by Stacy Gregg
Hester looked at Kelly-Anne. “How does your head feel? I’ll call ahead now and get the doctor to meet us at the house. He should come and check you for concussion.”
“I’m fine, honest,” Kelly-Anne said. “I’m really sorry. I know I’ve caused lots of trouble…”
“Aunty Hess,” Issie said, “she really wants to stay. Do you think you could call her mum back and tell her that Kelly-Anne’s been given a second chance?”
Kelly-Anne gave Issie a grateful look and then turned to Hester. “Please? I’ll make up for everything and I’ll do whatever Issie and Stella and Kate tell me to do.”
Hester looked doubtful. “We’ll talk about this back at the house. Kelly-Anne, are you all right to ride Diablo the whole way?” Kelly-Anne nodded.
“Issie, you can double home with Aidan on Paris and lead Comet,” Hester added. “It’ll be faster than walking.”
Hearing this, Aidan rode forward on Paris. He looked down at Issie but he didn’t get off to help her up. Instead, he just took his feet out of his stirrups and lowered a hand for her to grasp. “Slip your foot into my stirrup and I’ll swing you up behind me,” he said. Issie looked up at Aidan. She didn’t return his smile and she didn’t take his hand. “Come on, Issie, what are you waiting for?”
Issie wanted to tell him that she was still mad at him over the whole crazy bet he’d made with Dan. She wanted to tell him she knew everything and she thought the boys were both stupid. If Aidan thought that she was going to be his girlfriend because of some silly bet, he was so wrong.
“Issie?” Aidan’s smile faltered. “Take my hand.”
Issie paused for a moment. Now wasn’t the time to talk about it. She had to get Comet home. She put her foot in the stirrup and grasped Aidan’s hand tightly. “One-ah-two-ah-three!” Aidan pulled her up, swinging her around so that she was sitting right behind him on Paris’s back like a pillion passenger on a motorbike.
Issie kept hold of Comet’s reins with her left hand. “Put your arm around me,” Aidan instructed her. Issie did as he said, wrapping her arm around Aidan’s waist. He was wearing his favourite old tartan shirt. It smelt good, like fresh soap. She let her head rest against his back for a moment and felt the soft flannel of the shirt against her cheek.
“Are you OK back there?” Aidan called over his shoulder.
“Uh-huh.”
“Then let’s go home.”
Chapter 14
Issie knew the Horse of the Year was a huge event, but she wasn’t prepared for just how huge. There were literally hundreds of horses and riders gathered here at the Gisborne showgrounds. As Avery eased the horse truck across the grass looking for a parking space, the girls gawped out of the windows at the show riders with their glamorous horses tied up to their fabulous, expensive horse trucks.
The horses all had their manes perfectly plaited and their tack polished, and all the riders wore their best sparkling white jods, black or navy hacking jackets and velvet helmets.
“Ohmygod!” Stella squealed. “I just saw Katie McVean! And…I think that blonde girl next to her is Ellen Whitaker! She’s from England–I’ve seen her jumping on TV! Did you see her Issie? Issie?”
Issie didn’t say anything. The tingle of excitement that she had felt when they set out from Blackthorn Farm that morning had turned into a tight ball of nerves in her belly. There had been so much drama in the past twenty-four hours, with Comet going missing, that Issie had almost forgotten about entering the pony Grand Prix and the $15,000 first prize.
Yesterday, when they got back to the farm, Issie had wondered if Comet would be sound enough to ride today. Even though the skewbald wasn’t favouring his injured leg at all, Issie was still worried. She made a fuss over the pony the moment they got back, cooling his leg using ice packs and dressing the scratch wound to keep any inflammation down. This morning, before they loaded the horses on the truck, Avery had made her trot Comet back and forth down the stable corridor on the hard concrete. Issie was relieved when Avery said he couldn’t see any signs of lameness at all and Comet was pronounced fit to compete.
But now that they were actually here at the Horse of the Year, Issie was almost wishing she had an excuse not to ride. She felt totally and utterly sick. What had she been thinking? She was completely out of her league! There was no way she could ride in the Grand Prix.
“Nervous?” Avery looked at her.
“Uh-huh,” Issie replied. What she wanted to say was, Turn the truck around and let’s go home–I’ve changed my mind!
Avery looked at her as if he understood exactly what she was thinking. “It’s pretty daunting, isn’t it? When you turn up at a place like this and see the competition.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Every rider gets nerves, Issie. The great riders are the ones who can put those fears out of their mind and focus on riding and doing their best.” Avery smiled. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t think you and Comet were ready for this, would I?”
“No,” Issie said uncertainly, “I guess not.”
“You may not have a fancy horse truck or a million-dollar horse, Issie, but you’ve got a pony with talent and the biggest heart I’ve ever seen,” said Avery.
“And besides, you are just as fancy as them. You’ve got your own groom!” Stella piped up. “That would be me!”
Issie laughed. “Well, in that case,” she grinned, “let’s do it!”
If Issie’s nerves were now gone, well, Comet had never had any in the first place. The skewbald pony emerged from the truck in the same mood as always–acting as if he owned the place, prancing out of the horse truck with his tail held high and his neck arched like a stallion on parade.
“Comet! Behave!” Issie said as she led him in circles next to the truck trying to calm the little skewbald down.
As Aidan eased Destiny down the ramp of the horse truck and tied him up to the other side he couldn’t help laughing at the antics of the skewbald pony. “I don’t think Comet has realised that Destiny is actually the stallion here–not him!”
Issie smiled. It was true. Destiny wore a red tag on his bridle today, the mark that a horse was a stallion and that other horses should be wary of getting too close. Stallions were supposed to be watched at all times at horse shows because they might be wild or vicious to other horses. In fact, you couldn’t get a more well-mannered horse than Destiny. While Comet skipped and danced about the place, Destiny stood like a perfect gentleman as Aidan unwrapped his floating boots and began to plait up his mane.
Dan, meanwhile, was unloading Madonna from the horse truck and had led her past Issie, tying the chestnut mare up next to Ben’s brown gelding Max. He walked around the truck to where Aidan was busy plaiting up the big black horse’s forelock.
“Ummm, Aidan?” Aidan looked around and saw who it was.
“Yeah.”
Dan put out a hand. “I just want to wish you luck, man.” He seemed to mean it as he stuck his hand out.
Aidan too looked like he genuinely wanted to make friends as he grasped Dan’s hand and shook it firmly. “Me too. I mean, good luck to you. May the best man win and everything…”
“Do you think they’re serious?” Stella said, watching the boys as she stood next to Issie and Comet.
“Uh-huh. Totally,” said Issie.
“That is so lame!” Stella giggled. “You have to tell them you know all about their stupid bet. Let them know they can’t get away with it!”
“I was going to say something to Aidan yesterday,” Issie groaned, “but it was just too embarrassing. It’s all so stupid!”
“It’s kind of funny though, isn’t it?” Stella grinned at Issie. “So, come on. We’re best friends, right? And you still haven’t even told me–which one do you want to win?”
“That’s the whole problem,” Issie sighed. “I really don’t know.”
The Horse of the Year Show had already been underway for two days. Today was considered to be the big day for showjumping,
though, with all of the big prize money competitions happening in the main arena.
Dan and Aidan had already reported to the competitors’ trailer to get their numbers, which they now wore on their chests. The hacks were jumping first today. Issie would ride in the afternoon in the pony ring.
“They’re on in twenty minutes,” Stella said, looking at her watch.
“You go ahead to the grandstand and save me a seat,” Issie told her. “I’d better go check in at the riders’ tent first.”
The schedule of the day’s events had been posted up on the pinboard outside the competitors’ trailer. Issie ran her eyes over the competitor list for the pony Grand Prix to see if she recognised any of the other riders. One of the names on the list leapt out at her. Ohmygod, Issie thought. Just my luck!
“Well, well, Isadora!” Issie turned around and saw the familiar sour face and stiff blonde plaits of her arch pony-club nemesis–Natasha Tucker!
“Hi, Natasha,” Issie said. “I was just checking the competition lists. I see we’re both entered in the pony Grand Prix.”
Natasha looked at Issie suspiciously. “I didn’t even know you were riding at Horse of the Year,” she said. “The last time I checked you didn’t even have a horse to ride!”
“That’s my horse. The skewbald over there,” Issie said, pointing to Avery’s horse truck where Comet was skipping about and trying to steal hay out of Max’s hay net.
“Really?” Natasha tried unsuccessfully to suppress a cruel giggle. “Ewww! A skewbald! They’re so ugly! How can you stand to ride him?”
“I think he’s beautiful,” Issie said, defending Comet. “Anyway, I’m not concerned with how he looks. It’s how he jumps that matters.”
Natasha sneered. “Well, he doesn’t look like Grand Prix material to me!”
“I guess we’ll see,” said Issie flatly.
“I’m riding the Grand Prix and the Puissance today,” Natasha continued. “I’m on Fabby, of course. He’ll do for this competition, but I’m hoping to pick up a new ride while I’m here as well. You know Ginty McLintoch, don’t you? She trains all our horses and Mummy has asked her to keep an eye out for a new pony for me. Mummy says she’s willing to spend mega-money on a really special pony that can take me to the Pony-club Champs this year.”
“But what will you do with Fabby?” Issie was aghast at the way Natasha chopped and changed ponies as if they were nothing to her.
Natasha ignored this question and looked over Issie’s shoulder, her eyes narrowing as she spied Dan mounting up on Madonna next to Avery’s horse truck. “Is that Dan?” she asked. Then a slightly bitter tone crept into her voice. “Is he here with you?”
“Uh-huh,” Issie said. “He’s riding in the next event–novice hack over one metre twenty.” Issie paused and then added, “Aidan is riding in it too.”
“Ohhh,” Natasha said, “I might go and sit in the stands for that. It sounds like it will be worth watching.”
“Yes,” Issie had to agree, “I guess it will be.”
“What is she doing here?” Stella pulled a face as Issie arrived with Natasha in tow and sat down next to Stella and Ben in the grandstand.
“Don’t ask!” Issie rolled her eyes.
Kate was in the grandstand too, trying desperately to wrangle the kids. “It’s like herding cats!’ she grumbled. “They all keep dashing off in different directions!”
“Bottoms on seats now, everyone! You are representing the Blackthorn Farm Riding School–show some manners!” At the sound of Avery’s booming voice, Lucy, Sophie, Arthur, George, Tina, Trisha, Kitty and Kelly-Anne all immediately fell silent and sat as still as statues.
“Hi, Issie!’ Kelly-Anne beamed up at her, waving furiously. Issie smiled back. She was glad she had managed to convince Aunty Hess to let Kelly-Anne stay on after all.
“I really think she’s learnt her lesson this time,” Issie had said, standing up for Kelly-Anne. And it seemed that she had. OK, she was still a bit of a know-it-all, but at least she was trying. At their last riding lesson on Saturday, Kelly-Anne hadn’t uttered a word and had done everything Kate told her to do. Not only that, she’d helped out with the younger kids too, unsaddling Lucy’s horse for her and helping Sophie to mix up Pippen’s hard feed after the lesson was over.
“Why isn’t Aunty Hess here?” Issie wondered as she looked around. She could have sworn she saw Kate give Stella a strange look at this question.
“Umm, Hess had to go and pick something up. She’ll be back soon,” Kate said.
There was a crackling noise over the tannoy and then the announcer’s voice came through crisp and clear. “The next event in the main arena here today is the novice hack over one metre twenty. This event will be judged on the total points accumulated over two rounds. All riders will complete two rounds.”
Issie looked down from the grandstand at the horses warming up below. She could see the boys working in their horses. Dan on Madonna and Aidan on Destiny. She felt a tight knot growing in her tummy.
“I’m going to get an ice cream,” Stella said. “Do you want anything?”
“No, thanks,” said Issie. “I’m really not hungry.”
The knot in Issie’s tummy got worse as the competition progressed. Dan and Aidan were the last two riders to go, and so far no one ahead of them had gone clear in the first round.
“It’s a difficult course,” Avery noted approvingly. “The fences aren’t huge, but there are lots of tricky questions for the horses to answer.” Avery pointed to the red and white triple that finished the course. “That’s the bogey fence,” he said. “Hardly anyone has made it clear through that triple.”
Issie could barely bring herself to look as Dan rode into the ring on Madonna. The chestnut mare looked stunning, her coat glowing in the sunlight. Dan too looked handsome with his black showjumping jacket and crisp white jodhpurs. As he took the first fence, Madonna tucked her feet up beautifully and cleared it easily, and Issie felt her heart beginning to race. Would Dan go clear? It certainly looked like he might as he took the second, third and fourth fences with ease. As Madonna approached the double she did a funny stride and then had to pop in an extra stride at the middle of the fence, which meant that she bashed her hind legs on the rails.
The crowd held their breath, but the rail didn’t fall. Dan was still clear. Over the next three fences too his luck held. Now all that was left was the triple. Madonna approached the triple with a perfect stride, ah-one she was over the first fence, ah-two and the second, ah…no! There was a collective sigh of disappointment from the crowd, who were hoping that this would be the first clear round of the day. Instead, Madonna managed to knock the very last rail with her front legs and down it came. Four faults!
“That still keeps him in the front running,” Ben said, watching intently. “And there’s only Aidan to come.”
Aidan looked tense as he brought Destiny into the ring. Issie could see that Destiny was straining against the reins, making it hard for Aidan to hold him and get his striding right between fences.
As they came through the start flags Issie saw Aidan check the black horse firmly to let him know he meant business. Destiny arched his neck and his canter became bouncy and forward as he popped neatly over the first fence. The crowd clapped as Destiny took the second, third and fourth fences with ease and then romped over the double as if it wasn’t even there. By the time Aidan came down the final line to face the triple, he hadn’t knocked down a single rail. If he went clear through the triple then he would be the only rider to make it through the first round with no faults.
Issie held her breath as Aidan took the last turn into the triple a little too tightly, not leaving himself much time at all to settle Destiny into a steady stride before the first fence. Destiny seemed to manage it though. The black horse took the first fence…one, then two…he was clear so far. You could hear the silence as the crowd waited to see whether he would make it over the last fence–and then came the thunderous applause a
s the black horse cleared the final fence and raced through the finish flags. Destiny had gone clear! Aidan had done it.
The man on the tannoy crackled back into life again. “Aidan MacGuire on Blackthorn Destiny goes clear, putting him out in the lead as we enter the second round.” He explained, “So with four riders sitting just behind Aidan MacGuire on four faults each, we still have a real battle on our hands!”
“Can Dan still win?” Stella whispered to Issie.
“Uh-huh,” Issie said. “He’s only got four faults. It’s accumulated points and there’s still one more round to come.”
The jump-off course had been tightened down to eight fences and, as was the tradition in these events, the rider with the worst score from the last round rode first. That meant the leader from the last round, Aidan, would be riding last.
As the riders took their second round it became clear that, once again, the triple fence was the bogey. None of the riders seemed to manage a clear round. Then it was Dan’s turn. Issie watched as he circled Madonna around in a warm-up lap.
“Go, Dan!” Ben shouted from the stands as Madonna came through the start flags and positively flew over the first fence. The kids were shouting out too, cheering every time Dan went clear over a fence. Issie, meanwhile, sat quietly watching. She wanted Dan to do well–of course she did. But did she want him to beat Aidan and win the bet?
As Dan lined up for the final triple she felt her heart catch in her throat. Madonna took the first fence beautifully, and the second and…as Dan cleared the third fence for a clear round Issie heard the crowd go crazy. Dan had done it! He had gone clear!
“Now this makes the competition interesting!” boomed the tannoy man. “Dan Halliday has gone clear in the second round. That means our last rider, Aidan MacGuire, has to go clear also with no time faults. If he collects a single rail, he will slip back in the rankings to equal Dan Halliday. If he takes two rails, he’ll fall behind Dan to second place!”
The tension showed on Aidan’s face as he brought Destiny back into the ring. Aidan nodded to the judges and heard the bell that signalled that he could start. He pushed Destiny into a canter and the black horse took the first fence with a clean take-off, clearing it neatly.
