by Kate Lattey
We ride around the corner and I glimpse the gates of the Estate up ahead. She didn’t get very far before falling off, although Misty doesn’t look a particularly difficult ride to me.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Georgiana Deveraux.”
I raise my eyebrows. “That’s a mouthful. Your family didn’t think to give you a nickname?”
She looks over at me with those big grey eyes, her small mouth turning resolute. “They call me Bubbles.”
Clearwater Bay #3
HIGH JUMP
Things are changing fast in Clearwater Bay, and not everyone is happy about it.
When a wealthy American family moves to Clearwater Estate and fills the once-empty stables with expensive show jumpers, Jay’s initial jealousy is quickly overcome after she’s offered the chance of a lifetime – to help out as a groom in exchange for Finn’s board. A life of luxury is opened up to her as the stables are renovated with no expense spared, and with regular lessons and more opportunities to compete, Jay and Finn finally begin to hit their stride in the competition arena.
But it’s not all smooth sailing as Jay struggles to understand twelve-year-old Bubbles’ fear of her own ponies, deal with her domineering father, and comprehend her enigmatic older brother Kurt’s inexplicable mood swings.
As the family’s perfect façade wears off, Jay discovers that not everyone plays by the same rules, and she is forced to decide where her loyalties truly lie.
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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?
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?
DREAM ON
The much anticipated sequel to Dare to Dream.
“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 has been imported from the other side of the world to bring her new owner 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?
Pony Jumpers #1
FIRST FENCE
All of AJ’s dreams seemed to be coming true when her parents bought her a pony of her own, but the reality has turned out to be quite different. Squib is young and difficult to ride, and without enough knowledge and support to know how to fix things, AJ feels like she’s just going around in circles without any hope of ever improving.
Then a chance encounter leads her to Katy, who has practically grown up on horseback and has a string of talented jumping ponies. The two girls quickly become friends, and soon AJ is making the kind of progress she’d only ever dreamed was possible. As the world of competitive show jumping is opened up to her and Squib begins to show his true potential, AJ starts looking forward to a fun season ahead.
But there’s something that Katy’s not telling her, and it’s going to change everything between them…
Follow the adventures of AJ and her friends as they train and compete their ponies on the National Show Jumping circuit. Whether they have an unschooled pony and tack held together with duct tape, or a string of top-quality show jumpers, these girls all have one thing in common – a love for the sport, and a lot of love for their ponies.
Coming soon:
#2 DOUBLE CLEAR
#3 TRIPLE BAR
#4 FOUR FAULTS
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to my friends and family, who continue to support me and nag me to finish my stories, and everyone who has contacted me with reviews and encouragement – it honestly means the world to me.
Thanks in particular to Wilson and Debbie Lattey, Heather McCaffrey and Alice Petersen, who took the time to read the final draft of this novel. It’s been a long time coming, and there were times when I thought this book would never be finished, but your enthusiasm for the finished product has meant a lot to me and kept me going through the hard times.
And thanks once again to the very talented Kelly Wilson for her stunning cover photography.
About the Author
I wrote my first pony book when I was nine years old, for a school project, and never really stopped. I completed my first novel Flying Changes (Clearwater Bay #1) in 2010, and released Dare to Dream in 2013. Its sequel Dream On followed in 2014, and Against the Clock is my fourth full-length novel.
I didn’t grow up in a horsy family but since I started riding when I was ten, I’ve never been far from horses. I was very lucky that I lived on a farm and we always had room for ponies, and my first pony Whisper was followed by Tess, then later Minnie and Caddie. I sold Caddie when I went to University, but Minnie stayed for another eight years – mostly because she was so difficult that I never would’ve been able to sell her. She taught me a lot, although not all of the lessons were ones I wanted to learn, and I didn’t learn them easily. But learn them I did, and my experiences with her have shaped my training techniques and beliefs now.
After I graduated from University I went on to work as a camp counsellor, trail rider and instructor at a summer camp in New Hampshire, USA. I’d only planned to go once, but ended up returning four times to the place that is truly my home away from home. In between summers at camp, I’ve run a riding school in New Zealand, exercised livery horses on a yard in England, and taken guided trail rides around a castle in Ireland, as well as working various desk jobs and toiling away as a landscape gardener. In amongst all of these jobs, I have always continued to write.
I hope you enjoyed this book. Please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Every bit helps, and word-of-mouth recommendations are invaluable to help spread the word amongst other readers. I really appreciate the support.
I love hearing from readers, so feel free to contact me through my website http://nzponywriter.com or email [email protected]
You can also find me on:
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/NZPonyWriter
Instagram http://www.instagram.com/kate_lattey
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/NZPonyWriter
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
More books by this author on Amazon
Acknowledgements
About the Author