Jade at the Champs

by Amy Brown

  ‘And this must be you? What a fat toddler!’ Laura laughed, making Jade giggle, too. ‘You should put this in a frame,’ Laura said. ‘Shouldn’t she, Mr Lennox?’

  Jade’s dad was walking past the room, but stopped when Laura waved the photo at him.

  ‘Where did you find this one?’ he said quietly, not looking up from the photo.

  ‘Just in one of the boxes with my name on it.’

  ‘Laura’s right — we should put it in a frame.’

  Being one of those people who enjoy talking to friends’ parents, Laura began chatting animatedly to Jade’s dad.

  ‘Moving house is tiring, isn’t it?’ Laura said. ‘My mum says it’s the second most stressful thing in life.’

  ‘What’s the most stressful thing?’ Jade asked without thinking.

  ‘Organizing a funeral,’ Laura said, then blushed and began babbling. ‘Prison must have been stressful as well, I guess. Moving house is probably relaxing after all that. Though starting a new job is the third most stressful, and you have to do that soon, too, don’t you?’

  ‘Why don’t we go and make a salad?’ Jade interrupted, trying to stop Laura’s embarrassing stream of conversation.

  ‘Good idea,’ Jade’s dad said, looking more amused than offended. ‘I am indeed starting a new job soon, Laura — tomorrow, in fact, and I still haven’t sorted out the computer and Internet here. If you girls could make a salad, that’d be very helpful.’

  For Jade, dinner couldn’t have been much better. Her granddad, a self-confessed dab hand at the barbecue, had cooked sausages and a couple of steaks to his idea of perfection — grey and bloodless — while Jade and Laura had assembled a green salad. Even better than the food, though, was seeing her father with a cold beer and a full plate, finally looking relaxed.

  ‘Do either of you know a lady with blonde, curly hair, called Lisa?’ Jade asked her granddad and Laura, breaking the pleasant silence.

  ‘How old is she?’ Granddad asked. ‘Maybe twenty.’

  Granddad and Laura shook their heads.

  ‘Why do you ask?’ Granddad asked, helping himself to the last, now cold, sausage.

  Jade told them the story of Lisa’s unexpected arrival at Mr White’s. ‘I’m sure she’ll be back tomorrow,’ Jade concluded. ‘Although Mr White’s worried that she’s dumped Floyd on him.’

  ‘Gosh, what if she has?’ Laura said, with such conviction that Jade couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not. ‘It could be your first story, Mr Lennox: “Woman Abandons Horse”.’

  Jade’s dad laughed. ‘I’m not sure if that’d make the front page, even in the Flaxton Times.’

  Although Laura wasn’t as interested in riding as Jade and Becca were, she was very fond of animals and wanted to meet poor, abandoned Floyd. So on Tuesday morning both girls biked to the Whites’. There, they found Mr White rearranging the weatherbeaten practice jumps in the front paddock.

  ‘Are you making us a tricky course?’ Jade asked, pleased, as she climbed over the fence with Pip’s halter.

  ‘That’s the idea,’ Mr White replied.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Andy and Becca to practise with me today,’ Jade said. ‘Hello, girl!’ Pip had stopped grazing and begun wandering over to her adoring rider.

  ‘Of course I don’t mind — the more the merrier.’ Mr White grimaced as he dragged a rotting pole. He had nearly reached the jump stands when it snapped in half. ‘Rats!’ he growled, making Jade and Laura smile at each other.

  Andy was the next to arrive, on a beautifully groomed Piper. Jade groomed and saddled Pip quickly, then mounted and joined Andy, walking in a circle around the jumps.

  ‘Piper is looking amazing,’ Jade said, surprised. The usually hot-tempered young pony was relaxed, accepting the bit and tracking up. Instead of shying and throwing little bucks, she had her ears pricked and was paying attention to Andy’s commands.

  ‘You noticed the difference straight away,’ Andy said, delighted. ‘It’s this new bit that Michaela gave me to try.’

  ‘What is it?’ Jade asked, peering at the three rings sitting at the corner of Piper’s mouth. Knowledge of bits wasn’t her forte, since Pip had never needed anything more severe than a snaffle.

  ‘It’s a Dutch gag,’ Andy replied. ‘And Piper loves it. I couldn’t ride her in a snaffle, because she’d pull too much and I’d lose control, so I used a Pelham. But the straight bar and curb-chain upset her. The gag’s good, because inside her mouth it’s jointed like a snaffle. In fact, Michaela said that if I buckle my reins through the top ring it would be almost like riding Piper in a snaffle. That’s what I want to work up to, so we can finally do a dressage test without running through the rope or kicking the letters over, eh girl? For now, these lower rings give me some brakes.’

  ‘It’s a sensible bit for young, strong ponies,’ Mr White agreed, gently stroking Piper’s nose. ‘Shall we see how she goes in it jumping? Becca shouldn’t be far away.’

  As if on cue, Becca and her nine-year-old dun gelding, Dusty, appeared at the yards.

  ‘Sorry, I’m late,’ Becca apologized, dismounting and loosening her pony’s girth. ‘Carry on without me for five minutes: Dusty needs a drink and a wee break.’

  ‘Did you ride all the way here?’ Jade asked. ‘I thought your mum was driving you.’

  ‘She was, until we got a phone call from Palmerston. Matthew got kicked by a horse during his practical yesterday and was in hospital last night.’

  ‘That’s awful!’ Laura said. ‘That’s why I’m planning to be a small-animal vet — at least cats and dogs can’t kick.’

  ‘Where did the horse get him?’ Jade asked, trying not to sound ghoulish.

  ‘In the hip, I think. Sounds like he’ll be on crutches for a while, but he’ll be fine,’ Becca said, matter-of-fact about her older brother’s injury. ‘Mum’s made his bed up. I reckon she can’t wait to have him home.’

  By the time the news of Matthew had been shared, Dusty was refreshed. Becca remounted, and the three girls and their ponies began concentrating.

  ‘Everyone walking in a circle around me,’ Mr White instructed. ‘Keep a couple of horse-lengths between you and the rider in front. Good. Because we’re schooling around the course, the ponies are expecting to jump, but try and maintain a collected walk for now. That’s really nice, Andy — I’ve never seen Piper look so good. Becca, use a bit more inside leg — Dusty can bend better than that. Jade, Pip’s falling asleep and your legs are sliding forward. Concentrate, everyone.’

  Eventually, when he was satisfied with their walking, Mr White told them to trot. ‘Does anyone mind riding without stirrups?’ he asked, looking at Andy, who usually had to pass on such activities because of Piper’s misbehaviour. ‘No? Good. Everyone, fold your stirrups over the pommel of your saddle. We’re going to spend the next fifteen minutes improving your seats.’

  As soon as Jade stopped using her stirrups, Pip’s lethargy left. Jade grinned, pleased with Pip’s unexpected extended trot.

  ‘Without the stirrups, you’re sitting deeper in the saddle, which is driving her forward,’ Mr White said. ‘And your legs are in a better position now too. Collect her up just a touch more, so that she’s listening to you, then bring her around over these trotting poles. Becca and Andy, follow Jade.’

  After everyone had successfully trotted over the poles twice, Mr White asked them to change the rein, still trotting without stirrups, and pop over the crisscross in the middle of the paddock. ‘This is nothing to fuss about,’ Mr White said. ‘Just keep your pony relaxed and focus on what your legs are doing. When you’ve popped over the jump, turn to the left without breaking into a canter, and come around on the other rein to do it again. Essentially, you’ll be doing a big figure of eight, with a wee jump in the middle. Keep your distance; don’t rush. The aim is to encourage your pony to listen to your aids and relax. Don’t break into a canter; just let her — or him, Becca — trot. You should each do the criss-cross f
our times.’

  This deceptively simple exercise was exhausting. Making sure not to crowd the rider in front became more challenging as the ponies decided they were in jumping mode and tried to canter. Although the crisscross was tiny, the lack of stirrups and the repetition made each rider realize her faults.

  ‘Thank goodness that’s over,’ Becca sighed, stretching her legs after halting next to Mr White in the centre of the paddock.

  ‘How do you feel that went?’ Mr White asked, cryptically. ‘I think,’ Andy said, ‘that Piper is finally showing some improvement. I’ve never jumped her without stirrups before.’

  ‘She was certainly looking good,’ Mr White agreed. ‘And by the third round, so were you. You’d relaxed just enough, but were still well aware of what your legs were doing. How about you two?’

  Jade and Becca looked at each other, wondering who should go first.

  ‘I—’ They both said at once, then laughed.

  ‘I reckon I’ll be aching tomorrow,’ Becca said.

  ‘Why is that?’ Mr White asked.

  ‘Because all that trotting and jumping without stirrups made me use a dozen muscles I probably never even knew existed,’ Becca said.

  ‘Right, that’s exactly what I wanted you to say,’ Mr White said. ‘Those little-used muscles should really be worked every time you ride. Although your leg position changes when your feet are in the stirrups, your seat should remain just as deep in the saddle and your legs should be working just as hard. What do you think will happen when you ride with stirrups now, Jade?’

  Jade was briefly flummoxed. ‘Um …’ She paused. ‘They’ll feel shorter, because I’m sitting deeper in the saddle?’

  ‘Yes! Exactly,’ Mr White said, pleased. ‘So, stirrups back now, but remember that basic seat and leg position. In order to improve it’s so important to get the basics right first.’

  The return to stirrups made the girls feel particularly secure in the saddle. Mr White raised the criss-cross to a 70-centimetre straight-bar and instructed the girls to try the exercise again, except cantering this time.

  ‘It’s even more important to keep your distance now you’re going faster. Jade, you start. When Jade’s over the jump and in the far corner of the paddock, Andy, you begin. Then, when Jade and Andy have both jumped, you start, Becca.’

  There were the inevitable hairy moments — Andy and Becca both approached the jump and nearly crashed into each other — but no disasters. When they’d each jumped four times, Mr White told them to bring their ponies back to a walk, loosen their reins and proceed around him in a circle. ‘That exercise seems simple and boring,’ Mr White admitted, ‘but it’s a good showjumping warm-up. The figure of eight ensures that the pony gets plenty of opportunity to bend on each rein, and the added challenge of having to negotiate with other riders means that you practise modulating your speed. There’s an event at the Champs that involves two riders completing a single course at the same time. That makes this exercise look like child’s play.’

  The girls looked at each other, excited.

  ‘Right,’ Mr White continued. ‘You’ll see that there’s a small course here — nothing over 75 centimetres — but that’ll change if you make it through to the jumpoff.’

  ‘Just like a competition!’ Andy exclaimed happily.

  ‘Yes, that was the idea. Who’d like to go first?’ Jade volunteered. ‘Right, begin with the oxer in the far left corner, then around to the middle straight-bar. Hang a left, and on to the double, then right, back around to the middle straight-bar again. Last of all, around to the old picket fence.’ The old picket fence, with its peeling paint, rusty hinges and rotting wood, was not a favourite of Pip’s. Jade kept this in mind as she cantered around, waiting for the ‘bell’.

  ‘Ding, ding!’ Mr White called, making Laura, who had coaxed Floyd over to the fence and was scratching his forehead, giggle.

  Jade and Pip had cleared these fences many times, so, aside from the predictable pause at the picket, their round was clear.

  ‘Nicely done,’ Mr White praised. ‘Though I’d expect nothing less, this being your home ground.’

  Becca, to her embarrassment, had a refusal at the first oxer.

  ‘Take your time to settle Dusty down and try it again,’ Mr White said kindly.

  ‘It wasn’t his fault,’ Becca said, frustrated. ‘A pukeko ran out from under the clump of grass by the jump stand just as we were approaching. I hate those birds!’

  After getting the starting bell a second time, Becca and Dusty did a good round; slightly too fast due to Becca’s frustration and Dusty’s excitement, but clear.

  ‘He’s a brave jumper,’ Mr White said. ‘If the course were 20 centimetres higher I doubt he’d even notice.’ This made Becca beam. ‘However,’ Mr White continued, ‘you did let him flatten out and race between jumps. If the course had been higher and Dusty had been any less nimble, you would have risked sending poles flying.’ Becca’s face fell.

  Andy, who wished she hadn’t had to go last, was struggling to keep her impatient Piper in check.

  ‘You don’t have to canter, Andy,’ Mr White said. ‘Ding, ding! Just trot up to the oxer; make Piper have a good look at it and figure out her stride, then let her go.’

  Andy did what she was told and was pleased with the result. Although their first jump was fairly inelegant, Piper had settled down and listened to her during the rest of the course.

  ‘Brilliant, you’re all through to the jump-off, as I’d hoped,’ Mr White said, ignoring Becca’s initial hiccup. ‘Laura, would you mind helping me raise the bars?’

  Laura scampered over the fence and assisted Mr White while the girls walked their ponies around to keep warm.

  ‘Would either of you mind if I went first in the jump-off?’ Andy asked politely. ‘Piper can’t stand waiting.’

  ‘Of course not,’ Becca said. Still in a good mood from her second round, Piper jumped well. The new course — without the double, but with a couple of very tight turns around from the oxer to the upright then on to the picket — was designed for a small, agile pony like Piper. Andy, to her surprise, got a clear round.

  ‘I wish I’d timed that,’ Mr White said, ‘because it looked fast. Becca and Jade, did you notice how, as she was mid-air over one jump, Andy was always looking and steering to the next? This meant that Piper knew exactly what was wanted of her and enabled her to cut all the corners. Well ridden. Walk her around to cool down now, Andy — she’s had a great morning’s work.’

  ‘What a good pony!’ Andy said, patting Piper’s sweaty neck vigorously. ‘You felt just like a bigger version of Snapdragon then.’ Andy’s last pony, a nippy 13.2-hand gelding had, amazingly for his size, won 1-metre showjumping classes with Andy before she’d outgrown him.

  Becca and Dusty had their round next. As Mr White had predicted, the higher fences posed no problem.

  ‘You could stand to go a bit faster, Becca,’ Mr White said, when they began their cool-down walk.

  ‘I was trying to slow down after you’d told me I was too fast in the last round,’ Becca objected.

  ‘Well, there’s cantering flat out and then there’s cutting the corners and riding cleverly, like Andy. Dusty is very nimble. You can use his flair for games in a jump-off situation. Just trust that if you ask him to bend tightly or cut a corner, he’ll be more than happy to do it.’

  ‘OK,’ Becca said, crestfallen. ‘But he seemed out of sorts today.’

  ‘He was probably a bit tired after the long road ride,’ Mr White said, not wanting Becca to feel like she’d ended on a bad note. ‘Come on, Jade. Lucky last.’

  Aware that, although Pip was good at games too, her size and age meant that she was less nimble than Dusty or Piper, Jade deliberately took the course carefully. It was now a muggy summer afternoon, and Pip, who’d lost focus while waiting for the jump-off, was sluggish. It took all of Jade’s energy to get Pip enthused about the first jump. The lazy pony hung her back legs and knocked the po
le, although luckily it didn’t fall. Less lucky at the picket, Pip, who was now in a foul mood, looked like refusing altogether. Jade gave a little growl and tapped her with the whip about three strides out. This made Pip take off from too far back and knock the rail off with her front legs. Knowing that they were obviously out of the running, Jade decided to collect her pony back and calm her down before the last straight-bar.

  ‘C’mon, girl, don’t be like this,’ Jade whispered, giving Pip’s neck a quick pat as they turned to the last jump. Perhaps because of Jade’s encouragement, or perhaps because the last jump faced the other ponies, who were now eating a little of Pip’s hay in the yards, the old mare suddenly perked up and cleared it with inches to spare.

  ‘Why couldn’t she have done that with the rest of the course?’ Jade asked, dismayed, as she walked Pip around to cool down.

  ‘The matron probably objected to having to jump while her friends were resting and eating,’ Mr White said, smiling. ‘Don’t worry about it. You rode well enough, and she won’t be in that situation at the try-outs or, fingers crossed, the Champs.’

  3

  The Infamous Mr Wilde

  Monday, the first day of term after the summer holidays, was hot and cloudy. After wishing her dad good luck at the newspaper, Jade met Laura outside her parents’ café at eight, and the two biked slowly to school.

  ‘Guess what?’ Laura said as they crossed Flaxton Road. ‘Lisa with the blonde, curly hair applied for a job at the café.’

  ‘Really?’ Jade asked. ‘The same Lisa?’

  ‘She looked just how you’d described her,’ Laura said. ‘And there probably aren’t two Lisas with invisible eyelashes in Flaxton, are there?’

  ‘That’s great. Will your parents give her the job?’ ‘Why is it great? I don’t trust her after she just left Floyd with Mr White.’

  ‘It’s only been a couple of days,’ Jade said, surprised that she was defending Lisa. ‘She hasn’t done anything wrong. And if she’s going to work at the café, that means she’ll be staying in Flaxton. She’ll have some money to pay for grazing, too.’