Chasing Gold

by Catherine Hapka

  She hoped Zina would let her come along to watch the intermediates on cross-country too. But as the show jumping session ended, the clinician called Haley over. “Time to hit the barn, girl,” she said.

  “Oh.” Haley tried not to let her disappointment show. After all, she was supposed to be working, not watching. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

  Zina smiled. “Um, how about tacking up that cute pony of yours?” she said. “He’s been standing in that stall all day, so you’ll want plenty of time for a good warm-up before your dressage session starts.”

  “Oh!” Haley had almost forgotten that she and Wings were riding in the third and final group. Her heart thumped with excitement. “Sure. I mean okay. I mean, let me know if you need me to do anything else or whatever.”

  “Go.” Zina grinned. “I’ll see you in the dressage ring in an hour.”

  “Go, go, go!” Zina shouted, clapping her hands. “Don’t let him slow down—he’s been through the water like three times now, he doesn’t have an excuse!”

  Haley gave Wings a brisk kick. “Get up!” she growled. They were working on hopping over one of the log jumps built into the edge of the farm’s water jump, a broad, shallow pool with a sandy bottom. The horses were meant to canter up to the jump, taking off on dry ground and landing in the water. That was one type of jump that Haley hadn’t been able to figure out how to build at home, so Wings wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Luckily, he wasn’t the only one. Of the four other pairs in the group, only one of the horses had much experience jumping into water.

  “We go swimming in the cow pond back home,” a cheerful woman in her late twenties had volunteered with a smile. “Does that count?”

  Haley had laughed. “We do that too!”

  She was still a little amazed by how friendly everyone was. Haley was the youngest rider of the bunch, and Wings the shortest equine. But the others, from a bashful teenage boy with rosy cheeks and a lanky bay Thoroughbred to a woman in her sixties who was an experienced foxhunter and enthusiastic new event rider, all accepted Haley as one of them—an eventer and a horse person.

  The horses’ hesitance at the water jump didn’t seem to bother Zina at all. She’d had Haley and the other riders walk into and through the pool a few times first with no jump involved, letting their horses get their feet wet and sniff at the water. One horse had even lowered his head to take a long drink!

  Then there was the sweet-eyed chestnut gelding ridden by a nervous middle-aged woman. When she let him stop in the middle of the pool, he stuck his nose into the water and pawed at it a few times.

  “Um, you might want to kick him forward,” Zina suggested.

  Haley nodded. She could tell what the horse was thinking—that the nice, cool water seemed like a fine place to roll!

  “Go on, Star.” The rider gave a tentative kick, which the horse completely ignored. With a grunt, he buckled his knees and started to drop.

  “Star, no!” Haley was close enough to reach out and give the horse a tap on the rump with her crop. That startled him enough to make him pause—and Zina enough time to wade in and grab him by the bridle, dragging him forward out of the water.

  “Oh my!” the rider exclaimed, looking sheepish. “Sorry about your boots, Zina! But thanks—I wasn’t in the mood for a swim.”

  That made everyone laugh, including Zina. “It’s all right, these boots have been through worse,” she assured the woman. Then she glanced at Haley. “Quick thinking, Haley. Thanks.”

  “Yes, thank you!” Star’s rider added with a smile.

  Haley smiled back. Even though everyone took learning and improving seriously, it was nice to see that they all had a sense of humor, too!

  But Haley wasn’t thinking about any of that as she and Wings approached the jump into the water. Several strides out the pony’s trot slowed slightly, his ears pricking forward. Would he do it? For a moment Haley imagined Wings skidding to a stop and tossing her headfirst into the water.

  She shook off those thoughts quickly. Wings had never let her down before—and she knew he wouldn’t start now. “Go on, boy!” she yelled, booting him forward again. “You can do it!”

  And he did! His stride picked up, and he took off over the log with several inches to spare.

  He landed with a splash, tossing his head and snorting as he cantered off through the shallow water.

  “Good boy!” Zina shouted. “Well ridden, Haley. Did you see that, everyone? That’s how you do it!”

  Haley grinned, giving Wings a pat as she pulled him back to a walk at the far end of the pool. “That was awesome!” she exclaimed. “Good boy, Wingsie!”

  “Wake up, Haley. We’re home.”

  Haley opened her eyes, which she’d sworn she was just going to rest for a second. Blinking sleepily, she realized her uncle was right. They were home.

  She yawned and smiled, thinking back over the long, busy, tiring, exciting day. The clinic had been everything she’d hoped it would be. Maybe more, actually. Working alongside Zina all day had given Haley a taste of what an upper-level event rider’s life was really like. It was hard to believe how much hard work, how many details, went into the whole business of running a clinic! She could only imagine that a competition would be even more hectic and intense.

  She could only imagine it for now, anyway. Someday soon, she hoped she and Wings could use what they’d just learned by competing in another event, maybe a recognized one this time.

  Zina certainly seemed to think they could do it. At the end of the day, Haley had helped her pack up her equipment. While they were working, they’d had a chance for a real talk. Zina had been encouraging of Haley’s dreams for herself and for Wings.

  “Do you really think we can make it?” Haley had asked, shooting Zina a sidelong glance as she lowered the rider’s grooming bucket into the trunk of her rental car.

  “All the elements are there for you.” Zina had slammed the trunk shut and turned to face Haley, squinting in the lowering dusk. “You’ve got a good, brave, athletic pony who’d do anything for you. You’ve got determination and a great work ethic. Just make sure you don’t work so hard that you burn yourself out.”

  “What do you mean?” Haley had asked. “Doing all this . . .” She’d waved a hand at the farm around them. “It’s not like work at all. It’s fun!”

  “I know. But your friends told me a little about everything you were doing to earn money to come.” Zina’s expression was serious now as she peered at Haley. “You have to be careful not to push yourself too hard.”

  “Run myself ragged,” Haley murmured. “That’s what my aunt says.”

  Zina smiled. “Your aunt sounds like a smart lady. And don’t get me wrong, Haley. If you want to make it in this sport, you’ve got to be tough and work hard. Just make sure you keep some balance in your life too, you know? Other hobbies, fun with friends, some time off—you told me you give your pony a day off every week, right? Make sure you take the same kind of care of yourself, that’s all I’m saying.”

  For a second, Haley wanted to protest. Zina had worked and pushed and struggled to reach the top—she said so in every interview Haley had ever read about her. She’d just admitted it now, at least sort of.

  But maybe it wasn’t as simple as that. Haley had trusted Zina to help her get Wings through that water jump. Shouldn’t she trust her on this, too?

  Zina was watching her. “Do you understand what I’m saying, Haley? I’m not telling you to stop trying your best or anything like that. You’re like me—that part comes naturally. I’m just saying there’s more to life than all this.” She waved a hand to indicate the darkened stables. “I don’t want you to forget that. Promise me you’ll think about it?”

  “Sure.” Haley had smiled uncertainly at her idol, still not quite sure what to think.

  Now, as she led Wings into his stall, Haley found herself thinking about Zina’s words again. She’d learned a lot from Zina over the course of the day, but she was s
tarting to have a funny feeling that the stuff about balance might have been one of the most important lessons of all.

  “Maybe she’s right, Wingsie,” she said as she glanced into the pony’s water bucket, glad to see that someone had topped it off earlier. “The clinic was great, and I can’t wait to start practicing some of the stuff we learned. But first, I’m thinking maybe we could both use a few days off. What do you think? We’ll take it easy, go for a relaxing trail ride or two. I think there’s a team penning next weekend—we could go and show Owen Lemke how it’s done, huh?”

  That made her think about Tracey and Emma. Maybe she could use a few days off to reconnect with them, too. She grimaced as she thought about what Zina had said. Maybe Haley’s friends weren’t the only ones who hadn’t been trying hard enough. Come to think of it, Haley hadn’t exactly tried too hard to get involved with any of the stuff Tracey and Emma cared about these days either. She hadn’t even asked them about the school dance they’d been so excited about.

  “Oops,” she whispered, stroking Wings’s neck. “Maybe I haven’t been that good of a friend lately.”

  She felt a twinge of guilt. So what if she wasn’t as boy crazy as her friends? They weren’t horse crazy at all, and they still made an effort to ask her about Wings now and then. The least she could do was try to meet them halfway. Maybe that was the kind of thing Zina was talking about—balance. Paying attention to everything that was important to her.

  Wings snuffled at her pocket, looking for treats. Haley rubbed his ears and then pushed him gently away, letting herself out of the stall.

  “Good night, Wings,” she called. “See you in the morning.”

  She hurried out of the barn and across the yard, rubbing her arms. It was turning chilly, the cool night breeze cutting the lingering warmth of the day with a hint of coming winter. The kitchen felt warm and cozy when Haley let herself in.

  “Hey, Bandit,” she said softly. “Easy—no barking! Everyone else is asleep.”

  The dog whined, pushing himself into an upright position on his good leg. His tail slapped the bars of the crate as Haley swung open the door to give him a pat.

  “Good boy,” she whispered. “You’re such a good boy!”

  She spent a few minutes with him, but finally she couldn’t stop yawning, so she closed him in his crate with a couple of treats and headed upstairs. Her bed looked comfortable and inviting. But there was one thing she needed to do before she went to sleep.

  Soon she was logging on to the Pony Post. She’d checked in the other day after talking to Zina, of course, and ever since, most of the posts had been about the clinic. There were several new messages waiting for her, all posted that afternoon and evening.

  [MADDIE] I wonder what H. is doing RIGHT NOW?

  [BROOKE] Easy—she & Wings are having a blast! lol!

  [NINA] So true! I can’t wait to hear all about the clinic.

  [MADDIE] Me too—hint hint, Haley!

  [NINA] lol, relax. She said she’d prob. be home late, remember?

  [BROOKE] Ya, I think the place the clinic was being held was like half an hour away or something.

  [MADDIE] whatevs. I just hope she fills us in soon!

  [BROOKE] lol, maybe she should’ve worn a helmet cam so u could watch the whole thing!

  [MADDIE] Ooh! What an awesome idea! Why didn’t I think of that sooner???

  [BROOKE] lol!

  [NINA] LOL from me too! Anyway, Haley, whenever us see this, I hope u had the time of your life today!

  “I did,” Haley whispered, opening a new text box. She sat there with her fingers poised over the keyboard for a moment, trying to figure out how to describe the day. Finally she started to type.

  [HALEY] I’m about to fall asleep on my feet. But I wanted to check in w/you guys and say that today was INCREDIBLE!!!!!! Zina is the best. Riding w/her made me even more excited to keep going & working my way up the levels w/Wings. I’ll tell u all the details tomorrow—maybe we can even get our parents to let us have a group phone call? B/c I’m dying to tell u guys everything—esp. since you’re the whole reason it happened! THANK U THANK U THANK U—u are the best friends ever!!!!!!!!!!

  She sent the message with a smile, knowing that her friends would all see it first thing tomorrow. About ten seconds later she was falling into bed, not bothering to set the alarm for once. Five seconds after that she was drifting off to sleep, already dreaming.

  Glossary

  Chincoteague pony: A breed of pony found on Assateague Island, which lies off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. Chincoteague ponies are sometimes referred to as wild horses, but are more properly called “feral” since they are not native to the island but were brought there by humans sometime many years past. There are several theories about how this might have happened, including the one told in the classic novel Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. That novel also details the world-famous pony swim and auction that still take place in the town of Chincoteague to this day.

  barrel racing: A rodeo event. A horse and rider must perform a specific pattern around three barrels, and the team with the fastest time wins.

  cinch: The strap that holds a Western saddle on a horse. The cinch can be made of cord, nylon, or various other materials.

  clinic: An intensive lesson, usually involving several riders and a well-known trainer.

  cross-country: One of the three phases of eventing, in which a horse is asked to jump a timed course of solid obstacles. The object is to complete the course with as few time and jumping penalties as possible. Unlike the other two phases, cross-country is unique to eventing.

  eventing: A sport in which horse and rider must complete three separate phases: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.

  ground tying: Despite the name, this doesn’t involve tying at all. It’s when a horse is trained to remain in one place without being tied or otherwise secured.

  hay net: A hay net is exactly what it sounds like—a net that holds hay! It can be hung in a stall, in a trailer, or on a fence to prevent a horse from stepping on or otherwise soiling or wasting the hay.

  leg yield: A basic dressage move in which a horse moves forward and sideways at the same time.

  muzzle: This word has two meanings involving horses. The muzzle is a part of the horse’s head incorporating the mouth and nose. A muzzle is also a device that fits over the horse’s muzzle to prevent it from eating too fast, or from biting.

  roll top: A type of cross-country jump with a rounded top.

  team penning: A Western sport based on ranch work, in which teams of riders must separate cattle from a herd and maneuver them into a pen.

  Trakehner: A type of cross-country jump consisting of a rail positioned over a ditch.

  CATHERINE HAPKA has written more than one hundred and fifty books for children and young adults, including many about horses. A lifelong horse lover, she rides several times per week and appreciates horses of all breeds. She keeps three horses on a small farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, though none of them are Chincoteague ponies—yet. In addition to writing and riding, she enjoys animals of all kinds, reading, gardening, music, and travel.

  The Marguerite Henry’s Ponies of Chincoteague series is inspired by the award-winning books by MARGUERITE HENRY, the beloved author of such classic horse stories as King of the Wind; Misty of Chincoteague; Justin Morgan Had a Horse; Stormy, Misty’s Foal; Misty’s Twilight; and Album of Horses, among many other titles. Learn more about the world of Marguerite Henry at www.MistyofChincoteague.org.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  This Aladdin hardcover edition November 2014

  Text copyright © 2014 by The Estate of Marguerite Henry

  Jacket illustration copyright © 2014 by Robert Papp

  Also available in an Aladdin paperback edition.

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