by Chris Platt
Her father nodded and Lily tried to ignore the worried look on his face as she picked up the reins and guided Astra in a large circle at a walk. The mare moved out smoothly and Lily relaxed in the saddle. She made several circles, then gathered her courage and asked Astra for a trot. After a couple of awkward bounces in the saddle, Lily picked up the rhythm of the gait and posted in time to the hoofbeats.
“Hang on, Flower.” Her father swept his hat from his head and twisted it in his hands.
“This is awesome, Dad!” Lily smiled broadly, encouraging her father not to worry. “We’re doing great!” She tipped the mare’s nose slightly to the inside of the circle and cued her for a canter. “Yes!” she cheered in victory when the beautiful Arabian bowed her neck and moved into the bit, picking up a slow canter.
Lily’s father watched her circle the mare several times to the left and a couple more to the right. Then he held up his hand and motioned for her to pull Astra to a halt. “That’s about all my poor heart can take today, Lily. Humor your old man, and let’s call it good for the day. You’ll be out for several hours with your friends tomorrow.”
“Sure, Dad.” Lily leaned down and patted Astra. She was a bit disappointed that she couldn’t stay on longer, but she knew how difficult it was for her father to watch her ride again. She stepped from the saddle and pulled Astra’s reins over her head. “You were amazing, girl!” She threw her arms around the mare’s neck and hugged her tight. “I’ll be in as soon as I get her unsaddled and brushed,” Lily told her dad.
She walked Astra to the hitching post and gently removed the bridle from the mare’s head, taking care not to let the bit bang Astra’s teeth on the way out. She removed the saddle and placed it on the rack in the corner, running her hand lovingly over the expensive English leather. “I did it, Mom,” she whispered.
The next six weeks proved to be very exciting for Lily, but difficult. School was almost out and she had tons of homework to do. With the help of Mr. Henley, Dr. Dale, and all of her friends, she spent four days a week training Astra for her first race of the season—and Lily’s first race ever.
It was hard, physical work and sometimes she fell into bed exhausted. But Astra thrived and grew stronger with the new workload. At first, Lily worried that Mr. Henley would ask for his horse back, but after many assurances, Lily finally believed him when he told her the horse was hers forever.
She could still see the worry in her dad’s eyes every time she put a saddle on Astra, but he was good to his word.
She spent a lot of time with Meloney and Devin, making training charts for their horses and discussing race strategy. Even Charlie’s usual lame comments and teasing couldn’t dampen her spirits. She so badly wanted to beat Charlie and Derringer on her first ride.
With Meloney’s help, Lily filled out applications for a membership in the American Endurance Ride Conference and an entry into the next endurance race. The fees took a lot of the money Lily had earned cleaning stalls, but it was worth it.
“I can’t wait!” Meloney said as they saddled their horses for a fifteen-mile ride in the hills. It was their last long-distance training session before the upcoming race that weekend. “It’s going to be so much fun to finally ride a race with you, Lily.”
Charlie tossed a horse treat at the girls, barely missing Lily’s head. “I’m going to wipe the trail with both of you,” he bragged. “I’ll beat you by miles.”
“Don’t be so sure of yourself,” Jill said. “Astra’s in better condition than Derringer. She’s almost as good as Contina. Astra’s going to be a tough horse to beat.”
“Who’s going to be her sponsor, anyway?” Charlie asked. “Dad’s mine and Meloney rides with her aunt,” he said.
There was silence in the barn as everyone stared at one another.
“Sponsor?” Lily asked. “What’s that?”
“Oh, no!” Meloney slapped herself on the forehead. “We were so excited about getting your membership and entry form that we didn’t read through all the rules. I didn’t even think about you needing a sponsor. How could I miss that? I’m so stupid!”
“I won’t argue with you on that.” Charlie grinned, then flinched when his sister booted him in the shins.
“Lily, every rider under sixteen is considered a youth entry and has to ride the race with a sponsoring adult,” Jill explained. “There’s only one sponsor per junior rider. I turned sixteen before the start of the season, so I’m able to ride on my own now. We’ll have to find somebody to sponsor you.”
“And if we don’t?” Lily asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Who could she possibly ask to ride with her?
Jill frowned. “We have to. Otherwise you won’t be able to ride in the race.”
Lily thought she was going to be sick. This couldn’t be happening. She’d come so far and cleared so many obstacles. But now, unless she found a sponsor—fast—she’d have to pull out of the race.
Seventeen
“Okay, everyone, let’s not panic,” Mr. Henley said when he heard about Lily’s dilemma. “We’ll figure this sponsor problem out. Everyone will get to ride in the race.”
Charlie finished putting the bridle on Derringer. “It’s hard to get a sponsor unless you know someone.”
Lily frowned. She knew Charlie didn’t intend to sound mean, but still his words bugged her. “Why can’t my dad just sponsor me? Or my grandma?”
“Remember, they’ve got to actually ride the race with you,” Jill said. “You have to be within so many feet of your sponsor throughout the race.”
Meloney handed Lily some molasses treats for Astra. “Don’t worry, we’ll find someone. My aunt knows a lot of people. Maybe there’s someone she knows who can sponsor you. And Devin’s riding with one of the big trainers he used to work for. There might be someone in that group who can help.”
Lily finished saddling Contina for Mr. Henley. Astra stood in the cross ties beside her. She had been so excited about the two half sisters getting to compete in a ride together. Now it looked like that might not happen for a while. She gave Astra one of the treats and stroked her neck. “Don’t worry, girl, something’s got to work out.”
“I think I might have the solution,” Mr. Henley said. He’d been very quiet, thinking. “Charlie’s fourteen and has over six hundred miles to his credit. As I remember, the rule book states that he’s eligible to ride on his own, without a sponsor, if I sign off on it.”
“Really?” Charlie asked. “You mean I wouldn’t have anyone telling me what to do? How come you didn’t tell me that before?”
“You’ll still be riding with us, Charlie,” Mr. Henley warned. “The practice isn’t that common, but it’s used under special circumstances. I’d say this is one of them.”
Jill smiled sweetly at her brother. “Hey, Charlie, now you’ll have to compete under the adult section with me.”
“Cool.” Charlie grinned.
“Not really,” Jill said. “There are more riders to compete against, and it’s harder to place.”
“Hey, at least I’ll beat Lil-Pill and Ssssmelloney.”
Mr. Henley unsnapped his horse from the cross ties. “All right, Charlie, that’s enough. You keep it up, and you’ll find yourself on the crew instead of riding. Then we won’t have to worry about having an extra sponsor.”
All the girls laughed while Charlie turned red in the face.
“Anyway, as I was saying,” Mr. Henley continued, “it looks as if I can sponsor Lily in her first race.”
Lily smiled in relief. “That would be awesome! Thanks, Mr. Henley. This really means a lot to me.”
Mr. Henley gave her a big smile. “Well, you’ve earned it, Lily. Now let’s get these horses out there and hit the trail. We’re only five days from our race.”
Lily mounted up and followed the others down the road. She had a tough ride ahead of her today, but it would be nothing compared to the fifty miles she’d be riding this weekend. The race was approaching so quickly, she wondered if
she’d have time to prepare for everything. Astra was ready. She knew that much. But she had a lot of doubts about herself.
Race day finally arrived. When the alarm rang, Lily felt as if she’d barely closed her eyes. She’d been so anxious the night before that she hadn’t been able to fall asleep for hours. She just hoped she’d have enough stamina to get through the day.
She rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Despite the prediction of temperatures in the high eighties, she tied a light long-sleeved shirt around her waist for protection against the sun. Before she left the room, Lily grabbed the photo of her and her mom from the dresser mirror and slipped it into her pocket.
Astra had spent the night at the Henleys’ ranch to make it easier to load up and leave early. Lily’s saddle, bridle, and helmet were already in the horse trailer. All she had to do was eat breakfast.
She made her way down to the kitchen. Grams had oatmeal and toast ready for her. Lily was too excited to eat, but she knew she had to. It was going to be a long day, with a lot of work. She’d need to keep up her strength.
“Your father and I will be at the finish line to watch you come in,” Grams said. “Your dad’s going to be on pins and needles, so be extra careful.”
“Okay, no handstands in the saddle,” Lily promised with a grin.
She ate her breakfast quickly, kissed her grandmother good-bye, and pedaled her bike the short distance to the Henley farm. They were just loading the horses when she arrived. Lily helped get Astra into the trailer, then double-checked to make sure she had all of her equipment and food.
Everyone piled into the truck and fastened their seat belts. It was a thirty-minute drive to the race camp and it passed in a blur as Lily’s stomach rumbled from excitement and a bad case of nerves. Would she be able to finish fifty miles? Twenty five miles was the longest she’d ever ridden in one stretch. But Jill had assured her that the extra excitement of race day would carry her over the distance. Lily was glad there would be breaks and rest stops along the way.
“Here we are.” Mr. Henley pulled carefully onto the dirt road that led to an open field for parking and setting up their ride camp. “We’re running a little behind, so hurry and get your horses ready. We don’t want to be late for Lily’s first race.”
Lily stepped from the truck and helped unload the horses. The excitement she’d felt as part of the crew on the last race was nothing compared to how she felt today. Today she was one of the riders!
Astra came out of the trailer and arched her elegant neck, prancing in a circle around Lily.
“Lily, get hold of her,” Mr. Henley warned. “Tie her to the trailer before she gets away from you.”
Lily followed his advice. The last thing she needed was her horse getting loose and hurting herself before they even started.
Meloney and her aunt pulled into the spot beside them. They had brought Devin and Jericho, too. When everyone had brushed and saddled their horses, Mr. Henley called them over to look at the map of the ride. It showed the basic route, watering stations, and vet checkpoints. The horses would have to pass the vet checks at various places along the fifty-mile route in order to continue the race. Each rider carried his or her own race card where the horse’s heart and respiration rates and times on trail were recorded.
Dr. Dale was the head veterinarian at the race and the control judge. If a horse’s heartbeat or breathing took too long to come down when checked, or if they were injured during the race, they’d be disqualified. Dr. Dale’s word was final.
Lily spotted Sharon, the lady she had crewed for in the previous race. She was parked several trailers down with her chestnut gelding. She waved.
“How nice to see you!” Sharon called. “Good luck today. If you need anything, just let me know. You were such a help to me last ride.”
“Thanks,” Lily said. “Good luck to you, too. I’ll see you on the trail.”
“Ten-minute warning!” someone hollered. Lily took several deep breaths, then went to do a last-minute check of her saddle pack, making sure there were plenty of water and energy bars for herself and carrots and treats for Astra. She pulled out the photo of her mom on Astra and kissed it for luck, then tucked it back into her pocket.
“Let’s mount up,” Mr. Henley said.
Lily gathered Astra’s reins and tried to put her foot in the stirrup, but the mare kept turning in circles around her, anxious to be off for the race. “Astra Atomica, hold still!” Lily scolded.
“Here, let me help.” Devin took hold of Astra’s bridle, forcing her to stand still while Lily made her way onto the saddle.
“Thanks.” She tried to smile, but her teeth stuck to her lips.
“Take a big breath,” Devin advised. “You’re going to do fine. You’ve been waiting a long time to do this. Relax and enjoy the ride.”
“You’re right.” She took a deep, calming breath and remembered all the hard work she’d done to get to this point. Now it was time to prove herself and Astra.
Trying to get 110 horses safely across the starting line proved to be a bit of a challenge. Everything seemed to be in a state of chaos. Some riders got off and walked until most of the masses had thinned out. Other riders, whose mounts got too excited, ended up being dumped in the dirt before they’d even crossed the starting line.
“Easy, girl,” Lily crooned to Astra as they trotted toward the trailhead. She could hear the quiver in her own voice. Her hands were shaking and she couldn’t seem to control them. Astra tossed her head, prancing with her feet high and her tail in the air. Mr. Henley reached over and grabbed hold of Astra’s bit, keeping her steady as they found their place in the herd of horses and riders.
After about a mile, everyone found their race pace and the crowd thinned out. Lily was finally able to control Astra on her own. The mare still had a full head of steam and wanted to surge ahead, but Lily kept a firm hand on the reins and followed behind Mr. Henley.
The first ten miles of the race passed in a haze as Lily worked to stay focused and keep Astra under control. The problem with Arabians, especially those in good shape, was that it was difficult to wear them down. When the trail was wide, Devin or Meloney rode beside Lily, giving her pointers and helping to keep Astra focused.
Charlie raced past them, grinning, but his father made him get back in line.
“Derringer isn’t in good enough shape to be setting the pace,” Mr. Henley warned. “You and Jill might have to slow down a bit on the second leg of this race.”
“No way,” Charlie said. “Derringer’s fine. We’ve got a race to win!” He looked over at Lily and smirked.
Once again, Lily wished she could beat the obnoxious boy. But at this point, her main concern was being able to finish the race and not let anyone down—including her horse.
When they came into the first watering stop, Lily stepped off Astra’s back. Her legs were a bit stiff, but she felt pretty good, considering they’d already covered about fifteen miles. Astra showed no sign of being interested in water, despite the rapidly warming day. Instead, she pulled Lily over to the area where several bales of grass hay had been scattered for horses to browse on.
Mr. Henley and Dr. Dale had taught her that horses needed to eat and drink along the way so they’d have enough energy for the long race. During a vet check, a stethoscope was put to a horse’s belly to listen for gut sounds that indicated his system was functioning properly. The horse’s mucous mebranes were also examined to determine if the animal was well hydrated. If there were any problems, a horse could be pulled from the race.
“Wow, did you see all of that beautiful scenery?” Meloney said. She walked Jasper over to eat beside Astra.
“Scenery?” Lily asked. She’d been concentrating so hard, she’d barely taken her eyes off the horse in front of her.
Devin chuckled. “Lighten up, Lily. Getting to look at the awesome wilderness we pass through is part of the fun. We get to see stuff most people will never get a chance to. Some of th
ese areas aren’t open to motorized vehicles.”
“Okay, gang, let’s go,” Mr. Henley ordered. “We’ve got another twelve miles until we hit our first vet check and required rest.”
Astra stood this time while Lily mounted. She settled into the saddle and promised herself that she’d pay more attention to her surroundings on this leg of the route. She urged Astra into a strong trot and found her place in line behind Mr. Henley and in front of Meloney and Jill. Devin and Charlie were the last to mount up. They rode several yards behind the girls and Mr. Henley.
“You tired yet?” Charlie challenged as he cantered past Lily.
She had to pull Astra aside to keep from being bumped.
Then Charlie cut in front of his father’s horse, causing Contina to stumble.
“Charlie!” Mr. Henley hollered. Lily gasped as the mare took several bad steps and then righted herself. They all pulled down to a halt while Mr. Henley got off to check his mare.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Charlie said, his face turning red.
Mr. Henley examined Contina’s leg. “She’s got a small cut on the bulb of her hoof where she grabbed it with a hind foot,” he said. “Charlie, get to the back of the line. If you pull a stunt like that again, I’ll have you pulled from the race.”
Charlie made a face but did as he was told.
“Is Contina going to be okay, Dad?” Jill asked, sounding concerned.
“I think so,” her father replied. “I’ll need to get a bell boot out of the trailer to protect that hoof when we get back to camp.”
They rode for several more miles at a steady trot, heading up into the hills. Lily and Meloney got off and walked their horses up the steep parts, then, still on foot, trotted down the other side of the hill. Lily was breathing hard and sweating in the heat, but she didn’t mind. They could go almost as fast running beside their horses downhill as they did while riding them. And the horses got a break from carrying the weight of the rider.
