Lisa (11 page)

I don’t think I’ve liked a horse so much since Pepper. I mean, I’ve ridden several horses since Pepper retired, and I like all of them in their own way. And I’ve learned a lot from riding Barq in class lately. But Prancer is really something special. I can’t wait until she’s back in action. I just hope Max thinks I’m good enough to ride her someday!

Oh well, I’d better finish this entry now. I want to start my next assignment for creative writing class
tonight, or at least start thinking about it. It’s due in less than two weeks, and I’m not sure what I want to write about yet. Ms. Shields is still talking about clarity. She wants us to write a one-paragraph essay on any factual topic we want. Only this time it doesn’t have to be all facts. She wants us to include our own feelings or opinions on the topic without sacrificing any clarity in the facts or making it too long. Maybe I could write something about Prancer’s leg or some other horse-related topic.

There’s nothing like a day at a horse show, whether you are a competitor or simply a spectator. A horse show is a way for a horse and rider to demonstrate their abilities in various areas, such as jumping, equitation, and conformation. It’s also a way for a person who loves horses but has not actually entered the show to spend a day watching the best of the best perform. For instance, I am hoping to attend the Briarwood Horse Show, which will be held in this area soon. I know that seeing all those accomplished horses and riders will help me in my own riding education. I am especially interested in watching the hunter jumper classes, which usually feature obstacles inspired by those that a foxhunter might encounter in the field. I have always
loved jumping, and there are sure to be a number of hunter jumper classes at Briarwood. For me, like many other horse show fans, a day at a show like Briarwood is a real treat.

Dear Diary
,

What an exciting day this has been! I left the stable hours ago, but my head is still spinning from everything that happened.

I knew it was going to be a special day from the beginning, because it was the day Judy Barker had decided that Prancer could be ridden for the first time since her accident. So Carole, Stevie, and I were in a great mood. I was especially thrilled because they’d elected to let me take the first ride on her. They thought that was only fair since I was the only one of us who’d never ridden a Thoroughbred—Carole rode Prancer once before her accident, and Stevie usually rides Topside in class. And I wasn’t about to argue with their logic!

Judy was already giving Prancer a final check when we arrived at the stall. We were carrying her tack with all our fingers crossed, hoping that the vet wouldn’t find any last-minute problems.

“How does she look?” Carole asked.

“Looks just fine,” Judy said with a smile. “I’d say she’s as ready as can be for her test drive.”

I was happy to hear that. We started tacking up the
mare. It didn’t take long—as usual, Prancer behaved perfectly. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought she seemed happy to have a saddle on her back again.

Riding Prancer was just as wonderful as I’d imagined it would be. She was eager, almost frisky, as I signaled for a walk and we rode into the outdoor ring. She picked up an easy walk and within a few steps was trotting. I could hardly believe how smooth and fast her trot was. It was amazing!

Judy and my friends were watching from outside the ring. “Try a canter now,” Judy called as we trotted past.

I started to slide my outside foot back to give the signal, but Prancer obviously knew what the word meant. She began cantering all on her own. And it was even better than her trot!

After a couple of turns around the ring, Judy called to me again. “Now walk again.”

I tightened up on the reins and sat more deeply in the saddle. I guess Prancer was having too much fun cantering to pay attention to my signal, though. She kept going. It took a little extra effort to pull her up—she was really enjoying herself.

“That was
wonderful
!” I declared as I rode back to the gate.

“She was a little hard to control, though, wasn’t she?” Judy asked.

I shrugged. “Not really,” I said. “Poor old Prancer’s been cooped up for so long, she just wanted a chance to let it all out. I can understand that, can’t you?”

“Sure,” Judy said. “I can understand it, but you can’t let her get away with it.”

“I know, I know.” One of the things I both love and hate about horseback riding is that everybody always seems to notice everything I do wrong. I know that most riding mistakes are mistakes made by riders, not horses. Prancer didn’t make those mistakes, I did. But I’m not too worried. I’ll do better next time—and there are going to be a lot of next times!

That brings me to the other exciting thing that happened today. Max stopped by the ring to see how Prancer was doing, and Judy told him that she appeared to be perfectly fit.

“I declare Prancer ready for a full load of work,” she said. “Riding and a lot more training.”

“Well, that’s wonderful news,” Max said. “And that means this is a day just full of good news …”

“Yes?” Carole said expectantly.

“I’ve just heard from the Briarwood Horse Show. They’ve invited me to send some of my students to compete the week after next.”

“
Young
students?” Carole asked. I knew what she was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. Was Max talking about his adult riders—or about us?

He didn’t keep us in suspense for long. “Yes,” he said with a smile. “Young students. All the junior riders are there by invitation, and they said I could pick four riders.”

Four wasn’t very many. I was sure he’d pick Carole,
and probably Stevie. But I haven’t been riding nearly as long as they have, or as long as some of the other intermediate riders. Still, sitting tall in Prancer’s saddle, I felt bold. “Any idea who you’ll send?” I asked.

“Well, I’ve had to think about it for a long time,” Max said. “There are lots of considerations. First of all, I need to send riders who have something to offer a competition. Then, I also want riders who will learn something from it. I told the man at Briarwood that I have this obstreperous threesome who think they know everything and who are always coming up with wild schemes and who get themselves into trouble and that they also talk a lot in class, but he said to send them along anyway.”

“You mean us, don’t you?” Carole asked, looking a little confused by Max’s rambling.

“Of course he means us!” Stevie snapped. “Who else is obstreperous and talks a lot in class?”

Max couldn’t help laughing at that. Then he told us to meet in his office after our riding class to talk about the details.

I hated to dismount from Prancer for class, but I was supposed to ride Barq, so I went and got him ready. My friends and I didn’t have a chance to talk about the exciting news before we got to Max’s office after class.

That was when we got the only tiny piece of
bad
news of the day. We found out that Veronica diAngelo was the fourth member of the Briarwood team. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Veronica is a terrible
snob and a pretty unpleasant person most of the time, but she is a better-than-average rider. And Max is nothing if not fair. Carole and I weren’t thrilled that she was included, but Stevie was really peeved. She takes anything good that happens to Veronica as a personal affront.

Max started telling us how the Briarwood show would work. “You are all intermediate riders in the Junior Division,” he said, tapping his pencil on the desk in front of him. “There are five different classes for you each, and each class stresses different skills and talents. Don’t assume that because you’re good riders you will do well in all the classes. That’s not always the case.”

I felt myself nodding slightly. I suspected Max was thinking of me when he said that, and it made me feel more confident about being there. He was saying that even though I was the newest rider in the group, it didn’t mean I couldn’t succeed at the show—we all had our strengths and weaknesses as riders, no matter how long we’d been riding.

“Your first class of the day,” Max went on, “will be Fitting and Showing. You’ll lead your horses into the ring without saddles on them. The judges will be looking for grooming, conformation, and manners. The second class is Equitation. In that, you’ll be showing your riding skills. You’ll follow instructions about gaits, directions, turns, and gait changes. Next will be a Pleasure class. That’s just what it sounds like. There are no tricky maneuvers expected, just good, solid riding
and a good relationship between horse and rider. If you work well with your horse and if you both enjoy it, you’ll do well in this one.”

Max went on to talk about the next class, Trail class, but my mind was wandering. The mention of the Pleasure class had made me think of Prancer—riding her a little earlier had certainly been a pleasure!

I did my best to tune back in as Max described the last class, the Jumping class. “I’ll schedule some special prep classes for the four of you before we go so that you can each put your best foot forward at Briarwood,” he finished. “I want you to remember a few things, though, and one above all. This may be a chance for you to show off skills and win a ribbon or two, but most of all it’s a chance for you each to learn. You will learn from your own mistakes, and you will learn from other people’s talents and skills. Keep your eyes and your minds and your hearts open at all times.”

Max’s words then inspired me to do my very best at the show. So what if I’m the newest rider? I just might surprise everyone. Especially since I’ve decided to ride Prancer at Briarwood. Max looked a little surprised when I told him, but he said it was okay.

My friends, however, were another matter. The three of us went to TD’s after the meeting to celebrate, but we weren’t even halfway there when Stevie started jumping all over me, telling me all the reasons she didn’t think I should have chosen Prancer for the show. At first I tried to be patient with her, figuring
she was just surprised that I hadn’t picked Barq. But after a minute or two I started to get kind of annoyed. She obviously thinks I’m not ready for a show like Briarwood or a horse like Prancer, and that kind of stings. I mean, shouldn’t best friends believe in each other?

I tried not to get too mad, though. Stevie doesn’t always think before she speaks, and I figure this was one of those times. She’ll see that she was wrong when she sees me and Prancer at Briarwood.

And here’s the last bit of great news for today: My parents actually agreed to sign the permission slip Max sent home with us! I wasn’t sure they were going to. Mom’s never quite understood why I like riding so much, even though she’s the one who made me take lessons in the first place. But once she heard Veronica was involved, Mom was convinced. For some reason she’s
almost
as impressed with the diAngelos as they are with themselves. I don’t care about the reasons, though. I’m just glad she agreed to sign.

Nothing can stop me now—not with wonderful, perfect, incredible Prancer on my team!

FROM:
           Steviethegreat

TO:
                LAtwood

CC:
                 HorseGal

SUBJECT:
      A star is born

MESSAGE:

Hi, guys! Lisa, I was thinking about Briarwood and everything else and thinking how cool it would be to have a horse show in our movie. In fact, don’t you think a scene set at Briarwood would make an awesome opening? I can picture it all in my head, and I thought I’d write it out here before I forget. You can send it to your brother if you want. He doesn’t even have to give me half the screenwriting credit—just a listing in the opening credits would be fine. (He can even use my title idea if he wants.) Here goes …

FADE IN:

INTERIOR a stable, early morning

CLOSE UP on STEVIE, a stunningly lovely and obviously extremely intelligent middle-school girl, braiding the mane of an attractive bay Thoroughbred horse, TOPSIDE. Stevie is dressed in spotless white breeches and a dark riding coat,
and her hair is neatly braided with not a hair out of place. Topside looks good, too.

STEVIE

(humbly)

This is the big day, Topside. I hope we’re good enough to compete here at the Briarwood Horse Show. Oh, I know my very discerning riding instructor, Max Regnery, says I’m the most naturally talented rider he’s ever seen, but still …

There is the clatter of FOOTSTEPS from the aisle outside, and a moment later LISA and CAROLE appear in the doorway. They are dressed like Stevie.

LISA

Hello, Stevie. Are you ready for our big day?

STEVIE

(even more humbly)

I hope so. I just want to do my best.

CAROLE

(sincerely)

I’m sure you will. You always do. After all, you are the most naturally talented rider Max has ever seen.

That’s all I have so far, but I could write more if you think it would help Peter. What do you think? Pretty brilliant, huh?