Palomino Pony On Parade

by Olivia Tuffin

  For Lara, as always.

  O.T.

  The girl leaned forward in her seat, captivated by the scene below her. Here she was at the Horse of the Year Show, and she was watching the Mountain and Moorland Championship from the most expensive seats in the house! There was one pony she couldn’t keep her eyes off – the most beautiful palomino mare – ridden by a girl who looked about her own age. The pony was breathtaking. Opening her catalogue, the girl carefully circled the palomino’s stud name in the programme: “Carlamu Lily”.

  Watching the show proceed, she opened her eyes wider as a handsome groom appeared from the ringside to assist the little palomino and her jockey. Dressed in his funny flat cap and tweed waistcoat, he was unlike any boy she’d seen.

  “Perfect,” she whispered under her breath. She turned to her assistant and murmured something into her ear. The young woman nodded, tapping away on her phone.

  Sitting back, the girl smiled contentedly. She had seen what she wanted, and she always got what she wanted…

  “Calm down, Lily… Easy, girl…” Georgia murmured to her pony, patting the palomino’s neck before unclipping the lead rein and letting her off across the field. Lily snorted, her breath hanging in a silver plume. Pawing at the ground, she sent up white flurries of powdery snow before launching herself into an extended trot. She was followed by her companions – Wilson, Callie and Santa. Their joy at being outside was clear to see.

  The whole of the country was in the grip of a freezing-cold spell, so the ponies at Redgrove Farm were lucky to be getting some turnout. Georgia had heard of some who’d had to stay in their stables since the snow fell a couple of weeks ago. Georgia had helped Melanie and Simon, the owners of the yard, to dig out and salt a path to allow them to lead the ponies safely out towards the paddocks.

  Heads aloft now, their tails streaming behind them, the ponies were in heaven, playing in the snow. Lily had been clipped for the Horse of the Year Show, and her golden coat was paler than usual. All the ponies were all wearing at least two rugs, apart from Callie the Exmoor pony, whose thick double coat gave her all the protection she needed.

  “This winter season’s almost tropical for Callie,” Melanie commented from Georgia’s side. “Compared to life on the moor where she was born!”

  “Isn’t it?” grinned Georgia.

  The two of them leaned on the gateway in companionable silence, observing the ponies as they cavorted and spun in the powder. It was lovely to watch them stretch their legs and use up some energy after being cooped up for so long. Even the normally laid-back Wilson had started to become a little restless in the stable, used to his daily turnout routine. Georgia rubbed her hands together now, blowing on them to try and warm her numb fingers. It was only early December but the news reports were all saying it could be the coldest winter on record, with lots more snow to come.

  Georgia missed riding. Lily had had a couple of weeks off following her second place at the Horse of the Year Show, but Georgia would need to keep her fit. After all, Lily would be going to Olympia soon, having received a late qualification for the show!

  “So is Dan coming over to the yard this afternoon?” asked Melanie.

  “I’m actually going to meet him at the farm,” said Georgia, her thoughts turning to her friend, who lived just down the road. She hoped his cows and sheep were OK. They’d been tucked up in the barn when Georgia had been round a couple of days ago, their breath steaming as they’d quietly munched on their hay. She smiled to herself, as she always did when she thought of Dan. They had been through so much together, with a bit of a rocky stage back in September when Georgia wouldn’t admit how nervous she was before the Horse of the Year Show. Still, Dan, like the loyal friend he was, had stood by her. Even though Becky Hanbury, the prettiest but most annoying girl in their school year, had stepped up her flirting by several notches, he had still hung around with Georgia. Her best friend, Emma, was constantly asking if Dan was her boyfriend, to which Georgia normally answered with a blush and a shrug of her shoulders!

  “Bet you wish we had an indoor school now, eh, Georgia,” Melanie smiled, interrupting Georgia’s thoughts as she pulled the scarf up around her nose.

  “Oh, I don’t mind too much,” Georgia said truthfully. It would be amazing to be able to ride and school in the warm and dry but she was just enjoying riding when she could. She wasn’t even nervous about the upcoming Olympia, just excited. And even without riding, there were plenty of yard jobs she could get on with – from sorting the endless pile of rugs in the tack room, to grooming the ponies. She didn’t mind, she just loved being at Redgrove.

  “So what have you and Dan got planned for later?” Melanie asked, satisfied that the ponies were now settled.

  “Just hanging out,” Georgia said as they walked back to the yard, picking their way carefully along the dug-out path. Georgia felt herself blush and was glad her scarf was pulled up around her face.

  Melanie smiled. “That’s nice,” she said. “He’s a good kid.”

  Just then, another boy sauntered into the yard, dressed in bright-blue salopettes and a bobble hat. It was Will Bowen, owner of star pony Santa, who was being stabled at the yard.

  “You look like you’re off to the ski slopes!” Georgia laughed.

  “No, that’s next weekend!” Will joked, flashing a quick grin at her.

  This could have come across as cocky, but Georgia knew it was all an act. Things had been tough for Will since he and his brother, the famous show rider Jasper Bowen, had moved back to the area following the loss of Jasper’s sponsorship deal. Jasper was now teaching at the Round Barrow Pony Club, and he and his brother were in the process of converting the old stable block at the back of their cottage so they could eventually house Santa there. For the moment, the little mare was settled in the yard. She and Lily were the best of friends!

  “No riding again today then?” Will said, cheerfully gesturing towards the ponies, who had settled down to eat the sweet piles of hay that Georgia and Melanie had left out for them.

  Georgia shook her head. She really missed being able to take Lily out every day! As if reading her mind, Will pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and showed it to Georgia. “Here,” he said. “Are you taking Lily to this?”

  “What is it?” Georgia quickly scanned the paper in his hand, frowning slightly. “Christmas Eve Mock Hunt,” she read aloud. “I don’t know…” She looked at Melanie questioningly.

  “Oh, Georgia, you should!” Melanie said, taking the paper and reading it. “Lily would really love it. Sophie could take Wilson as well – give the old boy a blast! She’ll be back from university by then.”

  Georgia nodded slowly, thinking of Melanie’s daughter, Sophie.

  Will grinned, clearly pleased that Melanie liked the idea. “Jasper’s organising it for the Pony Club,” he said proudly. “What do you think, Georgia?”

  Georgia thought for a few seconds. “I don’t know,” she said again in a small voice. “I don’t know if hunting’s really my thing.” She loved animals and she felt a bit funny about chasing foxes around the countryside.

  Will laughed, but not unkindly. “Don’t worry, Georgia, we’re not chasing anything. Well, we are, but nothing to do with animals anyway. That’s why it’s called a mock hunt. Jasper’s got a cross-country runner from the Pony Club to carry the scent. It’ll just be a good, fast cross-country ride over the countryside. The ponies will love it.”

  Thinking it over, imagining cantering Lily over the open fields, popping over jumps, her friends beside her, Georgia smiled. Actually, it sounded great! Plus it wasn’t until Christmas Eve, which was still a few weeks away. Olympia would be over by then, so there’d be plenty of time for some fun! “Sure,�
�� she said finally. “Let’s do it!”

  “All right!” Will exclaimed, high-fiving her. Georgia couldn’t help but grin at his excitement. Another event to look forward to over Christmas. She couldn’t wait!

  There was just enough time for Georgia to shower and change before going to meet Dan that afternoon. She and Will had mucked out all four boxes and moved what felt like hundreds of bales of hay to the feed store so that they could make up the evening feeds, and have a few bales in reserve in case the snow fell again. As she climbed into clean clothes, Georgia reflected on just how much had changed. She had hated Will when he had first come to Redgrove, and now they were good friends. It wasn’t like it was with Dan though. Georgia’s tummy lurched just a little bit as she locked the front door to the cottage, as it always did when she thought of seeing Dan. It wasn’t like they were boyfriend and girlfriend … but he was special.

  Georgia whistled for Pip, her spaniel, to join her. The afternoon stretched ahead without Lily and Wilson to ride, so she had arranged to hang out at the farm. The animals were all inside while the snow lay on the ground so Georgia knew there would be some work to do, but she also hoped that she and Dan might get to have a hot chocolate together in the farm shop. As she opened the garden gate, she looked down at her bare hands and realised her warm gloves were still on top of the counter by the sink. Telling Pip to sit, she rushed back in to grab them. As she picked them up, her eyes were drawn to an official-looking envelope, addressed to her, propped up against a jug. It must have come in the post when Georgia was over at the yard that morning.

  Stuffing the envelope into her jacket pocket, she grabbed Pip’s lead and set off towards Dan’s farm, snow crunching underfoot. Pip ran ahead, barking with delight as she twirled and spun in the white powder. Georgia smiled at her dog, whose puppy-like enthusiasm for the snow was infectious.

  Dan was checking a small flock of sheep when she arrived, filling their water buckets and putting fresh hay into their racks. They weren’t far off lambing and were safely in the old stone barn to the side of the farm buildings, a little way from the house. Their fleeces were almost as white as the snow that had banked up around the walls outside. Dan was wearing a boiler suit underneath a wax jacket and had a wool hat pulled almost over his eyes. He grinned when he saw Georgia and gave her a little wave.

  She let herself into the barn quietly, so as to not to disturb the ewes. Georgia had left Pip in the shelter of the porch with Dan’s collie, Hattie. These sheep were Dan’s very own – his dad had wanted to give him his own project so had handed over the responsibility to him. Georgia knew he took it very seriously and was really looking forward to the first lambs. Dan was fiercely protective of them, especially since there had been a couple of reports of sheep rustling in the local area in the build-up towards Christmas. Dan’s dad had laughed off his concerns, reassuring him the criminals would be more interested in the big commercial flocks than a few pet ewes. The sheep, some as tame as Pip, pressed their warm noses against Georgia as she made her way over to Dan.

  The stable next door was where Lily’s foal, Secret, had been born during the Redgrove floods, so she always thought of him when she was in this part of the farm. Secret was now living down the road at Josephine Smalley’s yard, ridden by Josephine’s daughter, Alice, but Georgia still got to see him often.

  “Hey, Georgia.” Dan waved, his voice muffled under his scarf. “Give us a hand over here, will you?”

  “Sure,” Georgia said, smiling as she pulled off a section of hay and set to work. She thought of Emma, who was probably curled up indoors with her laptop, watching a film. She and Emma might be best friends but they had very different interests. Georgia enjoyed the odd day’s shopping in town with Emma, but much preferred hanging out at Redgrove or on Dan’s farm. Luckily, when it was sunny Emma often came to Redgrove to ride, although Georgia suspected it might have more to do with Will being there than to ride the ponies!

  “Not far off now, are you, old girl.” Dan was crouching next to one of the older ewes, a solid, pretty sheep with a speckled face and kind eyes. Georgia knew she was special – Dan had hand-reared her. Georgia had enjoyed hearing the tales of the lamb’s antics as a youngster, as tame as Hattie. Dan had even sneaked the lamb into his bedroom once or twice, and the two of them had watched cartoons together. Now older, she was expecting her last set of twins, and Dan was making sure he took extra-special care of her. She was then going to be allowed a good retirement.

  When the sheep had been fed and their water topped up, Dan turned to Georgia. “Shall we go down to the farm shop? Get a hot drink?”

  “Sure,” said Georgia.

  The two friends made their way out of the barn and walked up the drive. The surrounding roads had been cleared by the snow ploughs but even so, the only vehicles in the car park were 4x4s, able to easily tackle the icy conditions.

  Settling into a quiet corner, Dan made Georgia her favourite hot chocolate. Dan was full of enthusiasm, clearly bursting to tell Georgia something.

  “So have you seen what’s going on in the top meadows?” he said finally, his eyes shining. It was obviously something exciting! Georgia hadn’t heard there was anything going on in the rolling parkland beyond Seven Birches – the yard where her friend Lexie had lived briefly. She shook her head, puzzled, as Dan rolled his eyes.

  “Honestly, Georgia, I thought you’d be the first to know. I’m amazed Emma didn’t tell you!” He paused for dramatic effect. “They’re filming a real-life movie down there!”

  “Really?” Georgia frowned. “I can’t believe I haven’t heard about it!” This was exciting news for their sleepy village.

  “Yup,” Dan continued. “Georgia, there’s horses, loads of them!” He grinned. “Me and Ben walked over to watch. It’s some sort of fairytale film, maybe a kids’ movie.”

  Georgia’s ears pricked up. Anything that involved horses was always bound to catch her attention. “Cool!” she enthused. “Wonder what the horses are like.”

  “Trust you to ask that.” Dan grinned, nudging her.

  The two of them chatted for a while longer, agreeing that they would go down at some point and watch the filming. Georgia told Dan about the Pony Club Christmas Eve Mock Hunt and Lily’s play in the snow that morning, while Dan chatted about his little flock of sheep.

  “So cool, Georgia. I can’t wait for the lambs,” Dan laughed.

  Georgia was glad that he hadn’t mentioned Becky Hanbury in the whole of their conversation, aware that her classmate had been texting Dan most days and inviting him to all the Christmas parties. Last week she had even asked if he wanted to go to the cinema, right in front of Georgia, who had just stood there as Becky had completely ignored her. She couldn’t say anything, not really. It wasn’t like Dan was actually her boyfriend! Luckily Dan had politely declined all the invitations, but even so, girls like Becky didn’t give up easily, and Dan was becoming a lot more popular all of a sudden.

  Remembering the mysterious letter that had been propped up on the kitchen sideboard, she pulled it out of her pocket and laid it on the table in front of them. Dan reached over to look.

  “What’s that?” he said curiously.

  Georgia shrugged, turning the thick cream envelope over in her hands. “I don’t know,” she said. “It was there when I got back from the yard.”

  “Well, go on then.” Dan craned his neck forward, looking at the official stamp on the envelope. “Open it!”

  Slowly, Georgia slid her finger under the envelope’s flap and pulled out a letter. Frowning, she read the first couple of lines and then glanced up at Dan, a puzzled expression on her face. “It’s about Lily.”

  Instantly, Dan looked worried. “Oh no,” he said nervously. “Nothing bad? Not Jemma again?” he said, referring to Lily’s previous owner.

  Georgia frowned and looked back down at the letter, reading more.

  “Dear Miss G. Black and Carlamu Lily.” Reading aloud, Georgia traced the writing with her index fin
ger as she tried to make sense of the words. “We are a production company currently making a film in the south of England with some scenes in the village of Redgrove, specifically chosen for its beautiful location and rich equestrian heritage. The film involves horses, which are mostly sourced from a specialist company that trains equines in the world of film. However, one particular scene calls for the young actress to ride in on a palomino horse. Our client has specifically requested Carlamu Lily, after closely following her progress at the Horse of the Year Show. Of course we would be willing to offer a fee…”

  Georgia stopped there, speechless. She looked up from the letter to Dan and back again. Turning her hands over, she realised they were actually shaking.

  “Oh my goodness!” Dan was practically jumping up and down on his seat with excitement. “Lily’s going to be a film star!”

  Quickly, Georgia read the rest of the letter. Filming of this scene was due to commence shortly and if the real snow had melted, then fake snow would be used. An exact location was still to be found. Lily was only going to need to walk with the actress, and no stunt work was required.

  “So what sort of fee are they talking about?” Dan asked.

  Georgia’s eyes flicked down and she read on. Her hands started to tremble. “Two thousand pounds…”

  “Two thousand pounds!” Dan cried out.

  “Yes,” said Georgia in a shaky voice. Two thousand pounds! It was such a lot of money. Lily needed all sorts of new things and it would help her mother with the mortgage payment on their little cottage. Georgia’s heart leapt, and then fell again.

  “What is it?” Dan asked, seeing the look on her face.

  “I dunno,” said Georgia. “It’s just…” She hesitated.

  She knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Lily, but something didn’t feel quite right. “It’s just… Well, I’m the only person who’s ever ridden Lily since she was bought from the Carlamu stud,” she said slowly.