“That little witch!” Maria couldn’t stop herself from saying it, and, turning to Antonia, asked her, “What do you want to do? Wouldn’t you rather try competing with Diamond?”
Antonia shook her head. Please, not that again. All because that pain in the neck had shown up.
“You do want to compete, don’t you?” There was fear and worry in Maria’s voice. “I don’t want to push you, but if you don’t want to compete . . .”
Why ask such a question? Antonia knew what she wanted. Hadn’t Grandpa always said, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained?” And she wanted to venture, and maybe, yes, maybe, win. And her aunt knew that, too.
Antonia seized the opportunity to finally tell Maria about her schedule for the day of the competition.
Maria was impressed. “Where did you get such great ideas?”
“Mr. Hegemann taught me all that,” said Antonia. “He plans out his competitions completely from the moment he gets up, through warm-ups, and until dinner. And he’s right. It makes you feel more secure.”
Maria took Antonia in her arms. “Antonia, you are the spunkiest girl I know. You’ll handle this competition with flying colors.”
They went back to the hotel.
Before falling asleep, Antonia thought through her whole plan one more time. Yes, everything would be fine!
The Decision
Antonia woke up very early on Saturday. She picked up the journal and read over it one more time. In her mind she went over the show jumping course step by step—riding it in her head.
There was just one problem: she had to have a quiet little place so she could carefully warm Elfin Dance up. She had found such a spot on the edge of the showground, but would Mr. Hegemann and Maria let her go there? Right before the start, they definitely would want to have everything completely under control. That would mean she would have to spend time dealing with Elfin Dance in the middle of the bustle of all of those waiting to compete. But her sensitive and temperamental Elfin Dance needed quiet before his performance.
And she wanted to handle it without the help of Mr. Hegemann or anybody else. Just her. So she had to be able to slip away somehow so that nobody noticed her. If Elfin Dance went to the start calmly warmed up—maybe even having heard his favorite song—everything would go well. That much she knew.
She went into the bathroom and put on the competition outfit, which she had gotten as an extra gift from Grandma and Grandpa. There was a strict dress code. It even included a satin tie with a silver pin! Of course, Antonia also had to wear her safety vest on the show jumping course. The vests were reinforced at the back so that nothing bad would happen in the event of an accident.
She buffed the gleaming black boots again and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked thoroughly elegant and grown up! Her hair was pulled back in a braid. Just her face had little red spots from all the excitement, which certainly only she and Maria saw.
When Maria came in, she shouted, “Wow, you look really great! Come now, you have to have a decent breakfast.” She took Antonia in her arms briefly, stuffed a huge napkin into her collar, and murmured, “So that jelly doesn’t spill on it . . .”
Antonia couldn’t help laughing. “Hey, I don’t need a bib!”
But she left the napkin there, because it would be a shame to ruin the beautiful white blouse.
She hadn’t finished her breakfast yet when she heard familiar voices in the hotel lobby.
“Can you tell me where I can find Ms. Rosenburg, Mr. Hegemann, and my daughter, Antonia?”
But before the lady at the reception desk could answer, Antonia ran up to them. “Papa, Caroline, Leona! You’re here already!”
“Yes!” Mr. Rosenburg exclaimed and laughingly whirled her around once. “We left very early and there was hardly any traffic on the freeway. And how are things going here? You look fantastic, Antonia.”
Antonia quickly slipped her arm through Leona’s, pulled her aside, and whispered softly, “It’s great that you’re here. You absolutely have to help me out today . . .”
“Why, what’s the matter?”
She told Leona about the last two days, about Elfin Dance’s moods, about Alina making fun of her, and about Isabella Ruf. And that everything had almost fallen apart.
“Wow, Mrs. Ruf is here?” Leona was astonished and immediately hooked. “And what do you have planned?”
“Before the start, I have to get away with Elfin Dance, far from all those people and horses and commotion. I want to be alone with him for a while in order to get him really well prepared. Then Elfin Dance will go along with everything for sure,” said Antonia. “The showground is in the middle of a wooded area. Elfin Dance has to run, be free! You know him. But Papa, Maria, and Mr. Hegemann will never let me go alone like that right before the competition. I’ll stay inside the warm-up grounds, exactly according to instructions. I don’t want any of them around, though; that’s the only way I’ll get Elfin Dance ready. That’s why you have to help me!”
“Okay, and what exactly am I supposed to do?” asked Leona, not yet totally convinced that what Antonia had planned was really the right solution. But she also knew that Antonia knew her Elfin Dance better than anyone else, and she would never do anything she hadn’t already thought through.
“I don’t exactly know either,” moaned Antonia. “I had hoped something would occur to you. Maybe you could faint or drive all the horses out of their stalls, make a little bit of chaos. But watch out. We don’t want to get disqualified!” she added.
Leona grinned. “Well, now you’re the one with the crazy ideas. It’s okay, something will come to me.”
“What are you whispering about?” Maria interrupted them. “If you both want to ride along, you’ll have to get in now.”
During the ride to the showground, there was unusual tension in the car.
Maria was the one who finally broke it. “Antonia, have you decided on Elfin Dance or Diamond?”
But that was already completely clear. Why was Maria asking again? It was annoying. Antonia and Elfin Dance were already registered, and nobody could just change horses like that right before the start.
Mr. Hegemann was expecting her in front of the stables. First Antonia strode out the course with him. They ran their hands over the poles, strode out the distance between hurdles, and planned the number of steps.
Antonia closed her eyes. “Ride in my head,” she murmured and went through the first jumps in her imagination. Then came the second part. The show jumping course was difficult.
“But it can be done,” she said loudly.
“Curves.” Mr. Hegemann pointed them out to her. “Now, it’s a matter of shifting your weight.”
Antonia nodded. They continued on. She even took note of flower containers and other decorations. Those were the things that could distract Elfin Dance. Afterwards they met Leona in the stable. Antonia saw the sparkle in her friend’s eyes. Did she really have an idea?
One more hour until the start. The horses were saddled, and Leona whispered to her, “You’ve got to move inconspicuously toward the warm-up area now. I’ll distract everyone here.”
Just then Leona went out and began to laugh as though she were having a hysterical fit. She laughed so loudly that everyone turned around, and several people in charge even came up to her and told her not to frighten the horses. Everyone looked at Leona, and nobody paid any attention to the girl heading for the exit. A few minutes later, Leona stopped and went to Maria and Mr. Hegemann to tell them where Antonia was. That’s what they had agreed on.
Antonia found the riding path on the edge of the warm-up area right away and let Elfin Dance just run. The fresh wind blew around their noses, and Antonia breathed deeply. Their tension fell away immediately.
A bird twittered, in the distance a woodpecker pecked on a tree trunk, and a bee flew around their ears. All the commotion was far away!
Antonia hummed Elfin Dance’s favorite song. That got them both going and cheered them u
p. Elfin Dance was all loosened up. It felt really good.
Always staying close to the showground, she heard her start number called after about half an hour.
“Start number seventeen, please. Start number seventeen to the start, please!”
“Are you ready, Elfin Dance?” Antonia sensed that he was.
And as the number was called out a second time, the two of them arrived at the starting line exactly on time.
Antonia saluted in the direction of the judges, as she had been taught. She felt no fear, no nervousness, but rather a joyful feeling of anticipation.
A murmur went through the completely occupied stands. However, Antonia was barely aware of the crowd sitting everywhere. She was concentrating completely on Elfin Dance and the show jumping course.
“Go!”
The approach to the first hurdles. She needed a fast pace, but she rode with control and urged Elfin Dance on in front of the hurdle.
Take off! Then the first landing. And onward! Elfin Dance pressed forward. The water jump. Elfin Dance hesitated briefly. Antonia’s stomach knotted for an uneasy moment. Then her horse cleared the hurdle with grace and strength and galloped on. In front of the last and most difficult hurdle Antonia whispered to him, “You can do it; you’re the greatest!” She gave a little help, increased the pace; Elfin Dance took off . . . and landed securely.
“Hooray!” Antonia had the feeling she had done the jumping course well.
Yes, they had done it together!
The Party
Applause burst out! Antonia and Elfin Dance had probably gotten over the hurdles without a fault; she had sensed it. Or had there maybe been a fault Antonia hadn’t noticed?
She must have been good, because even though the point judge still hadn’t announced any results, the well-wishers were already rushing up to her. Leading the way were Leona, Caroline, Maria, her father, and—a short distance behind, but nevertheless beaming from ear to ear—Mr. Hegemann!
“You two were super!” shouted Leona over and over, taking the reins in her hand and leading Elfin Dance past the cheering crowd. Despite the excitement and noise around them, Elfin Dance stayed calm; he just neighed and looked around as if he wanted to ask, “What’s the matter with you?” Obviously he was relishing the attention.
Antonia glanced at the scoreboard. They would probably get one of the top places. Two riders were still due at the starting gate. One, Alina, was jumping at the moment. And she was darn good!
Antonia could hardly believe it. She had actually gotten through the jumping course with Elfin Dance smoothly. Antonia Rosenburg on Elfin Dance! She looked from the scoreboard to the showground, then from the spectators to the judges’ stand. And she was ecstatic.
Another girl was competing now. The horse was fast and powerful, and the rider was riding excellently.
Antonia enjoyed the atmosphere all around her. Little by little she was able to notice details as well, even voices from the loudspeaker.
Taking part is what counts! Papa’s creed. How true . . .
Then she heard her name being announced. “In fourth place, Antonia Rosenburg.”
The crowd clapped. She couldn’t grasp it. Had she really won fourth place at her first competition in L class? That just couldn’t be true! But it was. Or was she dreaming? She pinched herself on the arm.
But then she heard another voice next to her. “Are you disappointed, Antonia? Fourth place is always somewhat the unlucky place, the place without a medal, although you’re really very good.” An older woman was looking at her in a friendly way.
“No, I’m completely happy!” answered Antonia. And that was really the truth. Although at that moment, it dawned on her how close she had come to getting a medal. Regardless, she smiled at the woman. She was really pleased.
Suddenly a disturbance erupted at the judges’ stand. There was whispering, talking, and excited gesturing. Something must have happened.
“I’ll go ask what’s the matter,” said Maria finally. She was just about to go when the voice from the loudspeaker rang out again and began a long, involved explanation: “Ladies and gentlemen, something rather unpleasant has happened; as a result we have to correct the rankings. Surprisingly, for all of us, a participant must be disqualified.”
At that moment, Antonia saw Alina back at the stables waving her hands around angrily; then being pushed along, no, pushed away by other people around her. Was Alina the one who had been disqualified? Even though Antonia didn’t really like Alina, for a moment she felt sorry for her.
The loudspeaker rang out once more, “. . . has won second place.”
Rats! Again, she hadn’t listened to the new rankings that were just being announced.
“Third place goes . . .” the loudspeaker continued. And suddenly Antonia almost got dizzy because all at once she had a hunch . . .
“. . . to Antonia Rosenburg.”
Cheers broke out. It was as if Antonia were momentarily paralyzed. . . . No, that couldn’t be true. But then it sank in, and suddenly she was overcome by a feeling of absolute joy. She jumped up and yelled at the top of her voice, “Hooray!”
The applause just wouldn’t stop. The crowd clapped thunderously for the top three winners. And she was one of them! She had the bronze medal! It was incredible!
During the awards ceremony, Elfin Dance held his head up proudly as the ribbon was placed on his bridle. He even neighed.
Antonia congratulated the other two winners.
“We were really lucky,” one said.
Antonia laughed.
“Luck, and ability, and the right horse,” replied the girl with the silver medal.
“Right,” said Antonia.
Only when it was time for the winners’ victory lap did Elfin Dance not want to participate any longer. After half a lap, with the exit in sight, he started heading toward the stalls. But Antonia held him and directed him onward. “Oh, no, you don’t, my friend.” And, sure enough, he joined in the entire victory lap.
She had barely left the jumping grounds when autograph hunters rushed up to her. Girls and a few boys, who held out tickets, postcards, or sheets of paper—even postcards with horse heads printed on them. Never before had Antonia written her name so many times in a row. Two girls wanted an autograph on their arms in marker.
“Now I just won’t shower for two days,” said one of them, laughing.
Mr. Hegemann popped up between the autograph girls. “That was a great accomplishment.” He patted Antonia approvingly on the shoulder and praised Elfin Dance, too. “He’s really a natural talent.”
A photographer charged forward; flashing cameras, microphones, and jostling followed.
But then Maria arrived. “Could you please wait for the press conference? Of course, we’ll be ready for interviews then.”
However the reporters continued to hold out their microphones.
One reporter pushed himself toward Antonia and took her photo. Another wanted to know how long she’d been riding.
“I’ve ridden since I was in diapers.” She answered all questions truthfully.
“And how long have you taken riding lessons?”
“My riding teacher put me on horseback when I was just a toddler.”
“Has your riding style changed much because of Jochen Hegemann?”
“I think so—self-confidence above all. He conveys that sort of thing . . .”
She didn’t get any further; her father took her hand then and pulled her away.
“Your mama would also have been very proud of you now,” he said. “You’re very similar to her.”
She hugged her father. “Do you know what was up with Alina?” she asked.
Mr. Rosenburg shrugged his shoulders.
“At the moment there are just rumors and nothing definite.”
At the stall, in a dense crowd, she met Maria, Leona, Caroline—and Isabella Ruf, too.
“My heartiest congratulations, Antonia,” said Mrs. Ruf. “I have to say, you
surprised and enchanted everybody here. I apologize for my doubting you! Elfin Dance is really an astonishing horse, and you’re a great show jumping rider. Riding in a competition like this at ten years of age is a sensation, an absolute exception. Where do you get all your spunk, girl? Would you maybe give me a little interview right now for the horse magazine?”
“Will you write about Rosenburg Farm, too?” Antonia asked.
Mrs. Ruf nodded and smiled. “Yes, if I may still come, I’d like that a lot. A farm that produces such horses and riders—our readers should definitely know about that!”
“Then of course you can come! How would tomorrow afternoon be? There’s a party at Rosenburg Farm then. But, shhh, my father can’t find out about it, because it’s his birthday. It’s going to be a surprise for him.”
“Yes, I’d like that, if I’m not in the way? And don’t worry, I won’t give anything away.”
The trip back home on Sunday went off—unlike the trip there—without any interruption. No little jealousies between Elfin Dance and Diamond, even; everything stayed quiet in the trailer. Antonia gave Leona the journal to read. “See, I wrote everything in your great notebook.”
Leona was amazed at the plans. “Terrific technique,” she murmured. “I’ll have to remember that for the next swimming championships.”
As they drove onto Rosenburg Farm in bright noon sunshine, they could hardly believe their eyes. Grandma and Grandpa, Mr. Sonnenfeld, Karen, and John had performed magic! In the yard, tables stood in a square, covered with a buffet of mouth-watering cakes, coffee pots and tea pots, and pitchers of juice and strawberry punch.
“On Friday before we left, we set up torches, garlands, and Chinese lanterns. Papa wasn’t allowed to see any of it. And we made the table decorations by hand,” Caroline whispered to Antonia. “Doesn’t it look great?”
And it really did! They had folded little horses out of construction paper and spread them all over the tables; glittering horse confetti shimmered between the plates and cake platters. Caroline, Leona, and Grandma had even baked horseshoe cookies!
Antonia and the Big Competition Page 4
