Pony Jumpers 6- Six to Ride

by Kate Lattey

  “Your dad always like that?”

  “Yep. Decides my life for me, and expects me to just go along with it.”

  “Hm.” Connor led Forbes a bit closer as I leaned against Skip’s shoulder while he grazed. The ponies had been fine in yards, but I’d seized the opportunity to take them for a pick of grass instead of going back to the truck to bed, in case Dad had preceded me and was lying in wait to give me an earful. Buck had been lying down dozing, and had been very reluctant to get up when I’d suggested it, so we’d left him behind to snooze.

  I’d expected Connor to go and check on his own horses, but he hadn’t spared them so much as a glance as he’d followed me to my yards. He’d offered to walk Forbes out for me, and now we were standing in the middle of the cross-country course, letting the ponies graze on the dry grass. It was little better than eating hay, but they seemed to relish the chance to stretch their legs, and I was just happy for the chance to be alone. Well, almost alone.

  “It’s just so typical of him,” I grumbled as Skip stopped eating for a moment, deciding to sniff my boot instead. I lifted my toe and nudged his nose, and he snorted and went back to grazing. “Just offering him to you guys without even discussing it with me. And all that crap about seeing how we go in Pony of the Year, ticking that one off the bucket list. His bucket list, not mine, I might add. I don’t think he even realised what he was saying. ‘Win the class and I’ll sell your pony.’ Right, because that’s an an incentive.”

  Connor grinned at me unsympathetically. “It’s gotta be time to move on though,” he said. “You can’t ride ponies forever, and those jumps start looking pretty small when you’re doing Young Riders.”

  I shrugged, avoiding his eyes. “I guess they do, but I don’t really care about the height. It’s not about that.”

  “So what’s it about?”

  I thought for a moment. “It’s about doing the best I can, on the day. Building a good enough relationship with my ponies that I can always get a solid performance out of them. With Buck and Skip, it’s pretty easy. Forbes is more of a challenge, but that’s what I like about him.”

  “Star’d be a challenge too,” he reminded me.

  “Yeah, that’s true. And I like her. But…I don’t know. I like doing the pony classes.”

  “Even though you don’t care about winning Pony of the Year.”

  “Yeah. I mean, I wouldn’t exactly be gutted if I won, but it’s just a title at the end of the day, right? Just a rug and a sash and a bit of prize money.”

  “And a garland. Don’t forget the garland,” Connor said. “I think there’s a cup, too.”

  I waved my hand dismissively. “But what does any of that matter, really? If it was a choice between those things and keeping my pony, I know which one I’d make.”

  “And here I thought you were ruthlessly competitive.”

  “Well, you thought wrong,” I told him firmly. Maybe that had been true once, but it wasn’t anymore.

  “I’m starting to think that there are lots of things I’ve been wrong about, with you.” Connor came closer, Forbes’s leadrope in one hand, his half-empty beer bottle held loosely in the other. “How old are you?”

  I swallowed, my throat gone suddenly dry. “Fifteen.”

  He took another swig of beer, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You’re just a baby.”

  “I’ll be sixteen in June.”

  An eyebrow lifted. “Shitty month for a birthday.”

  “I know.”

  He was so close to me now that I had to tilt my head back to keep looking up at him. He smiled down at me, lowered his head, and then his mouth was pressed against mine, firm and insistent. I parted my lips in surprise, and he took that as further invitation to deepen the kiss. His mouth was warm, and tasted like beer.

  The sensation was overwhelming, although not entirely unpleasant. I felt caught off balance, and wondered if he could tell that this was my first kiss. His mouth was everywhere, smothering mine, and I did my best to respond appropriately, blundering my way through this completely unexpected turn of events.

  Forbes snorted, and Connor drew back, breaking the connection between us. He looked at me, his head tilted slightly to the side, and a slow smile crept across his face. He didn’t say anything, just put his arm around my shoulders and hugged me against him for a moment. My head rested briefly against his collarbone, his breath was in my hair and his fingers tight around my upper arm. Then he let me go and stepped back, jiggling Forbes’s leadrope idly in his hand.

  “It’s getting late. We should head back.”

  I nodded, my mind reeling. What was going on? Did he actually like me, or had he just done that to see if he could - to see if I’d let him? I couldn’t tell, could barely see his face in the darkness as he turned away from me and started leading Forbes back towards the yards. I followed him in silence, my feet crunching on the brittle grass. Forbes’s long tail swished contentedly as he walked, and I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened.

  What it all meant, and where it would go from here.

  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 2002.

  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. Her memory will be with me forever.

  I currently own a Welsh Cob x Thoroughbred gelding named JJ, and keep myself busy training him for show jumping and show hunter competitions, as well as coaching at Pony Club and judging local competitions.

  I have been reading and writing pony stories ever since I can remember, and have ideas for many more! If you enjoyed this book, please check out the rest of my novels on Amazon, and feel free to leave a review. Read on to find out more about the other books I have written.

  Also by Kate Lattey:

  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:

  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

  FIND & FOLLOW

  Website: http://nzponywriter.com

  Email: nzponywriter@gmail.com

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