MEET
THE SADDLE CLUB
Horse lover CAROLE …
Practical joker STEVIE …
Straight-A LISA …
#1: HORSE CRAZY
#2: HORSE SHY
#3: HORSE SENSE
#4: HORSE POWER
#5: TRAIL MATES
#6: DUDE RANCH
#7: HORSE PLAY
#8: HORSE SHOW
#9: HOOF BEAT
#10: RIDING CAMP
#11: HORSE WISE
#12: RODEO RIDER
#13: STARLIGHT CHRISTMAS
#14: SEA HORSE
#15: TEAM PLAY
#16: HORSE GAMES
#17: HORSENAPPED
#18: PACK TRIP
#19: STAR RIDER
#20: SNOW RIDE
#21: RACEHORSE
#22: FOX HUNT
#23: HORSE TROUBLE
#24: GHOST RIDER
#25: SHOW HORSE
#26: BEACH RIDE
#27: BRIDLE PATH
#28: STABLE MANNERS
#29: RANCH HANDS
#30: AUTUMN TRAIL
#31: HAYRIDE
#32: CHOCOLATE HORSE
#33: HIGH HORSE
#34: HAY FEVER
#35: HORSE TALE
#36: RIDING LESSON
#37: STAGE COACH
#38: HORSE TRADE
#39: PUREBRED
#40: GIFT HORSE
#41: STABLE WITCH
#42: SADDLEBAGS
#43: PHOTO FINISH
#44: HORSESHOE
#45: STABLE GROOM
#46: FLYING HORSE
#47: HORSE MAGIC
#48: MYSTERY RIDE
#49: STABLE FAREWELL
#50: YANKEE SWAP
#51: PLEASURE HORSE
#52: RIDING CLASS
#53: HORSE-SITTERS
#54: GOLD MEDAL RIDER
#55: GOLD MEDAL HORSE
#56: CUTTING HORSE
#57: TIGHT REIN
#58: WILD HORSES
#59: PHANTOM HORSE
#60: HOBBYHORSE
THE SADDLE CLUB SUPER EDITIONS
#1 A SUMMER WITHOUT HORSES
#2 THE SECRET OF THE STALLION
#3 WESTERN STAR
#4 DREAM HORSE
STAMPEDE!
Before Carole could finish speaking, Amelia turned on her heel, grabbed the bucket, and threw it against the pasture’s metal watering trough. Wham! The crash was deafening. The Pony Clubbers jumped.
“Aiyh!” shouted a startled Carole. Patch leaped sideways so fast that the lead rope tore from Carole’s hands. He squealed and reared; the other horses, also unnerved by the noise, milled in panic. Patch took off galloping for the safety of the field’s far side. The other horses began to run, too. Suddenly it was a stampede.
Max was halfway across the field, in the center of the pasture, right in the path of the panicked horses.
“Max!” Carole cried. Max turned just as the first horses were upon him. Carole covered her eyes.
Max was going to be trampled!
RL 5, 009–012
HOBBYHORSE
A Bantam Skylark Book/November 1996
Skylark Books is a registered trademark of Bantam Books, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and elsewhere.
“The Saddle Club” is a registered trademark of Bonnie Bryant Hiller.
The Saddle Club design/logo, which consists of a riding crop and a riding hat, is a trademark of Bantam Books.
“USPC” and “Pony Club” are registered trademarks of The United States Pony Clubs, Inc., at The Kentucky Horse Park, 4071 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, KY 40511-8462.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1996 by Bonnie Bryant Hiller.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information address: Bantam Books.
eISBN: 978-0-307-82559-9
Published simultaneously in the United States and Canada.
Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words “Bantam Books” and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Bantam Books, 1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036.
v3.1
I would like to express my special thanks to Kimberly Brubaker Bradley for her help in the writing of this book.
Contents
Cover
Other Books in This Series
Title Page
Copyright
Acknowledgement
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
About the Author
LISA ATWOOD LOOKED out the window of her father’s car. Across the highway, the Washington Monument went by in a flash. A line of tourists circled its base like a parade of ants, and Lisa wondered what it would be like to visit Washington, D.C., the way tourists did. Lisa lived in Willow Creek, Virginia, a small town just outside of D.C., and she’d spent a lot of time in the capital. Her mother had dragged her through every museum there.
Lisa leaned back and smiled. She didn’t spend much time in museums these days. She didn’t miss them.
Lisa’s mother looked over the back of the seat. “We’re almost at the airport, honey.”
“I know, Mom.” Lisa sat up a little straighter. It was a late Friday afternoon. Lisa and her parents were on their way to pick up Lisa’s cousin, Amelia, who lived in New Jersey but was going to stay with them for a week while her parents went on vacation without her. It happened to be Lisa’s winter break, but it wasn’t Amelia’s. She was being allowed to skip school.
“I bet you’ll really enjoy Amelia, honey,” Lisa’s mother said. “I remember her as such a sweet child.”
Lisa was not so sure. In the first place, her cousin was only nine years old. Lisa liked kids that age fine—in fact, she really enjoyed May, Jasmine, and Corey, three younger girls in Horse Wise, the Pony Club that Lisa and her friends belonged to.
Pony Clubs were sort of like Scout troops, except that they were all about horses. Long ago Lisa and her two best friends, Stevie and Carole, had also formed their own club called The Saddle Club. They’d recently discovered that May, Jasmine, and Corey had formed a similar club called Pony Tails. The younger girls seemed to look up to The Saddle Club, and Lisa liked that. She always tried to be nice to them.
There were other kids Amelia’s age in Horse Wise, too, and most of them took lessons at Pine Hollow Stables, where Horse Wise met and where Lisa and her friends rode. The little kids were all nice as far as Lisa knew, but she wasn’t interested in playing with them or spending a lot of time with them. She was too old, and she liked to spend time with her own friends.
Furthermore, Lisa didn’t remember Amelia as a sweet child at all. In fact, the last time she’d seen her, three years earlier, she’d really disliked Amelia. Amelia had pulled Lisa’s dog Dolly’s tail and ripped up three of her favorite books. Amelia was a brat.
“It’s lucky Amelia started riding this year, isn’t it?” Lisa’s father said. “You two will have a lot in common.”
“I’m sure we will,” Lisa said, with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. It wasn’t a lot. Lisa was thank
ful that her cousin liked horses. She planned to take her cousin to Pine Hollow every day. Lisa would rather not have spent her week looking after Amelia, but at least she would be around horses. And she wouldn’t have to take care of Amelia herself the whole time. Because of the school break, Max, the owner of Pine Hollow, was offering a special sort of mini riding camp just for the younger riders. Lisa knew it was sort of like day care, for kids too young to ride on their own or take care of themselves while their parents worked.
Lisa’s father pulled the car into the airport parking garage. “We’re right on time,” Mrs. Atwood said, checking her watch. “I’m glad. I wouldn’t want her to have to wait for us, the poor child. Lisa, don’t you remember her last visit? She had the nicest manners of any child I’ve ever seen.”
“Um-hm,” Lisa murmured. So Amelia had known how to say please and thank you—so what? She’d thanked Lisa for letting her look at her books, and then she’d pulled the pages out! Lisa wondered if Amelia had asked Dolly’s permission before pulling her tail.
“I was just so glad when my sister had Amelia,” Lisa’s mother continued. “They waited so long for that child.”
Her friend Carole, Lisa reflected, was also an only child. But it hadn’t seemed to turn Carole into a spoiled brat. In fact, Lisa didn’t know a more caring person than Carole.
As soon as she thought of Carole, Lisa started to worry. When the car was parked, she got out and followed her parents into the airport, but as she walked all she could think of was Carole.
Unlike Lisa, Stevie and Carole each had her own horse. Stevie’s mare, Belle, was a beautiful half-Arab, half-Saddlebred with a feisty personality that matched Stevie’s. Carole’s bay gelding, Starlight, had much of Carole’s sweetness and talent. He was still young, but he was going to be a wonderful jumper, just as Lisa was sure Carole was going to be a famous rider someday—unless she decided to be a horse trainer, breeder, veterinarian, or one of the other horse professionals she was interested in becoming.
Carole was devoted to Starlight, and the horse received the best of care. But for the past few days, he had been slightly lame in one of his front legs. Carole hadn’t been able to ride him, and she’d been beside herself with worry. Lisa knew that if Starlight wasn’t better by the time Carole got to the stable today, Carole was going to call Judy Barker, the vet. Lisa wished she could be there to support her friend.
Oh well, at least she’s got Stevie, Lisa thought. When they had formed The Saddle Club, the three girls had vowed that they would always be ready to help each other out. That and being horse-crazy were the club’s only rules.
Of course, Starlight’s injury probably wasn’t serious at all. Just like people, horses got minor aches and bruises all the time. Romeo, Polly Giacomin’s horse, had strained his shoulder muscle a few weeks ago. Polly couldn’t ride him for a few days, but Romeo had healed fine on his own. Lisa was sure Starlight’s lameness was nothing serious, but since none of them knew what was causing it, they all worried a little. Carole, Lisa reflected, worried a lot.
Thinking about Carole’s problem reminded Lisa of something else, and she started to laugh. She put her hand over her mouth when she realized that people in the airport were starting to stare at her. But it had been funny! Stevie loved practical jokes. In an effort to cheer Carole up, she’d put a small road apple—a round piece of horse manure—inside a boot belonging to Veronica diAngelo, the richest, snobbiest, most annoying rider at the stable. Veronica’s shriek of horror as she put her foot into her boot had made all of them, including Carole, laugh until tears ran down their faces. The only person besides Veronica who hadn’t seemed amused was Max.
Lisa jerked her thoughts back to the present. They had arrived at Amelia’s gate, and the little girl was waiting for them, clinging to the hand of a rather harassed-looking flight attendant.
“Oh, I’m so glad to see you!” the flight attendant said with what sounded to Lisa like utter relief. Lisa wondered what the flight had been like. Had Amelia destroyed all the magazines on the plane?
“Auntie Eleanor! Uncle Richard!” Amelia gave a little cry of joy and wrapped herself around Mrs. Atwood’s legs. “I’m so glad to see you! I thought you wouldn’t come!”
Mrs. Atwood bent down and gave Amelia a hug.
The little girl had long brown hair cascading down the middle of her back and dark-brown heavily lashed eyes. She was perfectly attired in a plaid dress, tights, and little patent leather shoes. She had a navy blue wool coat over her arm and a matching wool hat on her head. She looked, in fact, a little young for her age, and Lisa wondered how she kept her clothes so neat.
“Here’s your cousin Lisa,” Mrs. Atwood said, peeling herself away from Amelia’s tight embrace.
Amelia smiled shyly. “I’m so glad to meet you again, Lisa,” she said. “I just know we’re going to have so much fun at your stable.”
“I hope so,” Lisa replied. She couldn’t quite keep herself from sounding skeptical.
AMELIA WAS LIKE no other nine-year-old Lisa had ever met. Her manners were perfect, but somehow Lisa didn’t trust them. While they waited for Amelia’s suitcase, Lisa told her that they’d planned to stop for dinner on the way home, at The Spaghetti House, one of Lisa’s favorite restaurants.
“Oh,” Amelia said. “Oh, I’m sure that will be nice.” But the pause between the first and second oh was a long one, and Amelia didn’t quite look as though she thought it would be nice.
“Don’t you like spaghetti, dear?” Mrs. Atwood asked.
“Oh, well. I’m sure there will be something there I can eat.” Amelia smiled cheerfully. “Something. I’m sure.”
“Well, we don’t have to get spaghetti if you don’t like it,” Mr. Atwood said. “What do you like?”
Give me a break, Lisa thought. She had never known a nine-year-old who didn’t like spaghetti.
“Well … I like pizza. That’s sort of like spaghetti, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” Mr. Atwood said heartily. “We’ll stop for pizza, then.”
Lisa had really wanted to go to The Spaghetti House. At least I like pizza, she thought. She was glad Amelia hadn’t expressed a desire for sushi. They’d all be settling down to plates of raw fish.
AT THE PIZZA PALACE the same sort of thing happened.
“Let’s get pepperoni,” Lisa suggested. She knew her mother didn’t really like any other pizza toppings.
“Oh,” Amelia said quietly. “Oh, okay.”
“Don’t you like pepperoni?” Mr. Atwood asked.
“I like sausage,” Amelia said.
“Sausage it is!”
“But Dad!” Lisa protested. “You don’t like sausage! Neither does Mom!”
“Oh, get pepperoni then,” Amelia said hurriedly. “I’m sorry.”
“No, that’s okay, we all like sausage,” Mr. Atwood assured her, giving Lisa a look that meant guests came first. They ended up with a large sausage pizza, with not a single slice of pepperoni in sight.
“I’m really looking forward to this riding camp,” Amelia said as she sank her teeth into her first piece of pizza. “My mom has told me all about Pine Hollow. I’m sure it’s almost as nice as the stable where I take lessons.”
Lisa thought Pine Hollow was one of the nicest stables on earth. It might not be the fanciest, but it was nice in every sense of the word. She was just about to say so when her mother said, “You really seem horse-crazy, Amelia. Just like Lisa.”
Amelia glowed. “More than anything else in the world,” she said. “I love horses.”
Lisa smiled. “Me too.”
“Windswept, the stable where I ride, is just filled with the most elegant people,” Amelia continued. “My mother says you would be amazed, Aunt Eleanor.”
Lisa couldn’t believe what Amelia had just said. As if elegant people were important! Sometimes Lisa’s mother got a little hung up on being a member of high society, and Lisa remembered that her aunt Marianne, Amelia’s mother, could be the same way. I
t seemed as if Amelia was following right along.
“What about the horses?” Lisa asked.
“Oh, the horses!” Amelia’s eyes widened. She grabbed the piece of pizza Lisa wanted next and stuffed it into her mouth before saying another word. Lisa thought Amelia’s table manners, at least, could stand improvement.
Amelia dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “I ride absolutely the best horse in the barn,” she said, speaking to her aunt and uncle. “Her name is Star. She’s a beautiful golden chestnut with the sweetest eyes, and she is so gentle.”
This sounded pretty good to Lisa. But Amelia continued: “Her conformation is absolutely perfect. My trainer says there’s not a better-looking or better-bred horse in the barn. Of course, she’s rather high-spirited, and she can be quite difficult to handle, but I manage her just fine.”
“Goodness! A little thing like you!” Mr. Atwood shot an amused look at his wife.
“My instructor, Ruth, says I’m a natural rider,” Amelia said simply.
Lisa struggled to keep silent. She knew without a doubt that Star was neither high-spirited nor difficult to handle. Even if Amelia were the most natural rider in the world, she hadn’t been riding long enough to deal with a difficult horse. Riding was hard, and good riding took time. Lisa also doubted Star had perfect conformation or breeding. Just like people, horses couldn’t all be supermodel beautiful or tremendously athletic. Of course, some horses did have both incredible breeding and wonderful, gentle dispositions, but those horses were so valuable that they were almost never owned by stables that gave lessons. They were owned by very rich people.
Amelia was bragging. Didn’t her parents notice? Lisa gritted her teeth. If she had bragged about being called a natural rider—which Max had once said she was—her parents would have told her to stop it.
Amelia prattled on about Star. She was the best horse, with the best personality, and everyone wanted to ride her all the time, but Amelia was the chosen one. Lisa began to realize that some smart instructor had convinced Amelia that Star was an advanced horse, rather than the beginner mount she had to be.
“My mother bought me a new pair of jodhpurs specially for the trip,” Amelia said. “They’re Pritchards. They cost over a hundred dollars. I have two pairs of them now.”
Hobbyhorse Page 1
