m sorry, Stevie. I shouldn’t tease you about that. It’s bad enough that you got hurt at all, but I don’t even like to think about how much worse it could have been.”

  Stevie was touched to see the concern on his face. He really was the sweetest guy, and the fact that he was horse-crazy made him just about perfect in her eyes. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be as good as new in another week. You won’t have such an easy time of it at the next show.”

  Phil released her and went back to work unpacking his equipment. “You are a couple of blue ribbons ahead of me,” he acknowledged. “But I intend to cut down your lead today.”

  “I wouldn’t go counting your chickens too soon, Phil,” she told him, helping him with his things. “After all, you still have Carole and Lisa to contend with. The other team, Sunny Meadows, also has a couple of good riders.”

  Phil grinned. “Ah, the key word there is good. They have good riders, while I consider myself to be a great rider.”

  Stevie studied his eyes with concern. “Oh my gosh, I think you may have a concussion, Phil!”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “At the rate your head is swelling, what else could it be?”

  “Sounds like you two are off to a good start,” Carole said, approaching the duo.

  “Hi, Carole,” Phil greeted her. “I was telling Stevie how I’m going to sweep the blues today.”

  Carole raised her chin and gave him a challenging look. “In your dreams, Marsten. With me in the competition the best you can hope for today is a few sad seconds.”

  “Make that thirds,” Lisa chimed in as she joined the group.

  Phil laughed. “Looks like I’m outnumbered here, but in the ring it’s every man for himself.”

  “Or woman for herself,” Lisa countered.

  “Speaking of in the ring,” Carole said, holding up a piece of paper, “I’ve got the official order for the show.”

  Everyone crowded around to see if there had had been any changes that they needed to be aware of.

  “It looks like they’ve moved the jumping to later this morning and put a pleasure novice class in its place,” Stevie observed.

  “Isn’t Zach signed up for that one?” Lisa asked.

  Stevie nod
ded. “He sure is.” She felt a sudden twinge of guilt. In her excitement to see Phil, she had completely forgotten about Zach. Today was his very first show and he probably needed some help, or at least a little pep talk for the last-minute jitters all riders seem to get before entering the ring. “Has anybody seen him this morning?”

  “He was in the stable a few minutes ago,” Carole told her.

  “How is he?” Stevie asked.

  “Cocky,” Carole said flatly.

  Phil turned to Stevie. “Zach is the new rider you told me about, right?”

  “That’s him.”

  “Well, I’ve got everything ready for my classes,” Lisa said. “Why don’t we all go over and cheer him on?”

  Phil shook his head. “No can do. I still have a lot of things to take care of.” He looked fondly at Stevie. “I’ll have to meet you later. Okay?”

  Stevie smiled at him. They had this whole wonderful day to share together. “No problem,” she assured him. “I know how it is. Besides, there’s something important I have to tell Zach.”

  “What’s that?” Lisa asked.

  “The correct way to accept a ribbon.”

  Carole looked doubtful. “What makes you so sure he’s going to win any?”

  “Because none of you is riding in his classes,” she replied. “I’ll meet you in a couple of minutes.”

  THE GIRLS FOUND a good spot on the fence from which to view Zach’s first class. It was a beginner’s pleasure class and Stevie had high expectations. The contestants entered the ring.

  “There are only half a dozen competitors including Zach,” Lisa observed. “Most of them younger.”

  “After all we’ve taught him, this should be cake,” Stevie said gleefully.

  “You know, age doesn’t always denote ability,” Carole warned them.

  “What are you talking about?” Stevie demanded. “Zach is a natural. Everybody says so. Even Max.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard that once or twice,” Carole said dryly. “I’m only saying some of those younger riders have been studying a lot longer than Zach. This is his first show, so maybe we shouldn’t get our hopes too high.”