Crown Prince by Linda Snow McLoon Page A

know.”
    Sarah’s mother placed her pronged cane in the corner before seating herself next to her husband on the sofa. When Sarah sank down on the braided rug at their feet, both Spin and Taco vied for space in her lap. She played with Spin’s ears after both of the dogs got comfortable. Mrs. DeWitt settled into the rocking chair before drawing her knitting from a basket.
    Chandler DeWitt cleared his throat and immediately everyone turned their attention to him. “I appreciate your taking time from your busy schedules to come here tonight,” he began. “There’s a matter Dorothy and I have been considering, and the time has come for us to talk to you about it.”
    Sarah felt her heart pounding.
Here it comes. He’s trying to break it to us gently.
    Mr. DeWitt focused his steady gaze on Martin and Alison Wagner. “All of us here at Brookmeade recognize the good qualities Sarah brings to our riding program. Her high work ethic is second to none, and when it comes to riding and overall horsemanship, she’s a natural. Normally we would reserve places in Jack’s Young Riders class for teens that have achieved a great deal of expertise and are either actively competing or about to start. But Jack recognized that Sarah is nearly at their level, even though she doesn’t have a horse. He urged me to make an exception to our standard policy, and you know the rest. Since she entered the class, she’s proven she belongs there. Jack tells me she’s fast becoming an accomplished rider.”
    Sarah was puzzled by his words, but she began to breathe easier. Her eyes never left Mr. DeWitt as he continued.
    â€œWe’re all aware of something that happened yesterday, something that firmly backs up Jack’s recommendation. I happened to be at the stable when the school horse Sarah was riding was spooked by a sudden loud noise and bolted down the entry road. A terrified horse doesn’t think clearly and can be difficult to stop. It’s a dangerous situation for both horse and rider. Thank goodness Sarah rose to the occasion and was able to stop Gray Fox before he galloped right onto Ridge Road.”
    Dorothy DeWitt rested her knitting on her lap. “I think what Chandler is leading up to is that Sarah is ready for a horse of her own. For her riding to improve, she should be riding something besides our school horses, and she needs to ride more than once a week. I’m often here at the stable when Jack is teaching her class, so I see how hard she works, and how well her horses perform. She obviously has the potential to do far more, but having her own horse is essential.”
    Sarah looked up at her parents. She could anticipate what was coming next. The DeWitts would suggest her parents somehow come up with the money to buy her a horse, not realizing that it just wasn’t possible.
    The room was quiet until Chandler DeWitt spoke again. “We’ve made the decision to go forward with something we’ve never done before at Brookmeade Farm. We’d like to support a sponsorship program for a student we consider to have a lot of potential. In this case it’s Sarah, and we want to help her get a horse.”
    Sarah couldn’t believe her ears. The DeWitts were talking about something that for her had been an elusive dream. She had longed to have a horse of her own for as long as she could remember. What the DeWitts were saying now was almost too good to be true. Could this really be happening?
    Mr. DeWitt began to tell them of an old college friend who some years before had gotten into Thoroughbred racing. He had retained a respected trainer who advised him on the purchase of a few well-bred broodmares at a Saratoga sale, most in foal to desirable stallions. He had also picked up some valuable bloodstock at a dispersal sale in Kentucky. Many of the colts and fillies from these mares became successful runners, and his racing stable grew by leaps and