“Hi there, you two. Come on over.”
Gladly, Izzy and Kate zigzagged across the yard, avoiding the backsides of the various horses.
“You’ve arrived right at our busiest time,” Sally said. “The exercise string has just come in from training, but don’t worry, the yard will clear in a minute. This lot’ll be leaving soon.” She waved her hands around. “Most of the riders are only here for an hour. They’ll be on to the next stables after that.”
“Sally...Sally...over here!”
The two girls spun around to see a man walking over to them. He was small and thick-set with grey hair and a wizened face...roughly in his mid-fifties.
“Can you take a look at Seattle Surprise, Sally?” the man said. “She’s limping a bit.”
“Oh no,” Sally groaned. “That’s all we need. Okay, I’ll be right there. By the way, these are our guests, Izzy and Kate,” she said, indicating the two girls. “Do you remember me mentioning the girls coming over from England?”
“Oh yeah, yeah I do,” the little man grunted and turned away. Before Izzy and Kate had a chance to say anything, he had disappeared off across the yard.
“Well, that was our stable manager, Ted Bailey,” Sally said distractedly.
“Oh right.” Izzy and Kate looked at each other, not quite knowing what to say.
“Don’t worry if he’s a bit unfriendly,” Sally went on. “He spends most of his time around horses...doesn’t know how to talk to people. Still, he’s one hundred percent reliable, which is more than can be said for some of the stable managers we’ve had. Now, why don’t you go and look for Courtney and Megan? They’ll be in that barn over there.”
“Wow, it’s a lot more hectic than Sandy Lane.” Izzy raised her eyebrows as Sally rushed away and they walked over to the barn.
It was cool as they stepped inside and both girls were glad to be out of the morning sun. Inside, the building was divided into two rows with five stalls on either side, and an aisle running down the middle.
“You made it!” A voice cried out from the end stall. Kate and Izzy weren’t sure whether the face that appeared was Courtney’s or Megan’s. Then another face appeared alongside, so it didn’t really matter – the twins stepped out into the aisle.
“Are you ready for your guided tour?” one of them asked.
“You bet!” Izzy and Kate answered in unison.
Courtney and Megan led Izzy and Kate out of the building and across the yard.
“How many horses do you have here then?” Izzy asked, jogging to keep up.
“Fifteen,” Megan answered promptly. “But some of them are too young to race yet.”
The four girls walked into the next horse barn. “And here are our ponies – Prince and Garnet,” Megan said as they stopped at the end of the aisle. Izzy and Kate looked over each of the stalls to see two lovely-looking ponies – a chestnut with two white socks, and a big, bay pony, with fine black markings and large brown eyes.
Courtney drew back the bolt on the door and stepped into the stall. “How are you feeling, buddy?” she crooned, tickling Prince behind his ears. Then she turned to Izzy and Kate. “We should take them out to the paddocks to graze. Do you want to grab Garnet?”
“Sure.” Kate drew back the bolt to the chestnut’s stall and, taking the lead-rope from the hook on the wall, she clipped it onto his headcollar. Then she led him out.
Courtney and Kate led the ponies across the gravel until they reached the back gate. Then they let Garnet and Prince off their lead ropes. The ponies ambled away – just a few feet from them – and started nibbling at the grass.
“Old slowcoaches.” Courtney grinned fondly at the two ponies. Then she turned and pointed to the paddock on the right of them. “Those are the new yearlings. We’ve taken three on in training this year.”
“Look at the speed of them,” Kate breathed as she watched two colts and a filly kick up their heels and set a blazing trail across the grass.
Most of the horses had been taken off to be rubbed down by the time the girls turned back to the yard. Megan and Courtney took Izzy and Kate into the next horse barn and led them down the line of racehorses, pointing each one out by name and giving them a brief potted history of all of the races they’d run in.
Izzy looked into a stall at a beautiful black stallion – sleek and polished with a long white blaze. “Wow!” She reached in to pat his neck, turning back around to talk to Courtney and Megan at the same time. “How old is he? Eeek!” She jumped back in surprise as the horse went to take a chunk out of her arm.
“Well, you’ve just met Fiery Lad,” Courtney chuckled. “He’s kind of temperamental to say the least.”
“I don’t think he likes you, Izzy,” Kate laughed.
Izzy ignored the remark and stepped forward again to pat his neck. This time, much to her relief, he didn’t move a muscle.
“He’s magnificent,” she breathed, trying to ignore the fact that Fiery Lad was still baring his teeth at her. But the others had already moved on. Kate had stopped at the backside of a grey mare and was looking her up and down appreciatively. “This one’s gorgeous.”
Izzy joined them and took in the long straight legs and gentle sloping shoulders of the creature standing before her.
“Well, you’ve got a good eye,” Courtney grinned. “That’s Seattle Surprise – our best racehorse. She’s already won a couple of good races for us this season.”
“Oh yes, your mum had to go and check her out earlier,” Kate said. “She was limping or something.”
“No way!” Courtney groaned. “That’s all we need with her big race coming up.”
“She’s prepping for the Gresham Maiden Stakes at Clevedon Park Racetrack in a couple of weeks,” Megan explained. “It’s a pretty important race for us – the purse is worth $100,000.”
“Purse?” Izzy looked confused.
“The prize money,” Courtney explained. “That’s what we call it out here.”
“Amazing.” Izzy’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“So who owns all of your horses?” Kate asked.
“Well,” Courtney started. “We own some of them ourselves – Seattle Surprise, for instance – but the rest are owned by different people. We usually make our money from being trainers rather than owners.”
“It’s no wonder you need the security guard with such valuable horses around then,” Izzy joined in.
It was an innocent statement, said more as a way of making conversation than anything else, but Courtney seemed to be suspicious. “Security guard? Where did you see him? What did he say to you?” she spoke sharply.
“Well, we saw him last night,” Izzy stammered. “And he didn’t say very much – other than scare us half out of our wits.” She tried to make a joke out of a potentially awkward situation. “He didn’t seem to know who we were.”
“Oh, okay.” Courtney’s tone relaxed. “I guess Mom must have forgotten to tell him you were coming. Look, I didn’t mean to bite your head off – it’s just that he’s meant to be kind of a secret, that’s all.”
“Oh, I see.” Izzy shrugged and nodded. A security guard who was meant to be kind of a secret? That sounded a bit silly to her, but judging from Courtney’s manner, it was best not to say anything.
“Everyone has a security guard out here,” Megan joined in, looking embarrassed.
“Oh I’m sure they do,” Kate said, not wanting an argument breaking out over something that didn’t seem very important.
“Anyway, shall we get going?” Megan said.
“That would be great...fantastic!” Izzy exclaimed.
To any other person it would have just sounded like Izzy was being over-enthusiastic, but Kate knew that Izzy wasn’t the sort of person to get over-enthusiastic about anything. She was clearly trying to make up for what had happened back there. And while Kate understood her friend’s reasoning, she didn’t necessarily think that Izzy was right to take the back foot when she hadn’t said or done
anything wrong. Courtney had acted so defensively – without any provocation at all – and that, Kate thought, was totally out of order.
5
THE HARD WORK BEGINS
Kate and Izzy found pretty themselves rushed off their feet that Sunday afternoon. If they weren’t organizing feeds or grooming horses, they were changing water-buckets or cleaning tack. Still, they weren’t complaining – not when they were around the animals they loved most in the world. It was only when Sally said it was time for supper and they made their way over to the house that they suddenly realized how tired they were feeling.
“So how did you find your first day?” Sally said as they sat down at the kitchen table.
“Exhausting,” Kate answered.
“Well, you’ve made a good start at Graytops,” Sally said, looking tired herself. “And thanks for all your help. We’ll have to organise a real schedule for tomorrow.” She raised a fork of salad to her mouth. “It’d be a good idea if we could each take charge of a couple of horses – for mucking out and grooming at least.”
“Sounds fine by me,” Courtney said. “So long as I don’t look after Fiery Lad.”
“Yes, well maybe I should look after Fiery Lad.” Sally raised her eyebrows. “He’s not exactly the easiest of horses, is he?”
“I don’t mind looking after him,” Izzy jumped in quickly.
“Oh Izzy, that’s really nice of you,” Sally said hastily. “But I don’t know if you could manage him. I mean, he’s sort of a handful.”
Izzy immediately bristled. She didn’t know what had made her make that offer – bravado maybe – but now that Sally was looking so doubtful, Izzy felt even more determined. “Couldn’t you just let me try?”
“Well, maybe,” Sally paused. “Maybe he’ll behave for you. Yes, why not? But if it looks as if you’re having problems handling him, then I’ll have to take over.”
Izzy jutted out her jaw determinedly. However difficult she found Fiery Lad, there was no way she was going to show herself up and have Sally take over for her.
“You could look after Frosty as well,” Sally went on, seeming not to notice Izzy’s discomfort. “And then Kate could look after Sugarfoot and Tobago Bay.”
“Sounds good to me,” Kate answered.
“That leaves me with Seattle, Ted with Lark’s Song. Oh look, don’t you girls worry about the rest of it. I’ll figure it out. You look beat – why don’t you go on up to bed.” She turned to Courtney and Megan. “Go on, you two as well.”
As they stacked their dishes in the dishwasher, Kate and Izzy said good night and disappeared off up the stairs. It was only when they were in the privacy of their own room that Izzy let out a hefty sigh.
“Phew, what a day that was.”
“Exhausting,” Kate agreed. “And all that stuff about schedules and everything – it’s going to get even busier.”
Izzy shrugged, ducking quickly into the bathroom ahead of Kate. “Still, I suppose it’s all part and parcel of being at a racing stables.”
“I suppose so.” Kate looked thoughtful as Izzy came back out. “But don’t you think it’s a little weird that there isn’t more stable help around here?”
“Maybe they just don’t work at the weekend.” Izzy shrugged. She was too tired to even think about it right now, let alone talk, and as she slipped under her sheets, she felt the first delicious waves of sleep coming on. Then she sat bolt upright.
“Oh no, Kate. I’ve left Seattle Surprise’s saddle out on the gate. Kate... Kate, can you hear me?”
But there wasn’t any answer from the bathroom and it was only as Izzy listened more closely that she could hear that Kate was running a bath. Oh well, she was sure that the saddle could wait until morning. And, settling back onto her pillow, Izzy fell into a deep slumber.
The next thing Izzy knew, the sun was streaming in through the bedroom curtains and Kate was shaking her shoulder. It was morning.
“Come on, sleepyhead,” Kate said. “Time to get up.”
“Ugh, what time is it?” Izzy groaned.
“Six-thirty,” Kate said. “You slept right through the alarm.”
“Okay, I’m coming,” Izzy groaned, hauling herself out of bed and into the bathroom.
Kate had already disappeared when she came back out. Izzy made her way down the stairs to where Kate was sitting at the breakfast table with Courtney and Megan.
“Just in time,” Megan said, passing Izzy some toast. “Eat something, then we’ll head on over to the stables.”
The four girls hurried through their breakfast and made their way out of the house. The ground was still wet with dew as they crossed the grass, and a yellow light was just starting to seep in across the surrounding countryside.
“Mom will already be out on the training oval by now,” Megan said. “So we’ll get started with the jobs. Once they’re finished we can go and watch the last half hour of training if you like...”
“And have a ride?” Izzy murmured under her breath.
Kate kicked her and was quick to speak out to cover her friend. “That sounds good to me.”
“Okay, let’s get cracking,” Courtney said.
“All right,” Izzy nodded. “So, where’s Ted this morning?”
“Oh, he’s probably in the office; he’ll be out in a minute,” Megan answered vaguely, and then she turned and disappeared off.
“Why did you kick me, Kate?” Izzy said once Megan was out of earshot, rubbing her sore ankle.
“Well, we should wait until we get offered a ride – not just go demanding it,” Kate said. “We are the guests here.”
“All right, all right,” Izzy grumbled as they walked into the barn.
Izzy went to the first stall, and led the big, bay mare into the aisle. Then she went back for Fiery Lad. While the horses were eating their breakfast, she grabbed a pitchfork and started mucking out their stalls. She didn’t stop until she met Kate coming the other way – by which time she was feeling really hot and tired.
“Phew.” Izzy stood upright and wiped the dirt off her forehead.
Kate grinned. “Let’s go and find Courtney and Megan.” She linked arms with Izzy and they walked out into the brilliant sunshine.
“All done?” Courtney called across to them.
“Yup, all done,” Kate answered.
“Okay, let’s go.”
It wasn’t far for them to walk through the paddocks to the training oval behind the stables. Sally was in the middle of the grass, her eyes fixed on a string of six racehorses. The exercise riders were crouched low in the saddles as they galloped around the outside of the track.
“The horses aren’t going at full speed,” Courtney explained. “They’re just working out.”
“Well, it still looks fast to me,” Kate said.
Patiently, they waited for the horses to gallop past them, and then Courtney led them into the middle of the oval. The four girls stood a little way away from Sally so as not to disturb her.
“Have you spotted Seattle?” Courtney pointed out the grey mare at the head of the string.
“How could we miss her,” Kate murmured, gazing across the grass.
The grey horse really did look magnificent. Her muscled hindquarters seemed to propel her forward at such a speed. Her delicate legs were little more than a blur as she stretched out the string of horses.
“She looks great,” Izzy said as Seattle Surprise’s exercise rider fed her the reins and they swung around the turn.
“Yeah, she sure does, doesn’t she?” Courtney said thoughtfully.
“Will we be able to go and watch her race?” Izzy asked excitedly as the training came to an end.
“I don’t see why not.” Courtney answered as they turned away and made their way through the paddocks. “The racetrack’s only fifty miles away from here.”
“Great!” Izzy said excitedly, walking back through the gate. As they walked into the middle of the yard, they were surprised to see the stable manager ahead of t
hem, holding a saddle. It looked as though he was waiting for someone and his face was thunderous.
“I don’t suppose you girls know anything about this, do you?” Ted spoke quickly and sharply. “It was left out last night.”
Izzy felt her heart beat faster and her face flush, but nobody said anything.
Megan hesitated. “Maybe one of the exercise riders left it out yesterday morning.”
“But you girls were cleaning tack after that,” Ted went on accusingly.
“Well, none of us left it out,” Courtney said defensively. “We’d tell you if we had.”
Izzy swallowed hard. She’d forgotten all about that saddle. More than anything she’d have liked the ground to have swallowed her up. She wished she could just walk away without saying a word, but she had to own up.
“Um, look, I think it might be my fault,” she said, fidgeting with her hair. “I left it on the gate...I was hurrying...I meant to go back for it but-”
“You just left it on the gate?” Ted thundered. “How could you have been so irresponsible? Don’t you know how much these saddles cost?”
“It’s all right, Ted.” Sally called from where she was walking up the path. She came up behind the stable manager and laid a comforting hand on his arm. Ted looked as though he was about to explode. “I’ll deal with this.”
It didn’t alter the cross look on Ted’s face, but at least it had stopped him from shouting.
Sally put her arm around Izzy’s shoulder. “Look, we do have strict rules about putting tack back where it came from, but you weren’t to know that.”
Izzy nodded. Ted had made her feel really small, and she was close to tears. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” she said.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” Sally said kindly. “And Ted didn’t mean what he said. It’s just that he takes a lot of pride in running the yard and he’s under a lot of stress at the moment – as we all are. Now come on, let’s put it behind us and go enjoy ourselves.”
Riding Holiday Page 3