The Palomino Pony Steals the Show

by Olivia Tuffin

  Gritting her teeth and biting down on her lip so she didn’t cry, Georgia retreated backwards, safely out of Reggie’s way. She thought she might pass out with the pain, and was just wondering how they were going to manage when she heard a familiar voice.

  “What’s going on?”

  A tall figure appeared in the doorway in his pyjama bottoms, wellingtons and a hooded top. Sebastian!

  “Serena?” he continued, looking around questioningly. “What are you doing out here so late?”

  Serena mumbled a reply about making one last check on her horse, not looking at Sebastian.

  “Rubbish!” Georgia hissed, adrenalin taking over from the incredible pain in her leg. “You were up to something, I just know you were!”

  But there was no time to lose. Turning to Sebastian, Georgia handed him the lunge line. “Please help us,” she said to him, and he nodded, quickly realising what was going on.

  With Jodie still at Reggie’s head keeping him calm, and Georgia and Sebastian gently tugging at the lunge lines, Reggie gave a heave and began to push himself upward. A moment later he was back on his feet.

  Realising Georgia was hurt, Sebastian moved in and released the ropes from Reggie’s legs, as Jodie checked the pony for cuts or scrapes. Feeling sick and clutching her leg, Georgia slumped against the stable wall. Remarkably calm, Reggie had a good shake and then turned back to his hay net, seemingly completely unconcerned by what had happened.

  “Well, he seems fine.” Sebastian gave the big chestnut a pat and looked appraisingly at Georgia and Jodie. “It could have been a whole lot worse if you hadn’t been here and got him up.”

  “Thanks, I guess,” Serena said sulkily, barely looking at Georgia or Jodie. As she thrust her hands in her pocket, something fell out and landed on the bedding. Sebastian bent down to pick it up.

  “Serena…” Sebastian sounded serious. “What is this?” He held out a white plastic syringe, similar to those used to administer wormers. Time seemed to stand still.

  “Give me that!” Serena hissed furiously, making a grab for it, and Sebastian held it a little higher, just out of her reach.

  “Horse calmer, extra-strength,” Sebastian continued as he read the packaging, his voice icy. “What exactly were you going to do with this?”

  “It’s nothing… I wasn’t going to do anything!” Serena was scarlet with fury now, her eyes flashing dangerously.

  “It doesn’t look that way.” Sebastian moved forward, a serious look on his face. “Serena, tell us what’s going on.”

  Georgia stepped forward, feeling rage building within her. “Were you on your way to give it to Lily?” she hissed.

  Serena was totally backed into a corner as all three teenagers turned to look at her.

  “All right!” Serena cried, putting her hands over her eyes. “Yes, I was. It wasn’t going to hurt her. It’s just what Dad uses to load the difficult ones. It would have worn off by the morning anyway. It was a stupid idea…” her voice trailed off.

  “So, just to make Lily perform badly tomorrow then?” Georgia said slowly, realising what Serena’s intentions had been.

  “Look, you don’t understand,” Serena hissed, but it was as though the wind had been taken from her sails. “You don’t know what it’s like having a famous dad, with all that expectation on you!”

  “Serena,” Jodie said sadly, “what happened to you? We used to be friends.”

  “And then you came along and rode Jackson better than I ever could,” Serena said, but she had slumped against the stable wall now, defeated.

  “Serena, this isn’t the way.” Sebastian shook his head as he spoke. “I should have known something was up from the way Henry has been. He’s working for your dad, isn’t he?”

  Serena nodded. All the fight had gone out of her now. “Henry advises dad on his German warmblood sales,” she mumbled. “Dad paid him extra to get me a place and it was working, until Daisy rumbled him.” She shot an angry look at Georgia. “If you hadn’t got involved,” Serena continued, “I wouldn’t have done what I did; it was all under control.”

  “So the flint.” Jodie pressed her fingers to her forehead. “That wasn’t an accident?”

  Serena shook her head.

  “I knew it!” Georgia cried out.

  “It’s only a bruised sole,” Serena cried as she tried to justify herself. “Nothing serious.”

  “But it nearly cost me my chance!” Jodie cried. “Serena, this is serious, you know that!”

  “You can’t prove anything.” Serena was almost completely white now, her lips drained of colour as she shook her head furiously. Turning on her heel she fled back to her dorm room, leaving Sebastian, Jodie and Georgia completely speechless as Reggie gazed impassively after his young mistress.

  Groggily, Georgia rolled over as the light crept under her dorm-room curtains, wincing as she stretched her leg. Pulling down her tartan pyjama bottoms she inspected the kick, which was rapidly forming a perfect horseshoe shape on her outer thigh. If it hadn’t been for the bruise she might have believed the events of the previous night were just a bizarre dream. After Serena had run away there didn’t seem to be anything to do but go back to bed, as Reggie was clearly fine.

  Hobbling to her feet, Georgia limped over to the sink and splashed her face with cold water, examining her reflection in the small mirror. Her hair resembled something close to a bird’s nest, but that was nothing new. She dressed as quickly as she could with her sore leg, thinking about what had happened. Serena’s revelations during the night had made her even more determined that Jodie should win her place. She knew Serena had clouded her judgement about the whole week, but she was even more thankful she had given up the ride today. She just wanted to return to Redgrove.

  “All OK, Georgia?” Daisy raised an eyebrow as Georgia hobbled back to her place at the breakfast table, carrying her tray.

  “Yes, fine!” Georgia tried to sound as bright as possible. She knew that what Serena had said was true – there was no way they could prove that Serena had set out to sabotage Lily. And they would all be in deep trouble if they were found to have been in the stable yard in the middle of the night. There was no sign of Serena at the breakfast table, but Sebastian looked up and smiled when he saw Georgia, gesturing for her to take a seat opposite him.

  Jodie, who had joined Georgia in the breakfast queue, sat down and gave Sebastian a shy smile. “I meant to ask you,” she whispered, so no one could hear them. “What were you doing down in the yard last night?”

  Sebastian gave a rueful smile. “I guessed Serena might be up to something after the way she was acting when she realised you were going to be riding Lily. I just didn’t quite believe that Jackson’s lameness was accidental, you know?”

  Jodie nodded.

  “I can’t believe someone would go to those lengths!” Sebastian continued, shaking his head so that his floppy dark curls bounced up and down. “And I thought she was a friend!” He put down his knife and fork. “So I guess it’s just you and me riding today.” He gave Jodie a wide smile, his voice warm. “May the best rider win!”

  “Georgia, are you going to be OK?” Jodie’s voice was full of concern as the two girls prepared Lily for the assessment day. Despite all the drama in the next-door stable block the previous night, Lily was as calm as ever, and as Georgia slipped on her bridle the little palomino nudged her hand, as if to reassure her she was going to try her best.

  “Fine…” Georgia gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the pain. “Come on, she’s as ready as she’ll ever be.” She felt a shiver run down her spine as she realised how close Serena had been to giving the calmer to Lily, her sweet, trusting little mare.

  Expecting only Sebastian and Jodie to ride, Georgia gave a start of surprise as Serena clattered into the arena on Reggie. “Poor boy!” she exclaimed out loud, before she could stop herself. He must have been shaken up after his ordeal in the night and yet Serena was still determined to ride him. Most decent horsey people
would have given the pony a day off to recover. Serena was clearly still desperate to prove herself, and with Henry Winters back at Rosefolly and on the panel, what would that mean for Jodie and Lily?

  “What was that?” Daisy turned to Georgia in surprise.

  “Oh, nothing,” Georgia mumbled.

  Georgia grimaced. Her leg was aching, and she knew it was getting worse. But she couldn’t think about that now. Come on, Lily, she silently willed the palomino, who stood a good hand smaller than both Sebastian’s and Serena’s ponies, but had a lion-size heart.

  Each candidate was to ride the dressage test that they had been practising during the week. It was a huge ask for Lily, who was only really used to Georgia’s way of riding. But Jodie was a sensitive enough rider to realise that Lily only needed small aids in order to perform. Jodie had clearly noticed Lily’s style during the past few days, and knew that the palomino preferred it when Georgia sat as quietly and as still as possible. They were warming up beautifully and Georgia gave her friend a big thumbs-up from the side of the school as her little mare trotted past. Jodie smiled and visibly relaxed.

  The panel judges were in a little huddle at the far end of the school, but they were still watching and observing the warm-up. Sebastian was up first. His lovely bay pony was relaxed, and settled into an easy swinging stride. Sebastian was an amazing rider. His long legs hung down below his pony’s tummy but in no way detracted from the overall picture. He rode a brilliant test and Georgia gave a little clap as he finished. She had seen a different side to Sebastian after last night’s events. She wondered why Serena hadn’t tried to get him knocked out of the assessment. Or maybe he had been her next target, after she’d finished with Jodie!

  There was a short pause before Serena’s assessment while the panel judges murmured among themselves. There were three in total who had a say, and each had to mark the riders individually. Henry Winters was as unsmiling as ever, but Richard, the judge who had come to watch the lessons earlier in the week, gave the students a kindly, encouraging smile. Serena started to trot Reggie round the outside of the arena. The chestnut gave a snort of frustration as she dug her outside heel into his side, so that it went unnoticed by the panel.

  Poor Reggie. Georgia shook his head. She hoped that whatever the outcome of the day, he would be looked after, and not just sold on if he didn’t live up to expectation.

  Reggie’s kind nature shone through during his assessment. Despite his dramatic evening and Serena’s harsh hands, it was clear he was trying his very best. But Serena’s riding fell short of Sebastian’s and Jodie’s. Richard and the other panel judge gave Serena a polite smile. Richard tilted his hat at her, while Henry looked stonily ahead. Georgia wondered if he was still being bribed to try to get Serena a squad place. Surely he could see both Sebastian and Jodie were more deserving?

  Now it was Lily’s turn. As Georgia watched the golden mare trot round the outside of the arena, Jodie sitting quietly in the saddle with her long dark ponytail bouncing up and down, she felt a huge mix of emotions. Pride, knowing how much she had achieved with the little mare, though a smidgen of sadness and regret. But – despite it all – Georgia knew she’d made the right decision. She just hoped Melanie would be able to understand!

  As Lily trotted beautifully up the centre line, Georgia sat down as gingerly as possible on the benches, trying to take the weight off her leg, rubbing it gently. She noticed Daisy give her a sideways frown before settling down to watch Lily’s performance. But Daisy was soon distracted enough not to look across to Georgia and question her further.

  At every turn, every extension, every transition, Georgia found herself riding alongside Jodie. She knew exactly what each move would feel like, and watched with growing pleasure as Lily performed a foot-perfect test. Georgia almost forgot about her injury as she clapped as hard as she could, tears springing to her eyes. Lily had given Jodie the best possible chance of a place, and she couldn’t do more than that.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Jodie was completely overwhelmed as she untacked the little palomino back in her stable. Georgia had limped back to join them as quickly as possible. The pain in her leg was making her feel a little nauseous and she had paled even further under her freckles. Luckily Daisy was too wrapped up in a conversation with Sebastian to notice, but Jodie could clearly tell Georgia was in pain.

  “Do you think we should go to hospital?” she whispered, her voice concerned, but Georgia shook her head firmly.

  “It’s just a bruise,” she muttered unconvincingly. She was determined to hear the outcome of the assessment day.

  Before Jodie could say any more she was swept aside by her mum, who was full of congratulations for her daughter.

  Georgia leaned heavily against Lily’s side as the little mare snuffled her in concern. She was still standing in the stable, trying not to cry, when Richard, one of the panel judges, cleared his throat as he leaned over the stable door, making her jump.

  “Hello, young lady,” he said in a kind voice, removing his trilby hat.

  “Hello,” Georgia said politely in reply, looking around her, feeling a little unsure. She hadn’t ridden, so what was he doing here?

  “I’ve come to talk to you about your mare,” Richard explained. “I know you gave up your chance to go for a squad place, and that’s fine, your choice. But it’s actually your pony I’m more interested in.”

  Georgia took a deep breath as Richard explained that someone had spotted Lily and wanted to purchase her for an up-and-coming junior dressage rider, who was aiming for the national team. They had put in an offer of many thousands of pounds. He wanted to know if Georgia was interested in such an offer.

  “I’m afraid that she doesn’t officially belong to me,” Georgia mumbled, her head spinning. “It’s not my decision.”

  “I’m aware of that. I’ve already been in contact with Mrs Hayden,” the judge said.

  Georgia felt the room starting to spin more quickly. She couldn’t blame Mel for considering other options for the little mare, as Georgia had decided not to compete. The air was muffled and heavy, and suddenly Richard’s voice sounded very slow and very far away. As Georgia’s knees buckled, the last thing she was aware of was Lily’s start of surprise, and then the stable went black.

  “Georgia, Georgia?”

  Groggily, Georgia opened her eyes. It took her a minute or two to realise where she was – sitting outside Lily’s stable. Jodie was crouching next to her, holding a plastic tumbler full of water while a kindly-looking paramedic was on her other side. Daisy was on the phone and seemed to be calling Georgia’s mum.

  Georgia pulled herself up gingerly, wincing as she remembered the bruise on her leg. “What happened?” She felt as though she had been asleep for days.

  “You fainted!” Jodie exclaimed. “Richard raised the alarm. Luckily an ambulance was in the area and so they were here very quickly.”

  “Have you hurt yourself on that leg?” the paramedic asked gently, and Georgia nodded. She slowly rolled down her jeans and revealed a perfect horseshoe-shaped bruise, now a dramatic purple.

  The paramedic whistled. “Now, that’s a bruise!” he said. “We’ll need to take you in to get that checked out.”

  Daisy, snapping the phone shut, turned in alarm and gave a start as she noticed Georgia’s leg. She gasped. “What on earth happened?”

  “It’s my fault,” Georgia mumbled as Daisy inspected her leg more closely.

  “Let’s get you to hospital,” Daisy said grimly. “You can explain everything to me there.”

  The hospital was located in the small market town about five minutes away from Rosefolly Equestrian Centre. Georgia and Daisy had travelled there in the ambulance together. The doctors had checked her over and her leg was OK, just very bruised. Georgia needed to rest with her leg up for a few days to allow the bruising to heal.

  She was lost in thought as she tried to make herself comfortable in the hard bed. Everything that she had decided �
�� to take Lily back to Redgrove – felt as though it was slipping away. She knew that Melanie would have to seriously consider the offer for Lily.

  “So, are you going to tell me what’s been going on now?” Daisy asked from her seat next to Georgia’s bed.

  “It was my fault,” Georgia repeated. She may as well tell Daisy the truth. “It was my idea to go down to the yard and guard Lily.”

  “Guard Lily? What do you mean?”

  Daisy listened quietly as Georgia explained how she had wanted to keep watch over Lily’s stable during the night because she had been worried about sabotage, and how she had persuaded Jodie to join her. They had been guarding her stable when they heard Reggie in trouble.

  “And that’s how you were kicked?” Daisy frowned, and Georgia nodded.

  “Sebastian found the syringe of calmer that Serena was going to use on Lily, but we can’t prove anything.”

  “So that’s why you didn’t say anything?” Daisy asked gently. “You thought you and Jodie would be in trouble for breaking yard rules.”

  Georgia nodded again, hanging her head. “It’s just that getting a squad place meant everything to Jodie. I didn’t want her to get in trouble.”

  Daisy was silent, digesting what Georgia had told her. Then she smiled. “Jodie won’t be in trouble and neither will you. I’m going to make sure of it.” She sat down on the end of Georgia’s bed. “I believe you about Serena. I think she was responsible for Jackson’s lameness.” Daisy patted Georgia’s hand as she continued. “I think Jodie has got something she wants to tell you.” She gestured at the door for Jodie to come in.

  Jodie walked in. She was with her mum, who must have driven her to the hospital. Jodie was beaming from ear to ear as she flopped down next to Daisy, still wearing her riding gear.