Pony Jumpers 5- Five Stride Line

by Kate Lattey

  “What’s it mean?”

  Dad looked a little concerned by my ignorance. “I don’t know what, in direct translation.”

  “You don’t know what it means?”

  “No, it means I don’t know what.” A crease appeared between his eyebrows. “You’re not really selling me on this whole horses are more important than education idea if you can’t recognise a simple French phrase when you hear it.”

  “I’ll learn French when I’m riding in France,” I told him dismissively, turning my attention to the waitress who’d just arrived at our table.

  Once she’d taken our order, I picked up the conversation before Dad could start up again about school. “So are you going to buy her? Please say yes.”

  “Well. There are a few things to discuss.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as you, your goals and ambitions. Where a horse of this calibre could take you, and what your plans would be with her. How you’re going to keep up your schoolwork while you’re competing, and don’t look at me like that, because if your schoolwork isn’t up to scratch then there won’t be any shows either.”

  “What?!”

  “You heard me. I spoke with your mother, and she said you’ve only ever scraped through school on the barest minimum of pass marks. That’s not good enough, Katy. You’re a bright girl and you can do a lot better than just Achieved on every assessment.”

  I forced myself not to roll my eyes. I was doing this for Tori, after all. I’d do anything to have that horse. “Okay, so I do better in school. I can manage that.”

  “Good. I’m also prepared to pay for regular lessons with a top level coach, to help you get up to scratch with this horse. I think, and your mother reluctantly agrees, that you’ve learned all you can from her – or in her words, all you’re willing to.” His voice was serious, but his eyes twinkled slightly. “But I have to warn you, Katy. You’re my daughter and I want you to succeed, but I’m also a businessman, and I don’t make weak investments. I’m not expecting this horse to make me any money – quite the opposite. I’m well aware that horses eat money for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and that the running costs for Tori will be quite high. However, I do have expectations of my own.”

  My stomach was clenching in on itself. Our waitress reappeared and placed a huge mound of noodles in front of me, which I glanced at queasily.

  “Such as?”

  “That you’ll work hard and achieve your goals. We’ll work out a performance plan, starting with the six year old classes this season and moving up to Junior Riders next season.” He’d clearly been listening in the car on the way back as I’d prattled off my plans, thinking I was talking into thin air. I was a little alarmed to realise that he’d been paying very close attention. “Then Young Rider classes, the season after that,” he continued. “Does that seem realistic to you?”

  It seemed like a lot of pressure to me, but then I thought again about Tori and how effortless jumping her had been. With plenty of time to produce her through the age grade this season and all of winter to school her, Junior Riders by next season seemed entirely feasible.

  “Yeah, definitely.”

  “Good.” Dad picked up his fork and scooped up his rice. “I’ll give Marlene a ring when we get home and have her organise a vet check. I’m not spending that much money on any animal until I know it’s completely sound.”

  “Okay.” I knew I wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise, and crossed my fingers that there was nothing about Tori that would cause any issues with the vetting.

  He nodded, looking pleased. “Well then. Eat up, before your food goes cold.”

  Best news everrrr Dad just rang Marlene back to say we will buy Tori! She was out so left her a message, just waiting for her to call back now omg so excited I cant breathe

  I punched the words into the screen of my phone and hit Enter. AJ still hadn’t texted me back, and I was starting to get mad at her. What was she doing that was so important that she couldn’t at least send back a simple “Yay”? Maybe her phone’s battery had gone dead. I send the same message through to her on Facebook, wondering if she’d check that one first, then decided to tell Susannah. She’d be thrilled for me, I knew, and I grinned to myself as I speculated how long it would take for her Dad to buy her a top notch young horse as well. He was obsessed with Susannah having the best of everything, and had been trying to buy her another horse for ages, even though she said she wanted to stay on ponies for a bit longer. I bet that was about to change though, once they got a glimpse of Tori…

  Dad’s phone rang, and my heart leapt. Tossing my phone with its half-composed message aside, I hurried into the other room as he answered it. He had his back to me, so I couldn’t see his face as he spoke.

  “Hi.” He sounded casual, as though he bought horses every day of the week and this was just another transaction. “Did you want…”

  He broke off, and I watched him sit up a little straighter, his body tensing up, and then he turned and faced me. A sense of foreboding slid over me, and my feet were suddenly rooted to the spot. He looked upset, his brow furrowed deeply as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

  “No, I understand that, Deb. Of course. Katy’s right here, I’ll hand you over to her now.”

  Dad moved the phone away from his ear and held it out to me, still looking anguished. I had to take five strides to cross the small room, but it felt as though I was walking through syrup. The sense that something terrible had happened wouldn’t let up, and I frantically ran through scenarios in my head. One of the ponies was hurt. One of the ponies was dead. Critter had been hit by a car. Something was wrong with Mum…

  “Hello?”

  “Hi honey.” Mum’s voice sounded as though she’d been crying, and she cleared her throat.

  “What’s wrong? Are the ponies okay?”

  “They’re fine.” I felt relief, but only for a second. “It’s AJ. She’s been in an accident.”

  I swear that my heart stopped beating for a moment when she said that. “What? Is she…”

  “She’s okay,” Mum said quickly, allowing me to breathe again. “Well, she’s in hospital and she’ll be there for a few days but they think she’ll make a full recovery.”

  My breath was coming back to me in gasps. “What happened?”

  “She was in the car with her brother, and it went off the road and flipped upside down. I don’t know any more than that, how it happened or anything…” Mum took a breath. “I just got off the phone with her mother, she didn’t give many details.”

  There was one part of what Mum had said that I had to go back to. “Was she…was she with Anders?”

  Mum’s voice sounded tearful again. “Yes.”

  I had to ask. “Is he okay?”

  “He’s…” She took another shaky breath. “I don’t know. He’s stable, but he’s in a serious condition. They don’t know yet what the prognosis is for him. They’ve got him in an induced coma, he’s broken a few bones...”

  Oh my God. Oh my God oh my God ohmyGod. No. Not Anders. Please, please not Anders. The words spun around in my head until I couldn’t think straight. All I could see was Anders with his tousled blonde hair and his bright blue eyes, grinning at me and making fun of me, sitting on his bed playing the guitar, picking AJ up every day from our place after she’d ridden Squib, and AJ, what if she wasn’t okay, what if they thought she was but they missed something, and…

  “Katy, are you there?”

  “Yeah.” I took a breath and with an effort, collected my thoughts. “We’ll come home tonight.”

  “You don’t need to do that,” Mum told me. “You won’t be able to see them yet anyway, they’re not ready to have visitors, and it’s safer to drive in the daylight…”

  But I ignored her protestations. I wouldn’t sleep in this motel room anyway, not knowing what I knew now. I wouldn’t sleep properly until I’d seen them both, until I knew they’d be okay, until I was back in my be
d with Critter in my arms and had seen all of my ponies and hugged them and knew they were fine.

  “I’m coming home,” I told Mum more firmly. “Tonight.” And I hung up the phone.

  More books by Kate Lattey

  available on Amazon

  DARE TO DREAM

  Saying goodbye to the horses they love has become a way of life for Marley and her sisters, who train and sell show jumpers to make their living. Marley has grand ambitions to jump in Pony of the Year, but every good pony she’s ever had has been sold out from under her to pay the bills.

  Then a half-wild pinto pony comes into her life, and Marley finds that this most unlikely of champions could be the superstar she has always dreamed of. As Marley and Cruise rise quickly to the top of their sport, it seems as though her dreams of winning the Pony of the Year might come true after all.

  But her family is struggling to make ends meet, and as the countdown to Pony of the Year begins, Marley is forced to face the possibility of losing the pony she has come to love more than anything else in the world.

  Can Marley save the farm she loves, without sacrificing the pony she can’t live without?

  Reviews for Dare to Dream:

  “There are always two parts to a good horse story–the people and the horses. Sometimes authors get the horses right and Kate Lattey definitely knows horses. All the details are spot on. But for me, it was the people that made this book shine. The relationship and dynamic between the three sisters is filled with warmth, humor, and truth. I recommend this book for all horse-lovers.

  – Kim Ablon Whitney, author of “The Perfect Distance”

  “I absolutely loved Dare to Dream. I finished it in tears. It’s moving, wrenching, funny. Goodness, it’s good.”

  – Jane Badger, author of “Heroines on Horseback: The Pony Book in Children’s Fiction”

  DREAM ON

  "Nobody has ever tried to understand this pony. Nobody has ever been on her side. Until now. She needs you to fight for her, Marley. She needs you to love her."

  Borderline Majestic was imported from the other side of the world to bring her new owners fame and glory, but she is almost impossible to handle and ride. When the pony lands her rider in intensive care, it is up to Marley to prove that the talented mare is not dangerous - just deeply misunderstood.

  Can Marley dare to fall in love again to save Majestic's life?

  Reviews for Dream On:

  “Kate Lattey has produced another tremendous, character-driven book, with every bit of authentic horsey detail you could wish for. I defy you not to cry at the end. If you haven’t already gone and loaded this on to your Kindle go and do it now. You won’t regret it.”

  - Jane Badger, author of “Heroines on Horseback: The Pony Book in Children’s Fiction”

  “Kate Lattey’s characters are convincing and engaging, and the storyline kept me hooked from the first page to the very satisfying epilogue. A deliciously enjoyable read.”

  – Amanda Wills, author of the “The Lost Pony of Riverdale”

  Clearwater Bay #1:

  FLYING CHANGES

  When Jay moves from her home in England to live with her estranged father in rural New Zealand, it is only his promise of a pony of her own that convinces her to leave her old life behind and start over in a new country.

  Change doesn’t come easily at first, and Jay makes as many enemies as she does friends before she finds the perfect pony, who seems destined to make her dreams of show jumping success come true.

  But she soon discovers that training her own pony is not as easy as she thought it would be, and her dream pony is becoming increasingly unmanageable and difficult to ride.

  Can Jay pull it together, or has she made the biggest mistake of her life?

  Reviews for Flying Changes:

  “Excellent read in the traditional format: girl gets pony, works through traumas with the pony and in her own life. Brilliant New Zealand background, and excellent, accurate horse stuff.”

  – Jane Badger, author of “Heroines on Horseback: The Pony Book in Children’s Fiction”

  “Detailed and descriptive, it’s one of those books that once you start, you can’t put down.”

  – The Children’s Bookstore

  Clearwater Bay #2:

  AGAINST THE CLOCK

  It’s a new season and a new start for Jay and her wilful pony Finn, but their best laid plans are quickly plagued by injuries, arguments and rails that just won’t stay in their cups. And when her father introduces her to his new girlfriend, Jay can’t help wondering if her life will ever run according to plan.

  As her friends battle with their own families and Jay struggles to define hers, it is only her determination to bring out the best in her pony that keeps her going. But after overhearing a top rider say that Finn’s potential is being hampered by her incompetent rider, Jay is besieged by doubts in her own ability…and begins to wonder whether Finn would be better off without her.

  Can Jay bear to give up on her dreams, even if it’s for her pony’s sake?

  Reviews for Against the Clock:

  I absolutely love the books by this author! This is another fabulous story filled with ponies and the girls that love them. As always, the scenes of New Zealand countryside are descriptive and captivating, the characters are unique and compelling, and the horses are accurately depicted and eloquently wrought. Lattey manages to tell a horse story appropriate for a young audience without the stereotypical storyline and awful romance of many young adult horse novels.

  – Anne, via Amazon.com

  This was fantastic – somehow even better than the first. I think what I like about Jay as a heroine is that she’s not the best rider – she has to work at it. There are so many YA horsey books where the main character is an OMG amazing, undiscovered, super-talented rider who just never had the chance and those can be really, really annoying because really? How common is that?? Jay screws up, she gets mad, she LEARNS. I love that.

  – Jenn S, via Amazon.com

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  If you liked this story, please also check out my four full-length novels, also available on Amazon. There are some familiar faces in those books, as everything I write ties into each other, so although they are focused on different characters, quite a few of the people you have met in the Pony Jumpers series will pop up in previous (and upcoming) books.

  For more information on the characters and the timeline that the novels fit into, check out my website at http://nzponywriter.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  I live in Waikanae, New Zealand and started riding at the age of 10. I was lucky enough to have ponies of my own during my teenage years, and I competed regularly in show jumping, eventing, show hunter and mounted games before finishing college and heading to Massey University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English & Media Studies.

  In the years since, I’ve never been far from horses, and have worked in various jobs including as a livery yard groom in England, a trekking guide in Ireland, a riding school manager in New Zealand, and a summer camp counselor in the USA, where I worked at the wonderful Road’s End Farm for five summers. During my time there, I wrote several short stories about the farm’s horses, which were a huge hit with the campers, and their encouragement inspired me to continue writing. I also had the joy and privilege to meet some amazing girls, and one incredible horse named Bittersweet, my true one in a million horse. Her memory will be with me forever.

  I currently own a Welsh Cob x Thoroughbred gelding named JJ (show name Fox in Socks – find us on YouTube!), and keep myself busy training him for show hunter (hunter jumper) competitions. I’m also the Head Coach of my local Pony Club branch and regularly judge and commentate at local shows.

  I have been reading and writing pony stories ever since I can remember, and have plans for many more. For recommendations on other excellent equine fiction to read, both contemporary and classic, check out the What to Read section on my website at http://nzpony
writer.com

  FIND & FOLLOW

  Sign up to join my mailing list by dropping me a line at nzponywriter@gmail.com.

  Here’s where you can find and follow me online and on social media. I’d love to hear from you!

  Website: http://nzponywriter.com

  Email: nzponywriter@gmail.com

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