The Midnight Horse

by Michelle Bates

  “Coming Mum,” Kate answered. She shivered and reached for her bath towel before stepping out of the tub. She wondered if Izzy had got round to telling her parents yet. It was the first time they’d argued since the night Midnight had got colic and Kate felt bad.

  Kate sighed as she squeezed the toothpaste onto her brush. If she was totally honest with herself, it wasn’t all Izzy’s fault either. There was something else that had caused the argument – something she hadn’t been able to tell Izzy. Winning at Hawthorn had been all that Kate had thought about for the last few months and secretly she’d been thrilled to be picked to ride...more thrilled than anyone might have imagined. Deep down she wanted to win more than anything in the world. And yet now she knew she couldn’t. She had to let Izzy win. She had to let Izzy have that chance to keep her horse. She knew how much it meant to her, and there’d be plenty of other horse trials for her.

  Biting her lip, Kate pulled on her pyjamas and walked across the landing to her bedroom.

  “I thought you’d fallen asleep in there,” Alex called cheerfully.

  “No, I-I.” For a brief moment, Kate was close to confiding in her brother and telling him everything – how Izzy didn’t have the money to pay for Midnight’s keep, how she was banking on winning at Hawthorn, but then Kate stopped herself.

  “Nervous are you?” Alex asked.

  “Something like that,” Kate sighed.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll be all right. Just try and get a good night’s sleep.”

  “Thanks Alex,” Kate said, wearily.

  Closing the door behind her, she exhaled slowly. Izzy was probably telling her parents about Midnight at that very moment. Kate hoped they were being as understanding as she’d said they would be. What if they weren’t? Kate was guiltily aware that it was only at her suggestion that Izzy was telling them.

  Kate’s head was spinning now, and there was a gnawing, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. What would Nick say when she messed things up at the trials tomorrow? Hadn’t he said before that if Feather won it would make her quite a valuable horse? Still, Kate’s mind was made up. She and Feather couldn’t win. She just wouldn’t let them.

  12

  HAWTHORN

  When Kate’s alarm went off the next morning, a tingle of excitement ran through her body. Hawthorn! And then her heart sank as she saw her new navy show jacket hanging ominously on the cupboard door and remembered what lay ahead of her.

  Kate looked out of the window. It was a clear, crisp day. Cold, but perfect weather for riding all the same. Under normal circumstances, she would have been delighted to be going to a horse trials, but today was a bit different. Unwillingly, she dragged herself out of bed and down the stairs into the kitchen where her mother was pouring a cup of tea.

  “All right, Kate?” she asked. “Feeling nervous?”

  “Hmm, not too bad,” Kate answered, shrugging her shoulders. She wished everyone would stop asking her that. It only made it ten times worse.

  “What time are you leaving for the stables?” her mother went on.

  “Oh in ten minutes or so. Whenever Alex is up,” Kate replied. She was in no hurry to get to the yard, but she didn’t want to tell her mother that. She looked up as Alex came bounding down the stairs.

  “You look smart, Kate,” he said. “All set and raring to go?”

  “Sort of,” she said, gruffly.

  “Ooh, grumpy too! Who got out of bed on the wrong side?” He turned to his mother. “Probably just last minute nerves,” he said, cupping his hand over his mouth, but saying it loudly enough so that Kate could hear.

  Ignoring him, Kate got up from the kitchen bench, and wandered aimlessly into the hallway. She stopped to check her appearance in the mirror. That would have to do. Fleetingly, she wondered why Izzy hadn’t called her last night.

  “Come on, Kate,” Alex called. “I’m ready, and you’ll be late otherwise.”

  Kate looked at her watch. Seven o’clock. Grabbing her riding hat, she followed Alex out of the house and unpadlocked her bike.

  “See you later,” Alex called to his mother. “Quick.” He turned to Kate as the ring of the telephone bell sounded from the house. “It’s probably Nick checking that we’ve left.”

  And so the two of them cycled away. When Mrs. Paterson came running out of the house to say that Izzy was on the phone, it was too late to catch them.

  “Kate, Kate,” she called. But Alex and Kate were already pedalling away at top speed. Mrs. Hardy shrugged her shoulders and hurried back into the house.

  “I don’t believe it.” Izzy slammed the phone down, crossly. She’d just missed Kate. If only she’d got up a few minutes earlier she would have caught her.

  “Nervous Izzy?” her mother asked, looking up from her cup of tea.

  “A bit,” she answered. She felt funny pretending to her mother that everything was all right when it wasn’t. “Could we go quite soon?” Izzy asked, quick to change the conversation.

  “Why? What’s the hurry? Your dressage test isn’t till eleven is it?” her mother answered.

  “No, but I want to watch Kate in hers,” Izzy answered. “She’s on at nine, so the sooner I can get there the better.”

  “All right, all right. I’ll just give your dad a shout and then we’ll get going. Max, Max,” Mrs. Paterson called for her husband.

  “One minute.” A reply came from the depths of his study, and then he appeared.

  “Come on, Max. This is Izzy’s day,” Mrs. Paterson said, smiling. Izzy reddened as her father looked across and gave her a stern look.

  Waiting by the door, Izzy twisted uncomfortably in her hacking jacket. It was Kate’s old one and a little on the tight side. She would rather be in her scruffy old fleece any day.

  At last they were ready and Izzy clambered into the car. Mr. Paterson pulled out of the drive.

  “Do you know where we’re going, Izzy?” Mrs. Paterson asked.

  “Yes,” Izzy answered, grabbing the road atlas from beside her. “We need to take the road to Ash Hill, skirt around Littleford and then it’s straight all the way to Hawthorn.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she spoke.

  “Easy then,” her mother said. “We should be there in plenty of time. So why don’t you tell us how these trials work then, Izzy.”

  An uncomfortable silence pervaded the car as Izzy took a deep breath and tried to make a start. “Well,” she began. “The main event of the day is the Open Cup. There’ll be lots of older riders competing for that. It’s the last qualifying event for the Trentdown Trials. I’m in the Junior Cup for under 12’s. It’s a new sort of event – the first of its kind to be held at Hawthorn. You ride in dressage, showjumping and cross-country and the scores in each of them are then added up.”

  All of this talk had managed to distract Izzy and she hadn’t noticed the traffic bunching up ahead of them. She looked at her watch. It was already quarter to nine.

  “Uh oh,” her mother sighed.

  “What is it?” Izzy asked.

  “Traffic,” Mr. Paterson groaned.

  “I knew we should have left a bit earlier,” Izzy cried as they drew up behind a large trailer and came to a grinding halt. “I’m going to miss Kate’s dressage now.”

  “Be patient, Izzy,” her mother said, calmly. “I’m sure it’ll get going in a minute.”

  But Mrs. Paterson’s words weren’t reassuring Izzy.

  “It’s not far now. Look there you are,” Mrs. Paterson pointed. “Horse Trials one mile.”

  “But the traffic’s not moving. I’m going to have to get out and walk,” Izzy wailed.

  “You’ll do no such thing.” Mr. Paterson looked stern. “Just calm down.”

  But Izzy was finding it hard to sit still. She should have known something like this would happen. Vacantly, she stared out of the window. The traffic was starting to move again and Izzy could vaguely hear the muffled sound of a loud speaker in the distance. She looked across the grass at the showjumpin
g ring, surrounded by green and white striped stands. They hadn’t even reached the entrance yet. Izzy screwed her hands up into little balls, clenching them and unclenching them.

  “Sorry,” she gasped. “It’s five to nine. I’ve simply got to get out. I’ll meet you by the secretary’s tent at eleven-thirty.”

  And before they could stop her, Izzy had leapt out of the car, and was running blindly down the road. Sprinting along the grass verge, she pushed past people hurrying to the trials on foot.

  “Excuse me, excuse me,” she cried, stumbling forward as she raced. She really should stop and ask someone where she’d find the dressage arena, but there just wasn’t time for that. And then it all happened so quickly. One minute she was hurtling forward, the next she had put her foot in a hole, and was crashing to the ground.

  “Ow.” She grimaced, rubbing her ankle.

  “Are you OK?” A woman called over.

  “I’m fine,” Izzy said, cross at herself for falling.

  Bravely, she got to her feet and cringed. She felt a sharp, searing pain in her foot. Tears sprang up in her eyes as she struggled to stand.

  “I’ll be all right in a moment,” she said to the woman, wincing as she tried to put some weight on the injured foot.

  “I don’t think you will be. It looks as though you might have twisted your ankle.”

  Wheezing to catch her breath, Izzy looked at her watch. It was two minutes past nine. Too late. She’d have missed Kate’s test, and now the tears she’d desperately been trying to hold back all morning, began to run down her face.

  “I’m late to see my friend ride,” she explained. “And I’m going to lose my horse too. I so wanted my parents to see how good he was,” she babbled. “My ankle’s throbbing, and I’m supposed to be in the dressage arena at eleven.”

  “Don’t worry,” the lady said kindly. “I think we’d better get you to the first aid tent as quickly as possible. Put your arm over my shoulder and lean on me. There, that’s it. Somehow I don’t think you’ll be riding today.”

  As Kate came out of the ring, she hoped against hope that Nick hadn’t seen her performance. She had certainly ridden badly enough to take them out of the running. Her first circle had been more of a square and then she had circled at C instead of E – that was two penalty points straight off for a change of course. Feather had swished her tail and seemed confused, but still she had obeyed Kate’s instructions.

  At least that was all over with now. Looking up, Kate saw Alex heading straight for her.

  “You were terrible. What happened?” he demanded, in his typical blunt style.

  “I suppose I just got an attack of nerves,” Kate said quickly, turning away so that he couldn’t see her face.

  “You’re lying eighth. You’ve completely blown it, Kate. I thought you’d be up there with the leaders after the dressage.”

  “I know, I know, don’t keep going on about it, Alex,” Kate said hastily, jumping to the ground and burying her head in Feather’s neck.

  “Where’s Nick?” she asked anxiously.

  “Not sure.” Alex looked blank. “He said he’d be watching, but he’s not going to be too chuffed with that performance.”

  “Any sign of Izzy?” Kate asked, ignoring his comment.

  “No, not a squeak,” Alex said. “We’ve all been wondering where she’s got to. Nick said she’d be here by nine.”

  “Probably hasn’t told her parents yet,” Kate muttered under her breath.

  “What was that?” Alex asked.

  “Oh nothing,” Kate answered, tiredly. She felt cross. She had given up everything so Izzy would have a good chance of winning – Nick’s opinion of her, Feather’s chances, her own chances. And Izzy didn’t even have the decency to turn up on time.

  Kate was kicking a stone around the ground when there was an announcement over the speaker that brought her back to earth with a jolt.

  “Could the parents of Izzy Paterson come to the first aid tent immediately?”

  Kate’s heart skipped a beat. What was going on? Without a second thought, she set off, darting this way and that, dodging in and out of the crowds as she ran. Stopping for a moment to catch her breath, Kate caught sight of the first aid tent and plunged inside.

  Izzy wasn’t alone. Nick was already there and a nurse hovered in the background. Kate just caught the tail end of what Nick was saying.

  “So that’s it. I’m afraid you’re not going to be able to ride Midnight, Izzy...”

  Kate blinked. What was going on? What was wrong with Izzy?

  “Kate, just the person we needed to see.” Nick looked grim. “I’m sorry I missed you and Feather, but I heard the result. You didn’t do too well did you?”

  “Not really,” Kate said, sheepishly. “Six penalty points.”

  “And I’m afraid Izzy’s twisted her ankle,” Nick explained. “She won’t be able to ride Midnight today.”

  “Izzy! How on earth did that happen?” Kate cried.

  “I was late getting here,” Izzy said. Her face was stained with tears. “We were stuck in traffic, so I got out of the car and was tearing along the paths and...well, I fell. Anyway, never mind that,” Izzy said. “Nick’s got something to talk to you about.”

  Kate looked puzzled and turned to look at Nick, waiting for an explanation.

  “I won’t beat around the bush,” Nick said, quickly. “You’ve clearly blown your chances with Feather, so I’ve suggested to Izzy that you take over from her and ride Midnight. Izzy’s agreed, but it’s up to you now. There isn’t much time, so what do you think?”

  “Well, I don’t know,” Kate said, looking from one face to the other.

  “Don’t mind me,” Izzy said, kindly. “I’d rather you rode him than not. I can’t very well, and besides, it’ll give you a second crack at the trophy.

  A second crack at the trophy. Kate was torn between being devastated for Izzy and thrilled for herself. Quickly, she pulled herself together.

  “OK, I’ll do it,” she said, determinedly.

  “Good, well, I’ll leave you both to discuss things then,” Nick said. “I’ve got to go and get permission for the change of rider at the secretary’s tent.” He turned to Kate. “There isn’t much time before Midnight’s dressage test. Meet me back at the horse box in exactly half an hour.”

  Kate nodded and turned back to Izzy. “Do you mind Izzy?” she asked.

  “No, it’s fine, Kate,” said Izzy. “You see, being able to ride at the trials wouldn’t make any difference to me anyway.”

  “What? But what do you mean?” Kate was flabbergasted. “Everything’s riding on it.”

  “Not really,” Izzy answered her. “Not any more. You see I told Dad everything, and he’s going to make me sell Midnight anyway. It wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference whether I win or lose, so don’t think about me. You just go out there and do your best for your own sake.”

  “Sure I’ll do that Izzy, but–”

  Izzy held up her hand to silence her friend. “There’s nothing more to be done,” she said, tiredly. “I can’t bear to talk about it any more. Now I’m going to have to wait for my parents to explain what’s happened.”

  Kate patted her friend on the shoulder and left the tent.

  13

  SHOWJUMPING

  The showjumping ring stood quiet and empty as the last of the competitors finished their tests over at the dressage arena. Gaily-painted flags swung in the breeze. Kate hadn’t ridden Midnight too badly in the dressage – they were lying in third place, but there was still a long way to go. Kate wondered how Izzy was. She hadn’t turned up to watch her, so maybe she was having a tougher time with her parents than she’d reckoned on.

  Ducking under the railings, Kate looked at the course. The jumps weren’t enormous by showjumping standards, but she would need to jump them clear if she wanted to catch the leader. She was quiet as she walked the course, contemplating it all. She looked at her watch – nearly time now. She should g
o and tack up Midnight. Quickly, she headed back to the horse box. The showground was busy, as she went on her way – each of the riders getting ready for their different events.

  “You ought to go and limber up,” Nick called over to where she stood. “You’re on in the showjumping ring in twenty minutes.”

  “I know,” Kate answered, hurrying over to tack up Midnight.

  Quickly, she tightened the girth and jumped into the saddle. As she walked over to the collecting ring, she ran over the course in her mind. She felt strangely distant as she watched the riders popping back and forth over the practice jump. Poor, poor Izzy. Kate took a deep breath. She had to do well. She simply had to show everyone what Midnight could do.

  Kate squinted into the distance. They were up to number twenty-two – just two more riders ahead of her. Time was going so painfully slowly, she couldn’t bear it. All she wanted was to get it over and done with. Quietly, she trotted over to the ring, awaiting her turn. Then she heard Midnight’s number being announced and rode into the arena. As the sound of the bell echoed around the grounds, she pushed Midnight onto the first.

  “Come on my boy,” she cried, urging him onto the brush. The black horse responded willingly and they cleared the jump with ease. Kate rode him hard at the shark’s teeth. Touchdown and clear, and now it was the combination.

  Carefully, she eased him over the fence. Clear! Now onto the parallel bars. They glided over the jump in quick, easy strides and headed for the triple. Jump...clear, jump...clear....jump...clear...

  The crowd was quiet as the pair soared over the jumps in swift succession. Midnight didn’t even hesitate as Kate rode him around the course. He snorted excitedly in the run-up to the gate and landed lightly. There were only two jumps left that lay between them and a clear round.

  Kate turned Midnight for the stile, and he soared over the jump with inches to spare. Now there was only the wall. Kate didn’t hesitate as she swung Midnight wide, giving him enough berth to look at the jump. Midnight coursed through the air as if it was invisible and they cantered through the finish to a round of applause.