Showjumpers

by Stacy Gregg

  They were out of the grazing paddocks now, but there were still three more fences to clear. A low spar divided one cross-country course from the next, then a stone wall and finally one more post and rail fence before they reached the warm-up arena.

  Urging her mare on, Georgie stayed in two-point position and rode both the spar and the wall with as much conviction as the other jumps, not allowing herself to relax and make a mistake now. Just as she had done before, she let Belle gallop freely at her own pace. The mare felt strong, but Georgie noticed a froth of white sweat was building on Belle’s neck. She hoped that once they reached the arena the mare wouldn’t be too tired to compete. “Come on, Belle,” she said, giving her another slappy pat on her wet neck, “Not much further, girl, I’m right here with you.”

  “Where is she?” Tara Kelly was furious. Badminton House’s fifth rider, Karen Lockhart, was about to complete her round in the arena. She would be followed by the last riders from the Luhmuhlen and Adelaide teams, and then, after that, it was Georgie’s turn. The only problem was, Georgie still wasn’t here.

  Alice didn’t know what to say. She’d managed to stall and cover for Georgie for as long as she could, but things were getting desperate. Perhaps Alice needed to confess the truth to Tara and tell her where Georgie had gone.

  “Daisy!” Tara instructed. “Go back to the stables and see if you can find her! This is crazy! If she doesn’t turn up in the next five minutes we’re going to have to forfeit the competition…”

  “No!” Alice shook her head. “Tara. I know where she is.”

  “Well?” Tara looked at Alice. “Don’t keep us in suspense. Where is Georgie?”

  “I’m here!”

  Tara Kelly turned around. Galloping towards her, having flown the last post-and-rail fence just as easily as the first, Georgie Parker was back at Blainford.

  “What th—” Tara was horrified. “Georgie, what’s been going on?”

  “Conrad Miller locked me out of the school gates,” Georgie panted. “I jumped Belle back in over the fences.”

  Tara didn’t ask for any more information. There was no time. The last of the Luhmuhlen riders had just entered the arena.

  “Is Belle sound?” asked Tara.

  “She’s fine,” Georgie said. “She flew the last two fences as if they weren’t even there.”

  “Get down off her,” Tara instructed. “Keep her moving and lead her around to cool her down. She needs to get her wind back. There’s only one more rider to go and then you’re due in the arena.”

  “So you’re going to let me ride?” Georgie asked.

  “Georgie, we’re currently in the lead by five points,” Tara said, “and if I don’t field a team of six riders, we’re eliminated. Of course I’m letting you ride!”

  As Georgie led Belle around, Tara gave her directions for the jumps. Georgie hoped that she could remember them – there was no way for her to walk the course this time.

  Meanwhile Alice and Daisy were sent off for supplies. They returned with buckets of water and Georgie stripped off the saddle so they could sponge the mare down.

  “Alice – make sure you use the sweat scrapers to get the water off,” Tara instructed. “Careful, Daisy! Try not to get her leg bandages wet.”

  The beautiful red and white bandages that Georgie had applied so perfectly were filthy with mud from Belle’s wild gallop.

  “Never mind how she looks,” Tara put a fresh numnah on her and threw the saddle back on. “The main thing is how she feels.”

  She gave Georgie a leg up. Belle was ready just in time: the last Adelaide rider was about to finish their round.

  “You don’t need a practice jump,” Tara said. “You’ve already done enough of those to get her here.”

  She stepped up to Belle and checked the girth again. “Now remember, the corner is tight into the fifth fence, so go wide on the oxer. You only have one fence in hand, so you can only afford to drop one rail.”

  Both of them knew what a big ask this was. Georgie had just ridden Belle over a mile at a flat gallop, taking massive fences. It was like riding the Grand National and then expecting to take your horse straight into the ring at Olympia and jump a clear round. Did Belle have enough reserves left in her to get around the showjumping course?

  “It’s up to you, Georgie,” Tara said. “Good luck.”

  As Georgie entered the arena, she caught sight of Kennedy and couldn’t help but feel triumphant at the look of surprise on the showjumperette’s face. She gave her a nod of acknowledgement as if to say, “That’s right – I’m back” and then she rode in to the sound of the cheering from the Badminton House supporters and the ring of the judges’ bell.

  Georgie looked straight at the first fence and felt the knot in her stomach tighten.

  Her nerves tensed as she approached the first jump and she gave in to a moment of panic, holding Belle back. The mare fought against Georgie’s hands and stuck her head in the air, mistiming the jump. She leapt from too far out and Georgie heard the loud “ohhhh” from the crowd as Belle knocked the top rail of the first fence with her hind legs.

  It had fallen! She’d already got four faults! There were no more chances now. If they were going to win, then from here on in they had to go completely clear.

  Georgie tried to block out the pressure and noise of the crowd. You can do this, she told herself. Focus!

  Belle was still remarkably fresh after her wild gallop and it had taken that first fence for her to realise that she was in the showjumping arena. Now, the mare seemed to settle down and listen to Georgie.

  Don’t use you hands, steady her back with your seat, Georgie thought, remembering Riley’s advice. She sat back and looked for the stride into the second jump and this time Belle put in a perfect stride to clear the jump beautifully. The Badminton supporters let out a cheer.

  At jumps three and four Georgie was back in control. Belle was alert and listening, popping them neatly. Georgie remembered what Tara had told her just in time as she came to the oxer, swinging wide enough to get in two perfect strides, and taking the fence cleanly. Then they were on and over the next three jumps with no problems.

  The very last fence loomed ahead of them. The jump was a big one. But to Georgie, who had just jumped a metre-seventy brush fence, it looked like a piece of cake.

  Belle didn’t hesitate and arced the jump beautifully. Then Georgie was leaning low over the mare’s neck and urging her on, well within the time, to the finish flags ahead. The crowd were on their feet and going berserk as Georgie, exhausted and elated, raised a fist in victory and punched the air. They had four faults and that was good enough for glory. Badminton had won the House Showjumping!

  Chapter Seventeen

  Georgie adjusted the straps on her midnight-blue dress and stepped back to look at herself in the mirror.

  “Do you think I should wear a necklace or something?” She cocked her head to one side as she stared at her reflection.

  “Ohhh!” Alice leapt up from her bed. “I know what you can wear with it!”

  She ran over to her dressing table and grabbed a red silk sash with gold lettering, and tied it across Georgie’s shoulder. “Perfect!”

  Georgie giggled, “It’s not a beauty pageant!”

  “We should all wear them,” Alice said. “You know, if Adelaide House had won I bet they’d wear their House Showjumping sashes to the Formal.”

  Georgie had won a lot of ribbons and rosettes over the years, but she had never been more proud than she was when Mrs Dickins-Thomson tied the red winner’s sash around Belle’s neck. It was the best fun ever doing the victory lap of the showjumping course, Georgie leading the team as they waved to the crowd.

  By now the whole team knew why Georgie had been late. Her heroic dash across country was quickly becoming part of the legend that would go down in Badminton House history.

  Once the competition was over, Georgie told Tara Kelly the whole story of what had happened too. Tara had listened,
a serious expression on her face, and when Georgie finished she thought for a while before she spoke. “I can take up the matter with Mrs Dickins-Thomson,” Tara said, “but I’m afraid it will be very much your word against Conrad Miller’s. And since he is a prefect, and you were out of bounds, you might actually end up in trouble yourself.”

  The unfairness of this, and the fact that Kennedy was going to get away with sabotaging her once again, infuriated Georgie and the rest of the Badminton House girls. Still, at least Tara Kelly believed her.

  “She knows it wasn’t your fault,” Alice consoled her.

  “But it was,” Georgie replied. “If I hadn’t blown the whole James thing so out of perspective, then I would never have fallen for it. I should have known he’d never write a note like that. I think in my heart I just didn’t want to admit that it was fake.”

  Looking back, Georgie still didn’t know what went wrong between her and James. But whatever had happened, it was over and done with now.

  Anyway, she didn’t regret her wild ride across the Blainford grounds. It was like everything had come together when she was riding Belle that day. She hadn’t tried to fight the mare and had just let her run, and something inside Georgie had clicked. She understood Belle now – and knew exactly how to handle the mare on the cross-country course.

  Georgie never thought she would be looking forward to the Formal, but tonight she felt she deserved a chance to let her hair down.

  But first she had to put her hair up. “Ummphh, hold still!” Alice was struggling with three hairbands and a mouth full of hairpins.

  “Oww! You stabbed me!” Georgie winced as Alice shoved a pin in to secure her blonde hair in a cute, messy chignon.

  Alice stood back to admire her efforts. “It’ll have to do,” she said. “We’re late.”

  “Just as well we weren’t competing against the clock this time,” Daisy groaned as Georgie and Alice finally joined her and Emily at the front door.

  Usually the Badminton House girls made the long walk up the school driveway in jodhpurs and riding boots. But tonight there were giggles as they negotiated the road in the moonlight in precariously high heels and sparkling dresses.

  They’d arranged to meet the boys under the archway at the front of the quad. Matt, Alex and Nicholas were already there waiting for them, along with Cameron, who was dateless, like Georgie.

  “You’ll see. Going solo isn’t so bad,” he told her as they walked towards the hall. “If you play your cards right, I might even save a dance for you.”

  “Gee, really Cam? Thanks!” Georgie said sarcastically.

  The Formal was being held in the Great Hall and the seniors, including Kendal, who was on the social committee, had been in charge of the decorations, which had an autumnal theme. The doorway to the Great Hall was strung with gold and white fairy lights, and inside there were more lights strung over gigantic papier mâché maple trees, their carnelian leaves covered with a faint dusting of sparkling white fake snow.

  “I know,” Kendal groaned, “it’s cheesy, right?”

  “No,” Georgie said. “No, really, I think it looks beautiful.”

  They were walking through the trees and Georgie was leading the way to the drinks table when Alice reached out and grabbed her by the arm. “Uh-oh,” she said. “Maybe we should get our drinks later?”

  Georgie looked up and saw what had made Alice hesitate. Standing in front of the punchbowl was James Kirkwood. He was by himself, holding a drink, and when he saw Georgie he waved at her, beckoning her over.

  “Forget about him, Georgie,” Alice said. “Why don’t we go and dance with Cam and Matt instead?”

  “No,” Georgie said. “It’s OK, Alice. You go dance. I’m going to talk to James.”

  “Really?” Alice looked worried. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No,” Georgie said. “Thanks, Alice, but I need to do this on my own.”

  As Georgie walked across the floor to James, she realised it was the first time for ages that they had been face to face like this.

  “I heard what happened at the showjumping finals,” James said. “You know, about the note and stuff.”

  Georgie felt herself blushing. Great! So James knew that she’d gone galloping off to meet him when he wasn’t there.

  “Well, Kennedy can be quite convincing,” Georgie stuttered. “The note said you’d split up from Arden and you wanted to see me. I know that sounds stupid but—”

  “It doesn’t sound stupid,” James replied. “I have split up with Arden.”

  Georgie was shocked. James dug into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. “When I heard about what Kennedy had done, I realised that maybe I’d been wrong about some things too,” he said.

  He handed the piece of paper to Georgie. “Here. Read it.”

  It was just like the note Kennedy had written to Georgie, in the same green pen with the exact same handwriting:

  James

  I am officially breaking up with you. Your kisses are so slobbery I’d rather stick my tongue down the throat of one of your dad’s hounds. You think you are a really genius rider, but I’m so much better than you. This has been the worst holiday of my life and I hope that when we get back to Blainford I never have to speak to you again.

  Georgie.

  As Georgie read on, her eyes widened in horror. “James!” she said, “I never, I mean, I would never have sent this! It’s not mine!”

  “Well, yeah, I know that now,” James said. “But when I found this letter in my room that night I didn’t know what to think. Then Dad asked if I wanted to go to New York with him and…”

  “I get it,” Georgie said, still examining the letter in stunned disbelief. “I guess I would have gone too.”

  James sighed. “I should have figured it out. All that stupid stuff about kissing the hounds – only Kennedy would be that childish. But even for my sister this is beyond uncool.”

  “She got us both,” Georgie said softly.

  “So,” James stuck his hands in his pockets and looked up at her through his blonde fringe. “What now? Are we going to be friends again?”

  Georgie looked serious. “I’m going to have to think about it.”

  James looked dejected as Georgie turned to walk away. She took two steps and then she spun around again with a grin on her face. “OK, I thought about it!” She laughed, “We’re friends again!”

  Georgie couldn’t wait to tell Alice. She found her standing with Cameron by the buffet and enjoyed the looks of astonishment on their faces as she told them all about Kennedy and the forged letters.

  “Holy horse rustlers!” Alice almost choked on a miniature savoury tart. “She’s even more of a witch than we thought!”

  Georgie nodded.

  “Oh, man,” Alice shook her head in amazement. “That girl has so got it coming!”

  “You know what we should do…” Alice began. But before she could outline a plan, a spotlight suddenly illuminated the centre of the dancefloor.

  “What’s going on?” Alice asked as Tara Kelly came sweeping into the spotlight with a microphone in her hand and an uncharacteristically large grin on her face.

  “Good evening, everyone!” she said. “I have a special treat in store for you. A little bit of entertainment to get the party started! Performing at Blainford Academy tonight, showing off his legendary break-dancing skills as penance for being the losing coach, we have a world-famous showjumping superstar – the one… the only… Hans Schockelmann!”

  Tara turned around and pointed a finger at the DJ, who started pumping out hip-hop music. There was whooping and hollering from the crowd and then reluctantly, Hans Schockelmann stepped forward from the edge of the dance floor and into the spotlight. The crowd went wild, applauding and cheering as Hans took a bow and then, grudgingly, with a pained expression and absolutely no good humour whatsoever, got down on the floor and did a backspin. Then he staggered to his feet and launched into the robot.
By the time he did the moonwalk to finish off his routine, Cam, Alice and Georgie were laughing so hard they were crying.

  “Hey, Georgie,” Cameron said as they finally calmed down. “Have you noticed that guy over there is kind of staring at you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “By the door,” Cameron said. “He keeps looking at you. Do you know him or something?”

  Georgie looked up and saw him immediately. He wore a sleek navy suit, and his dark hair was combed back, exposing his high cheekbones and those green eyes. Georgie noticed once again the way his slightly crooked nose made him even more handsome than if it were perfect.

  “Riley,” Georgie breathed. “It’s Riley. He came after all!”

  “That’s Riley?” Alice nearly choked on her drink. “Georgie! You didn’t mention he was gorgeous!”

  “I thought I did,” Georgie said as she began to walk away.

  “Trust me!” Alice called after her. “I would have remembered!”

  Riley stood watching Georgie as she walked towards him. “Nice dress,” he said with a smile.

  “Nice suit,” she replied. “I didn’t think coming to a dance was your type of thing.”

  “It’s not,” Riley admitted. “But then I realised that there are some Blainford students I do like.”

  “Which ones?” Georgie asked.

  “The ones that wear pretty blue dresses and talk too much when they should be dancing,” Riley said.

  And in one deft move, he spun her on to the dance floor.

  “I thought you couldn’t dance!” Georgie was amazed.

  “I said I didn’t dance – I never said I couldn’t,” Riley smiled as they moved in time. “So how are you and Belle doing?”

  “Not so good,” Georgie said. “We got kicked out of cross-country class.” And he saw the way her lips trembled as she said the words.