by Stacy Gregg
“Go, Aidan!” Kate, Stella and the kids were shouting their heads off now as Aidan took Destiny over fence after fence without a fault.
As Aidan turned to face the triple Issie felt her heart pounding. She had been so confused for so long about Dan and Aidan that she didn’t know what to think. Now, as Aidan lined up to take the final jump, suddenly her heart made up her mind for her. She realised she had been jumping with Aidan over every single fence. Wishing him over the jumps. At that moment, she knew at last how she really felt.
“Go, Aidan!” she yelled so loudly that Stella and Natasha, who were sitting next to her, nearly jumped out of their skins.
Aidan looked at the triple ahead of him and managed to judge his stride perfectly at the first fence. Then trouble struck. Destiny miscued his take-off for the second fence and took down a rail. The error left him disunited as he approached the third fence and the top rail fell from that one too. There was a collective sigh from the crowd as the man on the tannoy crackled back to life.
“A very unlucky eight faults there for Aidan MacGuire, putting him back to second place. That makes our winner of the one metre twenty novice hack event…Mr Dan Halliday on Madonna! Second place is Aidan MacGuire on Blackthorn Destiny and third goes to Justin Jones on Tribesman. Would all the riders come into the arena for prize-giving please?”
“Issie?” Stella looked at her friend. “Are you OK?” Issie shook her head. She wasn’t OK at all. Dan had won. Aidan had lost. Issie had finally made up her mind and she knew what she wanted…she knew who she wanted. And now it was too late.
Chapter 15
Issie wasn’t even looking at Dan and Madonna as they took their victory lap around the arena. Her eyes never left Aidan. From the grandstand she watched as he slid down off his horse. She saw him quietly whisper something to the black stallion as he stroked his muzzle, as if horse and rider were consoling each other over their loss.
Then she saw Aidan look away from Destiny and up at the grandstand, his eyes searching for Issie. At that moment he looked so heartbroken, so miserable, that Issie realised she couldn’t stand it any longer. She had to talk to him! She stood up and began to move towards the exit.
“Hey! What’s going on? Where are you going?” Stella said as Issie pushed past her. “Issie? What’s happening?”
Issie stopped and turned to Stella. “It’s all wrong. I wanted Aidan to win.”
Stella looked confused. “But, Issie, if you wanted Aidan to win then why didn’t you just choose him in the first place?”
“Because I didn’t know I wanted him to win until just now!” Issie replied.
“What’s going on?” Arthur piped up.
“Issie wanted Aidan to win!” said Kitty.
“But why?” Lucy asked.
“Issie, is Aidan your boyfriend?” asked Sophie.
“Yes. I mean no…I mean, he should be. Ummm…Stella, can you get them some more ice creams? I gotta go!” Issie hurdled the back of the bench seats and began to run along a vacant row of seating towards the grandstand door. The only person she wanted to talk to right now was Aidan. She had to tell him how she really felt about him.
She was almost back to Avery’s horse truck, making her way there as fast as she could by darting in and out between the other trucks and floats, when she heard a voice beside her. “Hey, Issie!”
It was Dan. He was on Madonna and he had a huge smile on his face. Madonna looked pleased with herself too. She was dancing about, the gold tassels of her red winner’s sash flapping against her chest as she moved.
“Did you see the jump-off?” Dan asked as he slid down off Madonna’s back and landed on the ground next to her.
“Yeah, I did,” Issie said. “Ummm…you jumped brilliantly. It was a really good round and you deserved to win.”
Dan looked at her face and suddenly his smile disappeared. “So why do I get the feeling that you’re not happy that I won then?” he said.
Issie looked at Dan. She couldn’t speak–she was finding it hard enough just to breathe! You have to do this, she told herself. Dan didn’t deserve to be messed around. Now that she knew how she felt about him and Aidan, she had to say something…
“I know about the bet.”
“What?” Dan looked nervous.
“You and Aidan. I heard you. I was in the horse truck when you were talking and I heard you…”
Dan froze like a rabbit in the headlights. Issie knew about the bet! “I never really meant it!” he babbled. “It was just a silly thing to say. You didn’t think I really expected you to be my girlfriend, did you?” Then he looked at her. “That is, unless you want to. Be my girlfriend, I mean.”
Issie looked at Dan. “Dan, I…can’t.”
It felt awful that moment. The crushed look on Dan’s face, the desperate hot flush of embarrassment as he tried to act cool, as if he didn’t care that she had turned him down.
“I was just being silly. I didn’t mean it…” he said again. He avoided meeting her eyes by busying himself with adjusting Madonna’s martingale.
“I’m sorry,” Issie said softly.
“Hey, I said I never meant it, all right?” Dan said, still refusing to look at her. “Don’t worry about it, OK?” He put his foot back in the stirrup and sprang up on to Madonna’s back. “I gotta go. I need to get to the judges’ tent and collect my prize money: $10,000! Can you believe it?”
Issie shook her head. She wanted to say something, anything that would make things the way that they used to be between them, but she didn’t know what to say. “Dan, I…”
“Anyway,” Dan said coolly, turning Madonna so that he had his back to Issie, “I’ll see you later.”
Issie watched helplessly as he rode away. Dan trotted off for a few strides and then something made him stop and pull Madonna up to a halt. He turned back to her. “Issie?”
“Uh-huh?”
“Good luck, OK? For the pony Grand Prix.” He smiled at her. “I really hope you win.”
Issie smiled back. “Thanks, Dan.”
“Do it for the Chevalier Point Pony Club!” He gave her a wave, then he turned Madonna again and trotted away.
Issie stood there for a moment watching him ride off. It might take a while to get totally back to normal, but she knew now that things were going to be OK between her and Dan. It had been good to talk to him. But now all she really wanted was to find Aidan and…
“Isadora! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Aunt Hester was striding over the showgrounds towards her. She was wearing her best black jodhpurs and a pink shirt and carrying a large picnic basket.
“I’ve brought a surprise with me,” Hester said. At first Issie thought her aunt was referring to the picnic basket, and she was so busy staring at it that she didn’t notice the woman with long dark hair and a broad smile on her face who was walking just behind Hester.
“Hello, sweetie!”
“Mum?” Issie couldn’t believe it!
“Mum! Ohmygod! What are you doing here?” she squealed as she ran to Mrs Brown and gave her the most enormous hug.
“What? Do you think I’d miss the chance to see my daughter ride in the pony Grand Prix?” Mrs Brown laughed.
“I just picked your mum up from the airport this morning,” Hester explained.
Issie still didn’t believe it. Her mum was here!
“I fed your horses their breakfast and then I got on the plane,” Mrs Brown said breezily.
“Are they OK?” asked Issie.
“Blaze and Storm are fine,” Mrs Brown said. “I asked Pip at the pony club to keep an eye on them until I get back.”
“I’m so glad you came!” Issie grinned.
“Hess says you’re riding just before lunch?”
“Uh-huh. I was just on my way back to the horse truck now. I suppose I should start getting him ready.”
“Well, come on then!” said Mrs Brown. “I’ve heard so much about Comet. I think it’s time I met this superstar po
ny of yours.”
Issie was still desperate to talk to Aidan. She had been hoping that he would be back at the horse truck with Destiny when she got there, but they were nowhere in sight.
“I think he had another class to ride in,” Stella said as she reached the truck to join them.
Issie wanted to go and find him, but with her mother here and the time ticking by until her competition started, she figured that her conversation with Aidan would have to wait. It was time to get ready to ride.
“All you have to worry about is getting yourself dressed,” Stella told her. “I’m your groom, remember.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Hey!” Stella said. “I’ve got it covered, OK? I can look after Comet. I’ve even got myself an assistant.”
“An assistant?”
“Hi, Isadora!” Issie looked over Stella’s shoulder and saw Kelly-Anne standing nervously to the side of the horse truck. “Stella said I could help her get Comet ready…if it’s OK with you?”
Issie looked at her. “Do you know how to do gamgee bandages?”
Kelly-Anne shook her head. “No, I don’t.”
Issie smiled. “That’s OK. This is a good chance for you to learn how to do them properly. Stella will teach you how to put them on.”
“Here,” Stella said, passing Kelly-Anne a roll of bandages and a wadge of stuff that looked a bit like cotton wool. “I’ll do the first one and then you can copy me and do the next one, OK?”
Issie left them to it and went inside the horse truck to get changed. She pulled on her white jodhpurs and long black boots. She opened the closet and stared at her riding jacket. It wasn’t actually hers–it was an old one of Hester’s. It was a little bit big for her and a tad moth-eaten, but it didn’t really matter. It would have to do.
Issie was just slipping off her T-shirt and putting on her shirt when there was a knock at the door of the horse truck and her mum stepped inside. She was holding a black box tied with a black and white grosgrain ribbon.
“Before you put that old jacket on, you might want to open this.” Mrs Brown smiled as she passed the box to Issie. It was filled with lilac tissue paper, and beneath the tissue there was a brand-new navy blue riding jacket.
“Oh, Mum! It’s gorgeous!” Issie couldn’t believe it.
“When you phoned me the other night for the entry money, I realised that you didn’t have a showing jacket to wear,” Mrs Brown said. “So I called Hester and asked her what I should get you.”
“Thank you!” beamed Issie.
“There’s a tie in there with it,” Mrs Brown pointed out. “A navy jacket and a red tie. The Chevalier Point colours. I thought they’d bring you luck.”
Issie pulled the jacket out of its tissue paper. The navy fabric was so dark it almost looked black. The jacket had a velvet collar, also in navy blue, and a single vent up the back. It was a classic showjumper’s jacket.
“I hope it fits,” Mrs Brown said. “You’re growing so fast these days I find it hard to tell what size you are!” Issie slipped on the navy jacket and did up the buttons. It was a perfect fit.
“Thanks, Mum!” she grinned. Then her face fell. “But I already owe you $500! And now this jacket…”
Mrs Brown smiled. “The jacket is a gift. And don’t worry about the $500.”
“But if I don’t win this event then I won’t be able to pay you back or help Aunty Hess with the farm…”
“Issie, you’re only fourteen. That’s far too young to take the weight of the world on your shoulders,” Mrs Brown said firmly. “You need to put all of that out of your mind. All I want is for you to go out there and do your best and have fun, OK? That’s all anyone is asking of you.”
“OK, Mum.” Despite what her mother said, Issie was still feeling the butterflies beginning to churn in her tummy. There was $15,000 in prize money up for grabs in this event. If she won then she could give the money to Hester and maybe she wouldn’t have to sell the farm and…Issie tried to put those thoughts out of her mind. Her mum was right. She had to focus on riding, not winning.
Mrs Brown looked at her watch. “It’s nearly eleven,” she said. “I’m going to go with Hester now and get a good seat in the stands. I’ll see you afterwards.”
As her mother opened the door of the truck Issie called after her. “Mum?”
“Yes?”
“I’ll try to make you proud of me.”
There were tears in Mrs Brown’s eyes as she looked at Issie. “Oh, honey, I’m already proud of you. I always have been.” She gave Issie one last hug. “Here, let me straighten your tie…perfect!”
She looked at Issie and smiled. “Now get out there and good luck!”
The grandstand was already crowded as Mrs Brown, Hester, Stella, Kate and the kids hurried to their seats.
“With $15,000 at stake this is one of the premier pony events in the Southern hemisphere,” the announcer’s voice crackled over the loudspeaker.
“$15,000? That’s big money!” Stella gave a low whistle.
“Yeah, big jumps too! Look!” Kate pointed down at the arena. “They’re huge.”
In the warm-up arena down below, Issie was looking at the ring and thinking exactly the same thing. “Tom?” She looked nervously at Avery, who was holding on to Comet’s reins as he gave her some last-minute advice.
“Take a deep breath and take your time,” her instructor said. “Remember, the main thing is a clear round; speed doesn’t matter in this event.” Issie nodded.
“And watch the turn into that last double,” Avery added. “Don’t take it too tight on the corner! Remember what happened to that last rider–it’s a big fence: you need three decent strides to take it.”
Issie nodded and turned Comet towards the arena. She was the last rider to go, which put her in a lucky position. Earlier, she had watched Natasha come in and put in a nice round on Fabergé, with just one rail down for four faults. The fences were challenging, and there had been only one other rider who had done better than Natasha and gone clear. If Issie got a rail down, she’d have four faults too, just like Natasha. But if she went clear, she’d be ahead of Natasha and in the jump-off for first place.
The grandstands were packed and there was a round of applause from the crowd as Issie cantered into the ring. Issie nearly lost control as Comet bolted forward at the sound of their clapping, yanking the reins clean out of her hands. She managed to grab at the reins and had to pull hard to get Comet to a halt. As they stood in the arena she realised that the pony was actually trembling beneath her. “Easy, Comet,” she soothed him. “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t have a chance to find out. There was a loud clang as the bell rang, signalling the start of the round. According to the rules, that meant Issie now had only one minute to get her horse through the flags and start her round or she would be disqualified. The clock was ticking. She had to ride now.
“Come on, Comet.” Issie worked the skewbald in a canter circle to try to settle him then took a perfect line over the first fence. Comet seemed to relax again and took the fence nicely, tucking his feet up and clearing the rails, but as he landed on the other side the crowd let out a cheer and their cries made Comet surge forward again in a panic.
“Comet!” Issie tried to hold him, but the skewbald was too strong for her. He was rushing his fences and refusing to settle into a steady stride. Every time Issie lined him up for a jump Comet would hear the crowd cheering him on and lose his cool and charge the fence. She was lucky to make it over the first half of the course, but by the time they hit the big oxer in the middle of the course Issie knew they were in trouble. Comet rushed it so fast that his striding was all wrong, and he took off in a flying leap way, way earlier than he should have done. Issie squealed in shock as the pony jumped too soon. Instead of coming down on the other side of the fence, Comet brought his hind legs down on the back half of the jump, scattering poles everywhere.
The skewbald kept cantering on, but Issie was now terrified. He
was totally out of control. Issie’s fears were instinctively picked up on by Comet. As he reached the next jump he panicked and screeched to a halt in front of the fence at the last minute, baulking to one side. Issie hadn’t been expecting this. Comet had never refused a jump before! She was thrown forward on to the skewbald’s neck and nearly fell off. She had to grapple her way back along his neck and into the saddle like a gymnast to avoid the twenty faults she would have got for a fall. But once she was back in the saddle she realised it didn’t matter anyway. She already had four faults for a rail down and four for a refusal–plus her horse was shaking so much there was no way she was going to make it around the rest of the course.
Issie looked up at the judges’ tent and slowly raised her riding crop up to her helmet in a salute.
“What’s she doing?” Mrs Brown asked Kate. “Why is she saluting in the middle of the course like that?”
Kate looked down at Issie from the grandstand. She couldn’t believe it. “She’s retiring. That salute means that she’s just quit. She’s out!”
“That was an unfortunate round for pony Grand Prix newcomer Isadora Brown and Blackthorn Comet,” the announcer said. “She has retired from the competition and is out of the running for the $15,000.”
Issie was devastated as she left the arena. All that training, all those hopes of saving the farm–and now here they were, eliminated in the first round!
Comet had calmed down as soon as they left the arena and the noise of the crowd had died down, but Issie was still shaking from the experience. This had been it. Their big event. How could it have all gone so wrong?
As she walked Comet around to cool the pony down Avery rushed over towards her. Issie shook her head miserably as she saw her instructor approaching as if to say, I know, it’s my fault, I messed up.
“Having a few problems in there?” asked Avery.