Runaway Pony

by Susannah Leigh

  In no time at all, the ride was out of the stables and walking in single file down the lane. Sarah rode Storm Cloud as she led them up the bumpy old coastal track towards the lighthouse. Jess could already feel Minstrel leaning on the bit.

  “OK, we’ll have a gallop across the grass. It’s nice and flat,” Sarah called out as they neared the lighthouse. “We’ll head towards Larkfield Copse. Stop on the edge of it and don’t let the ponies run away with you. We don’t want anyone scalped by the trees. Right then, at my signal.”

  Then they were off, galloping across the field. Jess gave Minstrel his head and they flew across the ground. Thundering to a stop where the grass met the trees, Jess gave a whoop of joy. There was nothing to match the feeling of being out on a pony on a crisp day.

  “Pepper’s going brilliantly,” Rosie cried as she drew alongside Jess.

  “So’s Minstrel,” Jess replied. “Isn’t this fantastic?”

  At the end of the hour, the ride wound its way back to the stables. As they clattered into the yard and dismounted, Alex and Kate Hardy, the last of the regular junior riders, came racing up to greet them.

  “Where have you two been?” Jess called out as she ran Minstrel’s stirrups up. “Weren’t you booked on the eleven o’clock?”

  “No, I’ve got a lunch time lesson,” Kate replied, giving Minstrel a pat. “And Alex is riding later.”

  “Well you missed a brilliant ride,” Rosie joined in as she led Pepper past.

  “But it was a good job I was here,” Kate replied mysteriously. “There’s pony trouble afoot!”

  Jess laughed. Kate could be rather dramatic sometimes. “What are you talking about, Kate? It sounds exciting.”

  “Not really,” Kate admitted. “It’s a bit of a sad story really. A girl came into the yard, about ten minutes ago. Her pony’s missing and she wondered if anyone had seen it. Apparently she keeps it in a field a few miles up the road and this morning when this girl, Belinda...”

  “Get on with it, Kate.” Alex barged in on his sister’s conversation. “What happened is – this girl, Belinda, went to get her pony from its field this morning and it wasn’t there. Vanished. The gate was open so it must have escaped.”

  “What’s it look like?” Charlie joined in the conversation.

  “What’s it called?” Tom asked.

  “Um, it’s a palomino mare apparently,” Alex said. “Goes by the name of Golddust.”

  Jess was immediately alert. “It sounds like the pony I saw this morning,” she cried. “I wonder if it’s the same one.”

  “But your one was called Goldie,” said Rosie.

  “Goldie, Golddust, same thing really, isn’t it?” Alex interrupted. He had already become bored with the conversation.

  “Well, she’s left a phone number,” Kate said, handing Jess a scrap of paper.

  “Belinda Lang, Colcott 2562. Palomino pony. Golddust.” Jess mumbled the words. “Maybe I’ll phone her from the tack room once I’ve seen to Minstrel,” she said aloud to no one in particular.

  As Jess rubbed Minstrel down with absent-minded strokes she thought about Goldie and the man chasing her, and about Belinda too.

  “I wonder if it could be the same pony,” she reasoned aloud to Minstrel. “A man catching a pony, then this girl saying her pony’s lost. I’m sure there must be an explanation for it all.” She shrugged her shoulders and gave the pony a final pat. Fingering the scrap of paper in her jodhpur pocket she walked over to the tack room. But when she got there, Nick was standing at the door and the others were gathered around him.

  “I’ve got some news,” Nick said to them all. “Can you take a seat inside?”

  Everyone piled in and Nick smiled at the expectant faces turned towards him. Leaning against the messy desk where the rides were booked, he folded his arms.

  “As you are probably aware,” he began. “The Southdown Show is three weeks away.”

  How could they not be aware? Southdown! It was one of the most prestigious shows in the area – better even than the Benbridge show, where Sandy Lane had done so well in the past. Last year Nick and Sarah had taken the Sandy Lane regulars to Southdown to watch and Jess had loved every minute of it.

  “This year at Southdown,” Nick continued, ignoring the murmurs of anticipation, “there’s to be a special show jumping event for juniors and I’ve been invited to enter three riders from Sandy Lane. It’s a great honour, but obviously not all of you will be able to take part.”

  Nick’s last words echoed in Jess’s head. Nick must choose me to ride. He just must, she thought as everyone began talking at once.

  “The Southdown Show – brilliant!”

  “It’s a proper horse show.”

  “Even my mum’s heard of it!”

  “Which horses will you take?”

  “Who will you enter?”

  At this last question, the room fell silent again. Who would Nick choose?

  “Ah yes.” Nick shuffled the papers on the desk in front of him. “The crucial question.” He paused for a moment. “Well, there’s valuable experience to be gained from taking part in such a prestigious event.”

  Jess held her breath as Nick continued.

  “So I think that the riders who would most benefit from this sort of competition right now are Tom, Charlie...”

  Tom grinned madly. Charlie gave a whoop and shot his fist in the air.

  “Thank you Charlie,” Nick continued dryly, “and Rosie.”

  Suddenly Jess felt as though she was looking at everyone through the wrong end of a telescope. From far away Nick’s voice carried on.

  “Tom will ride Chancey, Charlie will be on Napoleon and Rosie will take Pepper,” he continued. “Now as I said, the show’s in three weeks. Everyone should work hard in lessons until then, whether you’re competing or not. I’m sorry that not everyone can compete, but there will be other shows and other chances. You’re all excellent riders and I have confidence in all of you.” And then Nick was finished. He pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. “Now haven’t you got jobs to do?” he said, smiling as he left the tack room. And that was that.

  “Sandy Lane at the Southdown Show,” Kate cried, breaking the silence that followed Nick’s departure. “Well done you three.”

  “We haven’t actually done anything yet,” Tom said cheerfully.

  “Ah, but you will,” said Alex, nudging him in his seat. “You cleaned up at the Benbridge show last year. You can do the same at Southdown.”

  “You bet we can,” Charlie grinned. “The question is, who’ll come first?”

  “I’ll just be glad to get round the course,” Rosie said. “It’s a scary thought.”

  “You’ll be brilliant, Rosie,” Jess managed at last. “Well done.”

  Rosie shot her friend an apologetic look. “I don’t think I filled Pepper’s hay net. Come with me while I do it, Jess?” she asked.

  “OK.” Jess shrugged, following Rosie out of the tack room. The little piebald looked up at their approach, surprised to see them again so soon.

  “I’ve no idea why Nick picked me, Jess,” Rosie said softly, drawing back the bolt. “It’s a complete surprise.”

  “Don’t be silly, Rosie. You’re a really good rider,” Jess sighed, picking splinters of wood from Pepper’s stable door. “Nick can see that.”

  “But you wouldn’t be scared to jump in a competition, Jess,” Rosie wailed. “My legs feel like jelly at the thought of it.”

  Jess tried to grin. “You’ll be fine, Rosie,” she croaked at last. “Especially with me there to cheer you on. So – roll on Southdown!”

  “But not too quickly,” Rosie groaned.

  A little while later, as Jess wheeled her bicycle across the yard, Nick stopped her with a wave.

  “Thanks again for getting the ponies’ breakfasts this morning, Jess,” he said. “And don’t be too disappointed about Southdown. It’s quite a disciplined event. I’m not sure it’s the right competition for you at t
he moment.”

  “I know,” Jess sighed. “I’m a clumsy rider. I’ve got no poise.”

  “Nonsense,” Nick laughed. “Although I’m glad to see you’re being self-critical – that’s an important quality for a show jumper. You’re a dedicated and instinctive rider Jess. Your chance will come.”

  “Instinctive,” Nick had said. “Dedicated.” Suddenly everything was all right again. The grey cloud of gloom that had floated into Jess’s view lifted and the sun poked through.

  “Really?” Jess answered.

  “Yes,” Nick grinned. “Really.”

  When Jess returned home later that afternoon she was in a much better mood. She laid the table for tea and did all the washing up without even being asked.

  “Are you sickening for something, Jess?” her mother asked.

  It was only as she was undressing for bed and thinking back over the events of the day that a terrible thought struck Jess. In all the excitement she had completely forgotten to phone Belinda about the runaway palomino.

  “It’s too late now,” Jess groaned aloud. “I’ll have to do it first thing tomorrow. Oh why did I forget?”

  Jess crawled underneath her duvet, but it was a long time before she slept. When at last she did, her dreams were disturbed by pictures of the runaway pony jumping a clear round at Southdown. But, try as she might, Jess couldn’t see who was riding her...

  3

  JUMPING LESSON

  “This is Colcott 2562,” a mechanical female voice intoned at the end of the line. “I am sorry there is no one here to take your call at the moment, but if you’d like to leave a message we’ll get right back to you.”

  Jess grimaced. She hated answering machines. She twisted the telephone cord between her fingers as she stood in the tack room, Belinda’s number on the table in front of her. As the tone sounded she spoke quickly.

  “Hello,” she said. “I’m ringing for Belinda. I think I’ve seen your pony. My name is Jess Adams and I’ll be at Sandy Lane Stables all day if you want to talk to me.” She replaced the receiver and looked at her watch. Twenty minutes until the next lesson. They were practising jumping today and all the regulars were taking part.

  Jess raced over to Minstrel’s stable. Storm Cloud stood looking over her door and whinnied as Jess went by. Jess grinned and reached into her jodhpur pocket for the sugar lump she had saved especially.

  “Here you go Stormy,” she whispered in the pony’s grey ear as she gave her the sugar lump. “Don’t tell anyone else, or they’ll all want one.”

  Storm Cloud tossed her mane in conspiratorial reply and crunched on the tasty treat.

  “See you later,” Jess called as she went to get Minstrel ready.

  In the stable next door, Rosie was tacking up Pepper.

  “I hope the jumps aren’t too high today,” Rosie said as they led the ponies out of their stables and took them down the drive to the outdoor school.

  “Bring your horses into the middle here,” Nick called as they approached. “And I’ll hold them while you walk the course.”

  “This sounds serious,” Rosie muttered as she followed Jess through the gate.

  Charlie and Tom had just finished inspecting the jumps as Jess and Rosie followed Kate and Alex around. There were eight obstacles in all, starting with some cross poles and ending with a small wall. There was also a low, but nevertheless, tricky, double in the middle.

  “They look quite difficult,” Rosie said to Jess as they walked back to collect Minstrel and Pepper from Nick.

  “It’s only because Nick has tried to set up a proper course, Rosie,” Jess smiled. “We’ve jumped higher before.”

  “Right,” said Nick. “So what do you think of my course?” He turned to them and smiled. “I was tempted to bring along a bell to ring and a loud speaker to announce each rider as they entered the ring – just like a real show jumping competition.”

  Everyone groaned.

  “Don’t worry,” Nick continued. “These jumps are no harder than anything you’ve tried before. I’m confident they shouldn’t present too many problems.”

  Jess turned to Rosie. “See, what did I tell you?” she smiled encouragingly.

  “Piece of cake these jumps,” Charlie said in Jess’s ear as he rode by on Napoleon.

  “OK you lot,” Nick called from the ground. “We’ve got work to do here. Now, I know you’re all at varying levels of riding ability, and some of you,” he shot a quick glance at Charlie, “may think this course too easy. However, there’s more to a successful round than just getting over the jumps. It requires planning and preparation if you want to do it swiftly and carefully. There are no short cuts. That’s why it’s essential to walk the course first. Got that?”

  They all nodded vigorously.

  “Good,” Nick said. “Tom, would you like to test the course for us please?” He winked in Tom’s direction.

  Tom smiled ruefully and urged Chancey on. The pair jumped swiftly with fluid movement.

  “Tom makes it look so easy,” Rosie breathed as he jumped the wall and rode out clear.

  “He’s fantastic,” Jess agreed.

  “Well done, Tom,” said Nick. “Now, who wants to go next?”

  Before anyone had a chance to answer, Charlie stormed ahead on Napoleon and jumped clear. Jess was just thinking how like a proper show jumper he looked, when Nick’s words cut across her.

  “Not bad Charlie,” he said. “Let’s have a little more thought and a little less flourish next time please. You almost skidded poor Napoleon on some of those turns. It’s important to jump swiftly, but it isn’t worth risking your horse by cutting the corners too much.”

  Charlie reddened and Jess felt a pang of sympathy. She could tell he had been pleased with his round, but Nick’s words had brought him down to earth with a bump. For the first time, Jess began to feel a little nervous. If Nick finds fault with Charlie, what’s he going to think about my jumping? she wondered.

  Rosie took the course next. She wasn’t fast but she was steady, popping Pepper over the jumps in a self-contained way. Jess could see why Nick believed Rosie had a chance at Southdown.

  “Come on Jess,” Nick called now as Rosie rode out of the ring. “It’s your turn. Take it slowly. Think of your centre line and keep the jumps directly in your sight as you approach.”

  Jess nodded and turned Minstrel towards the first. She knew that Nick’s course wasn’t actually too difficult. She tried to approach the first jump with confidence. Minstrel took it in his stride and Jess began to enjoy herself as she let Minstrel race on. Suddenly the double loomed sooner than she had anticipated.

  “I haven’t judged the pacing correctly,” she muttered to herself as she felt Minstrel alter his stride. She tried to remember Nick’s words of advice – “Think of your centre line...keep the jumps in your sight...”

  Crack! Minstrel just clipped the top pole of the second part of the double. It rocked precariously and fell to the ground with a dull thud. Jess’s heart plummeted.

  “A bit impulsive, Jess,” Nick said as she finished. “That’s four faults. If it’s any consolation, your time was fast.”

  Jess tried to smile, but she was annoyed with herself. If she had been more careful she would have jumped clear.

  “Come on Hector,” Alex urged, as he rode him forward. Hector, practically a carthorse at over 16 hands, took the jumps slowly and steadily with a lumbering stride, but they made it.

  “Good work, Alex,” Nick called. “You did well to push Hector around that course. OK, Kate. It’s your turn to jump.”

  Jess’s brain was whirring. I’m the only one to have misjudged the jumps so far, she thought.

  She was so wrapped up in herself that she wasn’t even watching Kate’s round on the little bay pony, Jester. Then...

  “Oh!” Rosie gasped and Jess looked up to see Jester running out at the brush.

  “Do you know what you did wrong, Kate?” Nick called.

  “Yes,” Kate answered
miserably. “I checked him too early. It was my fault.”

  “Well, learn from your mistakes,” said Nick. “Have another go at that one.”

  Kate turned Jester and introduced him again to the jump. Face set in grim determination, she gave the signal just at the right moment, and Jester flew over the brush with inches to spare.

  Outside in the lane, after the lesson, Jess swung herself down from Minstrel’s saddle. Taking the pony by the reins she led her towards the loose boxes. Rosie came up behind them, leading Pepper and grinning madly.

  “You jumped really well, Rosie,” Jess said.

  “You were faster than me, though,” Rosie offered in reply. “Oh that was fantastic, Jess. I don’t know why I always get so nervous before a lesson. I love it when I’m up there.”

  The two friends led the ponies into the yard and began rubbing them down after the sweaty ride.

  Alex and Charlie were halfway through their chores as Jess and Rosie tied up Minstrel and Pepper and set to work. Tom had already taken Chancey to his stable and Kate was jumping Jester one last time.

  “That was a good lesson,” Charlie called. “I thought we all did rather well. Alex and I were just discussing who would have won the Southdown junior trophy based on today’s performance.”

  Jess groaned. “Don’t start getting all competitive, Charlie.”

  Alex laughed. “Uh oh, looks like you’ve touched a raw nerve there, Charlie,” he grinned. “You should know better than to joke about the Southdown Show with Jess. She’s a sensitive little soul you know.”

  This was almost more than Jess could bear. She wasn’t upset about Southdown. Not really. But that still didn’t give Alex the right to tease her about it. He would have to be taught a lesson. Dipping a dandy brush into the bucket of water, she flicked it towards Alex. Water sprayed over Charlie too. Rosie shrieked with laughter at the sight and Jess grinned triumphantly.

  “Water fight!” the boys whooped excitedly.

  Soon there was water everywhere and the four children were drenched. Water soaked into the hay on the ground and stuck in clumps to their feet. Alex leapt back to avoid another soaking and caught his elbow on a pile of yard brushes stacked in the corner, bringing them clattering down around him.