complicated, and it made The Saddle Club feel dizzy. This was too much for anyone to remember! There were more than twenty fences, and Southwood would not get to see them until Kate was asking him to jump them in the actual event. Suddenly The Saddle Club realized how big a move this was for Kate. “Nigel and Beatrice must think a lot of her riding,” Carole said as they sat on a fence and watched Kate solemnly pace the approach to it.
“We think a lot of her riding, too,” Lisa reminded her.
“Yes, but”—Carole grimaced—“look at this jump! It’s made out of giant logs! If Kate doesn’t ride it correctly, she could get hurt.”
“Kate knows what she’s doing,” Stevie said. “Besides,you know as well as I do that people tend to get hurt on horses only when they’re in over their heads. Kate can do this. We’ve seen her do all sorts of stuff at the Bar None, and we saw her ride Giacomo this morning. She can do this.” She snapped a photo of Carole and Lisa sitting on the jump.
“I know she can,” Carole said. “I know it, but I still worry a little.”
“We all do,” Lisa replied. “But Kate will be fine.”
“What do you think Kate’s Olympic course will look like?” Stevie asked.
“Bigger,” Carole said promptly. “Scarier, neater, and more exciting!”
“I saw a photograph of the Los Angeles Olympic course once,” Lisa said. “The jumps were covered with flowers.”
Stevie giggled. “If Kate fell off, she’d have a nice fragrant landing.” The others glared at her. “Not that Kate will fall off,” Stevie amended hastily.
“No,” Lisa said. Her voice took on a dreamy tone. “Can’t you just see her standing on the podium, the gold medal around her neck, the American flag waving, and our national anthem being played?”
“I wonder if Kate knows the words,” Stevie said.
W HEN THEY FINISHED walking the courses, it was dark. Nigel and Kate went to a competitors’ meeting, and the othersfed Campfire and Southwood dinner. Nigel came back with the event schedule, which he taped to the outside of Southwood’s stall.
“My dressage test is at 8:37 A.M. , and I start cross-country at 10:50,” he said. “Kate goes later. Her dressage is at 9:52. She begins cross-country at 12:15.”
Kate leaned against Southwood’s stall. She looked overwhelmed, Carole thought, but not unhappy. Carole went and stood beside her.
“Why don’t I take The Saddle Club back to the hotel and check in?” Dorothy suggested. “Then we’ll scope out a place for dinner.”
“What about Nigel and Kate?” Lisa asked.
“We’ve got to braid the horses’ manes and tails,” Kate said quietly. “They have to look sharp for dressage tomorrow.”
Lisa nodded. Dorothy had already told them that there was a horse inspection at 6:45 A.M. Campfire and Southwood would need to be ready by then.
“We can help,” Carole suggested. “I’m not that good at braiding tails, but I can do manes, and Southwood’s looks easy.”
“I can do Campfire’s mane,” Stevie volunteered. “Nigel, you and Kate can do their tails. That way we’ll get it done in half the time.”
Dorothy put her arm through Lisa’s. “We’ll get all ourstuff into the hotel rooms and hang Kate’s and Nigel’s show coats up before they get too wrinkled.”
“Great,” said Lisa. “Years of unpacking the trunks my mother packed for me have prepared me for this moment. I’m definitely the right person for the job.”
I T WAS AFTER nine o’clock that night before Stevie finally slid into the orange plastic booth of a fast-food restaurant near their hotel. “Cheeseburgers!” she groaned. “Give me cheeseburgers!”
“Right away,” Nigel said cheerfully, sliding a loaded tray onto the table. They all grabbed at the burgers and fries. “Eat up,” he said. “If you finish these I’ll buy more. If it hadn’t been for you girls, I would still be at the show grounds.” He munched a french fry and grinned at
“We think a lot of her riding, too,” Lisa reminded her.
“Yes, but”—Carole grimaced—“look at this jump! It’s made out of giant logs! If Kate doesn’t ride it correctly, she could get hurt.”
“Kate knows what she’s doing,” Stevie said. “Besides,you know as well as I do that people tend to get hurt on horses only when they’re in over their heads. Kate can do this. We’ve seen her do all sorts of stuff at the Bar None, and we saw her ride Giacomo this morning. She can do this.” She snapped a photo of Carole and Lisa sitting on the jump.
“I know she can,” Carole said. “I know it, but I still worry a little.”
“We all do,” Lisa replied. “But Kate will be fine.”
“What do you think Kate’s Olympic course will look like?” Stevie asked.
“Bigger,” Carole said promptly. “Scarier, neater, and more exciting!”
“I saw a photograph of the Los Angeles Olympic course once,” Lisa said. “The jumps were covered with flowers.”
Stevie giggled. “If Kate fell off, she’d have a nice fragrant landing.” The others glared at her. “Not that Kate will fall off,” Stevie amended hastily.
“No,” Lisa said. Her voice took on a dreamy tone. “Can’t you just see her standing on the podium, the gold medal around her neck, the American flag waving, and our national anthem being played?”
“I wonder if Kate knows the words,” Stevie said.
W HEN THEY FINISHED walking the courses, it was dark. Nigel and Kate went to a competitors’ meeting, and the othersfed Campfire and Southwood dinner. Nigel came back with the event schedule, which he taped to the outside of Southwood’s stall.
“My dressage test is at 8:37 A.M. , and I start cross-country at 10:50,” he said. “Kate goes later. Her dressage is at 9:52. She begins cross-country at 12:15.”
Kate leaned against Southwood’s stall. She looked overwhelmed, Carole thought, but not unhappy. Carole went and stood beside her.
“Why don’t I take The Saddle Club back to the hotel and check in?” Dorothy suggested. “Then we’ll scope out a place for dinner.”
“What about Nigel and Kate?” Lisa asked.
“We’ve got to braid the horses’ manes and tails,” Kate said quietly. “They have to look sharp for dressage tomorrow.”
Lisa nodded. Dorothy had already told them that there was a horse inspection at 6:45 A.M. Campfire and Southwood would need to be ready by then.
“We can help,” Carole suggested. “I’m not that good at braiding tails, but I can do manes, and Southwood’s looks easy.”
“I can do Campfire’s mane,” Stevie volunteered. “Nigel, you and Kate can do their tails. That way we’ll get it done in half the time.”
Dorothy put her arm through Lisa’s. “We’ll get all ourstuff into the hotel rooms and hang Kate’s and Nigel’s show coats up before they get too wrinkled.”
“Great,” said Lisa. “Years of unpacking the trunks my mother packed for me have prepared me for this moment. I’m definitely the right person for the job.”
I T WAS AFTER nine o’clock that night before Stevie finally slid into the orange plastic booth of a fast-food restaurant near their hotel. “Cheeseburgers!” she groaned. “Give me cheeseburgers!”
“Right away,” Nigel said cheerfully, sliding a loaded tray onto the table. They all grabbed at the burgers and fries. “Eat up,” he said. “If you finish these I’ll buy more. If it hadn’t been for you girls, I would still be at the show grounds.” He munched a french fry and grinned at
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