English Horse Read online

  The American members of The Saddle Club didn’t really mind. They would have plenty of time to spend alone with their friend, and they were glad that everyone except Veronica seemed to like Tessa just as much as they did. Besides, Tessa was a friendly and curious person, and she seemed to be having fun talking to her new acquaintances.

  Tessa set down her empty soda can. “I’ve ridden in a couple of small, informal meets,” she told Betsy. “I don’t really know that much about it, though—just what I’ve picked up from my dad and mum. They’re big fans.”

  “You know a lot more about it than we do,” Meg Durham said, glancing around at her friends, who nodded in agreement. “I know there’s some steeplechasing in this area, like the Maryland Hunt Cup. But a lot of us have never even seen a steeplechase in person. What’s it like?”

  Tessa smiled. “Oh, it’s good fun!” she said. “It’s really quite a lot like flat racing in some ways, though of course the jumps make things even more interesting. The horses that participate in professional steeplechasing in England are all Thoroughbreds, just like regular racehorses. I think that’s true here in the States, too.”

  Carole nodded. “I think you’re right,” she said. “I know one big difference, though. Or maybe you’d call it a small difference.” She grinned. “Steeplechase jockeys aren’t as tiny as regular jockeys.”

  “That’s true,” Tessa said with a laugh, reaching over to grab a handful of Lisa’s potato chips. She popped the chips into her mouth.

  “Did steeplechasing really start because a couple of guys wanted to race home?” Betsy asked.

  Tessa finished chewing her chips before answering. “Well, they say that’s how the sport got its name.” She shrugged. “But my father once told me that back in the nineteenth century, racetracks used to hold special flat races meant for working hunters only. When some people started entering their regular racehorses in the hunter races, the tracks added fences to the hunter course to keep the flat racers from running away with all the prizes. And that’s how the professional sport really began.”

  Stevie had finished her sandwich. She leaned back on the sun-warmed grass and made herself comfortable. “Wow,” she commented lazily. “Talk about a sport with history! Steeplechasing has it all: competition, intrigue, fun stories …”

  Tessa grinned. “If you want to hear a fun story, listen to this. Once upon a time, a group of British cavalry officers decided to have some fun. After dinner in their barracks, they put on their nightclothes—caps and shirts—over their military uniforms, saddled up their horses, and held an after-dark steeplechase race. It came to be called the Midnight Steeplechase.”

  Tessa’s listeners laughed. “That sounds like fun!” Meg cried.

  “I bet they looked awfully silly riding over fences in their pajamas,” Polly Giacomin said with a grin.

  Stevie was grinning, too. But her smile faded a second later when she saw Veronica coming out the back door of the stable. Veronica squinted up at their group as if trying to figure out what was going on. When she spotted Tessa, she scowled, whirled around on her boot heel, and went back inside.

  Stevie glanced at Tessa. The English girl was still laughing—she hadn’t even noticed Veronica’s brief appearance. “Good,” Stevie muttered.

  “What?” Lisa asked, turning to her.

  Stevie shrugged. “Nothing,” she assured her. “Nothing at all.”

  “COME ON, WE’LL show you to the tack room,” Carole said half an hour later.

  It was time to get ready for jump class. The four Saddle Club girls hurried down the aisle toward the tack room.

  Tessa rolled her eyes and smiled. “I already know where the tack room is,” she said. “You showed it to me at least two or three times on my tour this morning, remember? You even showed me which saddle and bridle I’m to use for Topside.”

  Stevie grinned. “That’s Carole for you,” she said. “When she gives a stable tour, she really makes it thorough.”

  The girls hurried into the tack room. Other members of Horse Wise were also racing in and out as they prepared for class. Some were carrying saddles and bridles. Others held grooming buckets or spare boots. Everyone seemed to be rushing. The whole scene presented a kind of controlled chaos.

  The tack room itself seemed rather chaotic as well. Almost every inch of the square room was crammed with saddles, bridles, cleaning supplies, trunks, bits, stirrup leathers and irons, blankets, martingales, buckets, saddle pads, spare girths, lunge lines and cavessons, halters, and every other piece of equipment imaginable. Newcomers were often amazed that anyone could find anything they needed in the packed space, but Pine Hollow regulars knew that there was actually a very logical method to the madness. The tack room had a place for everything and everything was kept in its place—or else. Max’s mother, known to one and all as Mrs. Reg, made sure of that as part of her duties of running the stable.

  Carole dodged aside as Polly and Britt Lynn came rushing out with their horses’ tack. “Meet you out in the aisle in two minutes,” Carole called to the rest of The Saddle Club, who nodded.

  She quickly moved around the room, grabbing Starlight’s saddle and bridle, but paused when she heard a dismayed voice from nearby.

  “Oh dear!” Simon Atherton exclaimed. “Oh dear!”

  Carole stepped around Meg and Betsy, who were arguing over a pair of stirrup irons, until she could see what Simon was doing. “Oh dear is right,” she said when she saw the tangled mess of leather he was holding.

  Simon heard and glanced up. “Oh, hello, Carole,” he said. “I seem to have gotten my reins tangled when I was taking down Patch’s bridle.” He shrugged and sighed. “I don’t know how I do it.”

  Carole didn’t know, either. But she offered to help him untangle the reins. With both of them working, it took only a few minutes.

  “Thanks,” Simon said gratefully.

  Carole smiled at him and picked up her own tack again. Then she made her way through the crowd, heading for the doorway. She had nearly reached the door when Veronica came barreling in, almost crashing into her. Carole stopped short and jumped aside just in time to avoid a collision.

  “Watch it!” Veronica snapped, glaring at Carole. “You could have knocked me over. And these are new breeches!”

  Carole just rolled her eyes and stepped back to let the other girl pass. Veronica was the one who had been moving too fast, but Carole knew better than to argue about it—especially now. “Sorry,” she said simply.

  Veronica scowled and didn’t reply. As soon as she had stalked past, Carole continued on her way, emerging into the hallway once again.

  Stevie and Lisa were already outside waiting for her. “Where’s Tessa?” Lisa asked.

  Carole shrugged. “It’s a madhouse in there,” she said. “I didn’t even see her. Maybe she’s having trouble finding Topside’s stuff.”

  “Don’t worry, she’ll find it,” Stevie said. “Just give her a second.”

  Sure enough, Tessa appeared in the doorway a moment later. But her hands were empty.

  “Did you forget where Topside’s tack is?” Carole asked. “Sorry, we should have showed you again.”

  Tessa shook her head, looking perplexed. “I remember perfectly where it was this morning,” she said. “But it’s not there now.”

  “Really?” Lisa said. “Are you sure you’re looking in the right place? Our tack room can be kind of confusing.”

  Tessa shrugged. “I thought I had it right,” she said. “But I suppose I must have gotten mixed up.”

  The four girls went back inside. The crowd had thinned out a bit, so it wasn’t hard to make their way to the spot where Topside’s bridle usually hung. The hook was empty.

  Carole frowned. “Do you think someone grabbed Topside’s bridle by mistake?”

  “If they did, they took his saddle, too,” Stevie reported. “It’s not on its usual rack.”

  “Maybe Max or Red moved it,” Lisa suggested uncertainly. “You know, the way
they moved the horses around when the new ones came …”

  “Or maybe somebody else is behind this,” Stevie said grimly. She was staring across the room at Veronica, who was standing in front of an empty saddle rack with her hands on her hips and her back to The Saddle Club. “I bet Veronica moved Topside’s stuff just to spite us.”

  Stevie started across the room, but Lisa grabbed her arm. “Stop!” she commanded. “You can’t go start yelling at Veronica.” Just in time, she remembered that Tessa still didn’t know their secret. “Um—it’s not nice,” she finished lamely.

  “Are you daft?” Tessa said. “Lisa, if Veronica took my tack, there’s just one thing to—”

  Before she could finish her sentence, a loud wail came from across the room. “Hey!” Veronica cried. “Who took Danny’s saddle?”

  Carole’s jaw dropped. “Huh?” she said to her friends.

  Stevie hoisted her own saddle to her other arm and shook her head. “Huh,” she grunted.

  At that moment Red O’Malley entered. “Five minutes, everyone,” he called. “Max is almost ready to get started in the outdoor ring.”

  “Red!” Veronica called. “I have a problem. My tack is missing. Someone stole it!” She spun around and surveyed the few people left in the tack room. Seeing The Saddle Club, she frowned and pointed at them. “I bet they took it to make me look bad! That’s just the kind of stupid little joke they’re always playing around here.”

  Beside her, Carole heard Stevie gasp. “Why, that rotten, stinking …,” Stevie muttered.

  Before Carole could say anything, Tessa stepped forward. “I’m afraid you’re wrong about that, Veronica,” she said calmly. “You see, my tack seems to be missing as well.”

  Red looked confused. After shooing the other remaining members of the jump class out the door, he turned back to Veronica and The Saddle Club. “Okay, let me get this straight. We have two missing saddles?”

  “And bridles,” Tessa supplied helpfully. “At least mine is missing.”

  “Mine too,” Veronica put in quickly. She tossed her head. “And if it doesn’t turn up soon, there’s going to be trouble.”

  Carole thought there was trouble brewing already, but she didn’t say so. “Come on,” she said. “Someone may have moved the stuff by accident. Let’s take a look around.”

  “Good idea, Carole,” Red said, still looking a little confused. “Let’s split up and search.”

  Just then, Britt came back into the tack room. “Oh, there you are, Red,” she said softly. “Um, I was just giving Magoo’s stall a quick cleaning, and when I went out to the muck heap I saw something weird. There are a couple of saddles lying out there.”

  “DO YOU THINK Red believes we didn’t do it?” Lisa whispered to Stevie a short while later. The jump class was in full swing. At the moment, Max was watching as Carole, Tessa, Veronica, and a couple of other students jumped all together over a series of wide obstacles. Most of the horses were used to jumping solo, and Max wanted them to be comfortable jumping in a group before the point-to-point. Stevie and Lisa were waiting for their turns.

  Stevie didn’t answer for a second. She was watching Veronica, who was doggedly urging Danny forward as Topside pulled ahead a few strides. Even though this wasn’t meant to be a race, it was clear that Veronica didn’t want to let Tessa get ahead of her even for one second.

  Stevie glanced at Lisa and frowned. “The real question is, do you think he believes Veronica did do it?” she whispered back.

  Thanks to Britt, Veronica and Tessa had found their saddles and bridles in the muck heap. They were a bit dirty and smelly but otherwise all right. Veronica had once again accused The Saddle Club of playing a prank. The Saddle Club had pleaded innocent, but a spark of doubt had remained in Red’s eyes. He hadn’t mentioned their probation, but it was obvious—to the American members, anyway—that he knew about it.

  Lisa sighed. “I guess we’re just lucky Red agreed not to tell Max.”

  “True,” Stevie said ruefully. “And we’re lucky we were all so busy getting Tessa’s tack cleaned up that she didn’t have time to ask any awkward questions.”

  “I know.” Lisa nodded. “Do you think we’re doing the right thing by keeping all this a secret?”

  Stevie hesitated. She had thought they were doing the right thing in the beginning, but lately she had started to wonder. Maybe it would be better to tell Tessa about their probation. Then she would understand why they couldn’t get into any fights with Veronica.

  She opened her mouth to say so. But at that moment, Max turned and glared at her. “No talking in class!” he barked. “Lisa, you and Prancer are up in the next group. Move it!”

  AS THE JUMP class ended, Max called to Lisa. “Could you wait a moment?” he said. “I need to talk to you.”

  Lisa nodded and led Prancer toward him, feeling nervous. What did Max want to talk to her about? Had Veronica told him about the tack incident? Even though Red had promised to keep quiet, Lisa wouldn’t put it past Veronica to tattle to Max herself.

  But it turned out to have nothing to do with Veronica. “I wanted to speak to you about the point-to-point,” Max said. He reached out and patted Prancer on the neck. “I should have brought it up earlier, but I must admit I’ve been so busy lately that it didn’t occur to me until now. You’ll need to choose another horse to ride in the junior hurdle race, and you really ought to start practicing on that horse from now until the event.”

  “Another horse?” Lisa repeated blankly. Then she gasped. “Oh no!” she exclaimed. “You mean you don’t think Prancer should run in that kind of race, either?”

  Prancer had been a racehorse before coming to Pine Hollow. Her career at the track had ended because of an inherited weakness in her leg that showed up when she ran at top speed. Now Lisa realized that Prancer’s weak leg was likely to cause problems in a jumping race as well.

  Max noticed her consternation and gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Lisa,” he said gently. “I know you and Prancer are a fine pair. But this sort of thing just isn’t safe for her.”

  “I know,” Lisa said, swallowing hard. “You’re right. I should have thought of that myself.” Normally I would have, she told herself. But between planning for Tessa’s visit, helping her mother plan for the event, and fighting with Veronica, she hadn’t had time to think about much else.

  Her mind was still spinning with the bad news as she finished grooming Prancer and headed for the tack room to meet her friends. All three of them were already there, cleaning their saddles and bridles.

  Carole looked up as she came in. “Hi, Lisa,” she said. Her forehead crinkled. “Hey, what’s wrong? What did Max want?”

  Lisa dropped Prancer’s saddle onto a rack and collapsed on a handy trunk. “Bad news,” she reported. She quickly filled them in on the problem. “So now I’ve got to figure out which horse I want to ride in the race,” she finished heavily. “Max said the choice is up to me.”

  “Oh dear,” Tessa said sympathetically. “That’s too bad.” She grinned weakly. “But I suppose it’s good news for me. Now, with the real racehorse out, Topside and I are certain to win!”

  Veronica walked in just in time to hear Tessa’s comment. She stared at the girl with a frown. “You’re awfully confident for someone who’s never even seen a real American point-to-point,” she snapped. She dropped Danny’s sweaty tack on a rack. “But your title and accent aren’t going to help you out on the course. I can promise you that!” She turned and stomped out of the room without another glance at her dirty tack.

  Lisa frowned. It was just like Veronica to leave her work for someone else to do—and equally like her to jump to the worst possible conclusion about a member of The Saddle Club. Lisa knew that Tessa’s remark had been a joke intended to cheer her up. But Veronica had obviously taken it as a serious boast.

  “What a piece of work she is!” Tessa exclaimed, staring after Veronica.

  Stevie nodded grimly. “That’s the u
nderstatement of the year.”

  “THIS IS LOVELY,” Tessa said quietly, signaling for Topside to stop beside Starlight. She gazed around in awe. Dappled sunlight poured through the leafy tree branches rising overhead and bounced off the surface of the creek as it gurgled between mossy, rock-studded banks.

  Lisa smiled as she watched Tessa’s reaction to The Saddle Club’s favorite spot. It was the following afternoon, and the four friends were taking a leisurely trail ride. “Do you like it?” she asked.

  “I don’t just like it,” Tessa declared. She smiled. “I love it!”

  “That proves it, then,” Stevie said. “You really were meant to be a member of The Saddle Club!”

  “Was there any doubt?” Tessa asked, pretending to look hurt.

  “Not for a moment,” Carole assured her, swinging down out of the saddle.

  When the girls had tied their horses in the shade of some nearby trees, they walked down to the bank and removed their boots. Soon all four of them were dangling their toes in the cool, rushing water.

  “That feels good,” Tessa said. “My legs are still aching from that jump class yesterday.”

  Carole grinned. “Are you sure that’s what did it?” she teased. “You were doing a lot of jumping up and down and cheering at that baseball game last night.”

  “Hey,” Tessa joked back. “I was just trying to fit in and enjoy the American national pastime!”

  The evening before, the four girls had decided to show Tessa a bit of Americana by taking her to Stevie’s older brother Chad’s intramural baseball game. Tessa and her hosts had had a wonderful time eating popcorn, shouting encouragement at the players, and even lifting Chad onto their shoulders at the end of the game to celebrate his winning run.

  “That was fun,” Lisa said happily. “But I’m with Tessa. Max really worked us hard yesterday—even my toes are sore.” She wiggled them in the creek to emphasize her point.

  “He did work us hard,” Carole agreed. “But I’m glad he did. I want to be ready for the junior hurdle race. It’s not like anything we’ve ever done before.”