Crown Prince Challenged

by Linda Snow McLoon

  Sarah brought Prince back to trot and headed for the exit. He was prancing and pulling a little when the announcer’s voice boomed out. “Number 21, Sarah Wagner riding Crown Prince, has no jumping or time faults.” Despite the rain that was coming down harder by the minute, the stands erupted in applause. Sarah’s eyes were shining and her face radiant as she looked for her parents in the crowd. When she spotted them, they were waving wildly. She waved back. Now they’ve got to truly believe in my horse, she thought.

  CHAPTER 29

  Tough Luck

  THE RAIN HADN’T LET UP as Sarah guided her prancing horse to where Jack was talking to Tim on Rhodes. The rider in fourth place was starting now, so it wouldn’t be long before Tim would ride. Tim gave her a thumbs-up as she got closer.

  “Brilliant ride!” Jack said, his face dominated by a big smile. “One rail rattled in its cups, but it didn’t come down. Do you have any thoughts on the course that would be useful to Tim?”

  “Just what Kayla told me. The back section is, like, totally soggy, very slippery. On the turns, Prince was working hard just to stay upright.” She reached down to pat his neck. “The approach to one fence in that area is really chewed up.”

  They were interrupted by the loudspeaker. “Number 24, Emily Barrett riding Make It Snappy has four jumping faults and no time faults.”

  Tim’s eyes widened and Jack smiled again. “You’ve moved up to fourth place, Sarah,” Tim said. “She must have had a rail down.”

  Jack accompanied Rhodes and Tim to the start. They would go next. As he had suggested to Sarah, Jack had Tim walk Rhodes in a small circle while they waited. Sarah could see the jumping course perfectly, sitting astride Prince as she walked him in a circle. It seemed as if the horse ahead of Tim had barely gotten started on jumping the course when they heard groans coming from the bleachers. The horse had slid to a stop in front of Fence Four, his hind legs leaving huge gouges in the grass. A refusal! The rider turned her horse away from the jump, picked up canter, and approached the jump again, this time pushing hard with her seat and giving her horse a smack on his side with her crop. No amount of hard riding worked, and the horse refused the fence a second time. Immediately the judge’s whistle sounded. The rider knew what that meant, and she trotted her horse off the course. “Number 18, Brittany Sanchez riding Lord Bellamy, has been eliminated,” boomed the loudspeaker. Oh, my God! Sarah thought. That means I’m in third place now. She looked back at Tim. If only the rain would let up for him, she thought.

  “Take it slow,” Jack said, as Tim gathered his reins to begin the course. “Help your horse stay balanced. Sit tall.”

  Tim trotted Rhodes to the judge’s stand, and after saluting, began his course. He cantered a straight line to the brush box and Rhodes jumped it well, moving eagerly to the second fence. He jumped this fence in good form also, his knees up and even, and his back rounding over the fence. They were heading into the rain-sodden section, but Rhodes didn’t seem to mind the mushy going, moving forward at a fairly rapid pace. It looks like he’s handling the footing, Sarah thought. Tim guided his horse around the 180-degree turn, his eyes focused on the third jump.

  Then it happened. As Rhodes turned on the half-circle to head in the opposite direction, suddenly his hind legs seemed to slip out from under him. His hindquarters slid down first, followed by the rest of his body, and in a split second he was flat on the ground. Tim flew from his horse, landing in a crumpled heap not far from where Rhodes lay on his side.

  Tim didn’t move, but Rhodes quickly scrambled to his feet. He stood for a moment, looking disoriented, and then took off at a gallop, his reins dragging and stirrups flying. The crowd immediately parted to make way as he headed for the gravel roadway leading to the stabling tent.

  All eyes were now on Tim, who lay motionless on the rain-soaked grass. Before the ETs from the ambulance could swing into action, a slight figure darted from the grandstand and ran across the wet grass to his side. It was Paige, and Sarah could see she was crying as she knelt beside Tim. The spectators were hushed, every eye glued to the downed rider.

  Just as the two ETs reached Tim, he sat up, shaking his head. “Don’t move,” an ET said. “Do you feel any pain anywhere?”

  Tim looked at them blankly for a moment and then moved his arms and legs. “I’m okay,” he said. “I guess I got the wind knocked out of me.” He looked at Paige, who was holding his hand. “Where’s Rhodes?” he asked.

  “He took off,” Paige said, pointing to the road Rhodes had followed.

  “Let’s make sure you’re all right before we worry about the horse,” one of the young men said. “The way that horse was running when he left here, I doubt there’s anything wrong with him.”

  Jack and Tim’s father arrived at that moment, alarm written all over their faces. “I’m okay, Dad,” Tim said. “I’d like to get up to show all of you I’m fine.” He smiled up at Paige. “I hope this girl will give me a hand.” A few minutes later Tim and Paige, arm in arm, were making their way off the show jumping course ahead of the others.

  Sarah rode Prince to meet them. Paige usually wore her hair in a ponytail around the barn, so it seemed different to see her beautiful blonde hair down and loose over her shoulders.

  “Tough luck,” Sarah said to Tim. “You’re okay?”

  Tim looked at Paige and then back at Sarah. “Honestly? I haven’t felt this good in a long time,” he said, grinning.

  Kayla came running up to them, gasping for breath. “Rhodes is okay, Tim,” she said. “He went back to the tent. Kathleen and Kelly are with him right now.”

  “Hey, Sarah,” Tim said. “After Rhodes and I bombed out, you and Prince are in second place. You better watch this round.”

  Just then the announcer’s voice came over the loudspeakers. “Our last entry, currently in first place, is Colin Dahlberg riding Senator.” All eyes turned to watch Colin, sitting alert and confident on his big chestnut horse.

  After saluting the judge, he sent Senator toward the brush box, riding conservatively at a fairly slow pace. The horse jumped the brush boldly and moved steadily to the second jump. Once over it, Colin steered his horse in a large arc to follow the course, sitting tall and moving cautiously over the rain-sodden grass. With one careful turn after another, he maneuvered his horse to all the jumps on the course, not missing a beat at the Liverpool or the two combinations. When Colin and Senator sailed clear over the last fence, the Castleton Stable spectators in the bleachers and along the sides of the rope barrier went wild, giving each other high fives as they danced up and down.

  As the cheering subsided, it suddenly hit Sarah. Out of thirty-two competitors, she and Prince were in second place! They had finished with their dressage score. She would take a red ribbon home with her. Of course, as proud as she was of her horse and his spectacular performance, she couldn’t help feeling bad for the other riders on her team who would go home empty-handed. But there was something else to celebrate—it looked like Tim and Paige had patched things up.

  The announcer spoke again over the loudspeakers to announce the final placings. Colin’s team, the Castleton Stable team, had finished in first place and would take the Wexford Cup home with them. In addition, Colin received a large blue ribbon for being the individual winner. And Sarah rode Crown Prince to the judge’s stand to receive the biggest, most beautiful red ribbon she’d ever seen.

  Before going back to the tent, Sarah rode Prince to where Colin’s friends were swamping him with handshakes and slaps on the back. Colin waved to her when she got closer. “Congrats to you and Senator. Way to go!” Sarah called over the celebration. “Thanks, and right back at ya!” Colin shouted back.

  The Brookmeade fans had climbed down from the bleachers, and they rushed over to congratulate Sarah. Mrs. DeWitt could hardly contain her excitement. “I wish I could pull you off that wonderful horse to give you a hug!” she called out. Abby was bouncing up and down as she and the Wagners came toward them, looking proud and happy.
Mrs. Romano, following behind, blew her a kiss.

  Mr. DeWitt cupped his hands around his mouth so Sarah could hear him. “Was everything you went through to keep Crown Prince and train him to be an event horse worth it?”

  Sarah’s big smile said it all. She gave him a thumbs up. “Absolutely,” she called back. “Not a doubt in my mind!” The rain had finally stopped, and as Sarah slowly walked her horse back to the stabling area, a sliver of sun poked its way through the clouds.

  * * * * *

  It was a tired and damp team that prepared to leave Wexford Hall that afternoon. The riders had packed their bags in the morning before leaving the Belmont School, and Jack had made a stop to pick them up. The adults had long since departed for Yardley, leaving the team to attend to their horses. After stripping the stalls and loading all their equipment and supplies in the trucks, they were ready to head back to Brookmeade Farm.

  As promised, Judson had shown up with the Snyders’ big rig, and with their legs properly wrapped, the three horses were soon eating hay from nets inside it. Tim told the others he was riding home with Paige and would be waiting for them at the farm.

  When Judson fired up the diesel engine of his truck, Kelly gave Sarah a dirty look and then ran to jump in the cab. I guess she wants to steer clear of Kayla and me, Sarah thought. Kathleen motioned to them, and she and Kayla climbed into the Brookmeade pickup’s back seat.

  Before long they were on the highway, the pickup again traveling a short distance behind the large gooseneck trailer. Jack seemed rather preoccupied as he drove, without much to say, and Sarah noticed how gloomy and tired he looked. She knew he was upset over Rita’s performance in yesterday’s cross-country ride, and he undoubtedly felt badly about Rhodes Scholar’s fall. She was glad when Kathleen tried to cheer him up. “’Twas lucky that neither Rhodes Scholar nor Tim were injured in the fall,” she said.

  Jack nodded. “Yes, I suppose there’s a silver lining in the events of the last few days.” He looked into the back seat through his rear view mirror. “All the hard work you’ve put in with Crown Prince paid off, did it not, Sarah?”

  Sarah had hardly let the red second-place ribbon she and Prince had been awarded out of her sight, and now she held it up to answer Jack’s question. “I’m totally thrilled with Prince. I’m the luckiest person in the world.”

  Jack’s eyes shifted to Kayla. “You rode extremely well, Kayla. I think you learned a valuable lesson from your dressage test. And to go clear cross-country and have only one rail down in that quagmire they called a show jumping course is surely something to be proud of.”

  “Yeah,” Kayla said, “and I think I like eventing as much as showing. I’d like to try this again.”

  Sarah looked at Kayla. “Fanny was awesome. This was her first time to go cross-country, and she aced it.”

  Kayla grinned back at her. “I know another horse that did the same thing.”

  When they pulled into the parking area at the farm, Mrs. Romano was waiting with their horse trailer. After Fanny and Kayla’s things were transferred into their truck, Kayla gave Sarah a big hug. “Thanks for all your help, kid,” she said. “You did super.”

  Sarah stepped back to give her a high-five. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Paige and Tim came out of the barn to unload Rhodes. Paige was all smiles and laughter—her old self. “I hope Rhodes decided to stay on four legs during the ride home,” she said. Paige is back! Sarah thought happily. Her laugh sounded so good!

  Before taking Prince off the trailer, Sarah ran to his stall with the red ribbon and attached it prominently to his stall door. She could hardly wait to show it to Derek.

  Prince tugged on his shank as Sarah led him into the barn, eager to get back to his stall. “I guess you’ve missed this place,” Sarah said. “It’s really home to you now.” Once Prince was in his stall, she grabbed his water bucket and scoured it clean before filling it with fresh water.

  Sarah looked at her watch. On the ride home, she’d called her father, and he would be there soon to pick her up. She gave Prince a kiss on his velvet-soft nose and then slid his stall door shut. “I’ll be back later to feed you,” she said, before making her way to the parking area with her suitcase. She also planned to take her saddle and bridle home with her. After getting soaked that morning, they needed a good soaping.

  Sarah’s father and Abby arrived a few minutes later. Sarah was tired and eager to get home, so she was even a little irritated when Abby insisted on visiting Prince in his stall to present him with an apple. Prince took a big bite and chomped on it, the juice running from his mouth. His eyes wrinkled in the corners when Abby stroked his neck and told him what a star he had been at Wexford Hall.

  When she got home, Sarah decided there was time to oil her tack before she had to return to the farm to dole out the evening hay and grain. After taking her bridle apart and removing the stirrup leathers from her saddle, she applied neatsfoot oil with a soft cloth until the leather was soft and pliable again. The saddle soap she worked into her saddle and the girth would also preserve it. Her father walked by as she worked. “Good job,” he said. “Water is leather’s worst enemy.” He paused and looked back. “I’ll take your tack back to the farm when I go that way tomorrow.”

  Once she had put her bridle together, Sarah went upstairs to get the feed room key before heading back to the farm on her bike. It had been several days since she’d done the evening feeding, and it actually felt good to be getting back to the old routine. A chorus of neighs greeted her when she walked up the aisle toward the feed room. The horses recognized Sarah and knew what was coming.

  After the feed detail, Sarah went to Crown Prince. Derek hadn’t gotten back from his show with Bismarck, and except for the sounds of horses eating, the barn was quiet. She slid through Prince’s stall door and went to her horse, encircling his neck to hold him tightly while he ate his grain. He had exceeded her wildest expectations, giving her his best in all three phases of the event. His famous Thoroughbred ancestors would be proud! He had demonstrated the class that had come down through many generations. She couldn’t love him more than she did at that moment.

  To celebrate her performance at Wexford Hall, her mother had prepared her favorite dinner—fried chicken with cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. Sarah had so much to tell them as they gathered around the table, and Abby pestered her with question after question. “You find this stuff interesting,” Sarah said, grinning at her. “Are you ready to start taking riding lessons?”

  Mrs. Wagner immediately interceded. “I think Abby should stick to softball and soccer,” she said. “I’m not sure my blood pressure could take having two riders in the family.”

  Sarah went to bed early that night, and even though she was exhausted, she tossed and turned. The events of the last three days whirled through her mind. Finally she drifted off into a deep sleep. She didn’t hear her cell phone or the house phone ring a few hours later, but she was awakened by her father’s raised voice. He had flicked on the light in her room and was standing by her bed in his pajamas.

  “Sarah, wake up! Derek just called. He said you should get to the barn right away. Prince is in trouble!”

  CHAPTER 30

  To the Rescue

  SARAH ROLLED OVER IN HER BED, opening her eyes in response to her father’s urgent voice. As her head cleared, she sat upright. Was this a dream? Had her father just told her Prince was in trouble?

  “Get dressed! I’ll meet you downstairs,” her father said, as he hurried from her room. Sarah jumped out of bed and quickly pulled on her jeans and a T-shirt. After slipping into a pair of sneakers, she rushed down the stairs. Her mother was in her bathrobe, waiting to see them off. “Call me,” she said, as Sarah and her father went out the back door.

  Sarah had never known her father to drive as fast as he did on their way to the farm. It was late, and there was no other traffic on the road. With no moon or stars showing on an overcast night, the sky was pitch
black as they turned into the farm road. What could possibly be wrong? Sarah thought. Prince had been perfectly fine when she left him. It had been like any other night when she’d fed the horses and then headed home.

  As they gathered speed going down the last hill, it looked like every light in the barn was on, and the parking area was brightly illuminated. Derek’s pickup and trailer with its ramp down were parked near the barn. Sarah jumped from the car when it came to a stop and sprinted toward the barn’s side door. She dashed down the aisle, noticing as she passed the feed room that the door was wide open and the floor was littered with grain and feed pails from the cart. She kept running.

  When Sarah turned the corner close to Prince’s stall, she screeched to a halt, her hand flying to her mouth as it opened in shock. Derek was looking into Prince’s stall where Gus stood at Prince’s head, holding his halter tightly to keep him from moving. Prince’s moist body was covered with bedding, and his white-rimmed eyes mirrored fear and pain as he attempted to pull back from Gus’s strong hold.

  Sarah ran to the stall. “What’s wrong with Prince?” she demanded.

  Derek’s brow was creased with worry lines. “When I got back from the show with Bismarck, Prince’s stall door was wide open, and he was down and thrashing,” he said. “I ran to get Gus. You probably saw the feed room when you came in.”

  “Is it colic?” Sarah asked, as her father came up behind them.

  “Of course it’s colic!” Gus barked at her from inside the stall. He glared at her sullenly. “You must have left the feed room doors open when you fed tonight.”

  Stunned and speechless, Sarah swung around to Derek.

  “Gus gave me Dr. Reynolds’s number,” Derek said. “His answering service got in touch with the vet, and he called about ten minutes ago. He should be here any minute.”

  With tears streaming down her face, Sarah went to her horse. She pressed her face to his warm, moist neck, and ignoring Gus’s glare, she spoke to him through her sobs. “Prince, Prince,” she said over and over again, as she tried to suppress a rising panic.