championships?”
“Or the Olympics,” Lisa said seriously, with a nod of her head. “This is definitely small compared to the Olympics.”
“Okay,” Kate said. She was smiling now, and she definitely looked more relaxed. “When I’m galloping up to that giant log pile on the course I’ll just say to myself, That’s nothing—in the Olympics they have much bigger fences.’ That’ll sure make me feel better.”
T HE STABLES WERE lit by rows of bright yellow lightbulbs. In the early morning darkness, the lights and the stable tentcombined to give the event a carnival atmosphere. All the riders were there early. The Saddle Club helped feed Campfire and Southwood, then began to clean their stalls while Kate groomed Southwood.
Stevie hauled a muck bucket into Campfire’s stall. “Oh, say, can you see-e-e,” she began to sing as she forked old bedding into the bucket, “by-y the dawn’s ear-ly light—”
“Stevie!” Lisa covered her ears.
“C’mon, sing along,” Stevie urged her. “We need to make sure Kate knows the words!”
Reluctantly, Lisa agreed. “Start over,” she said.
This time the effect was worse. Lisa was a much better singer than Stevie, but her voice only seemed to emphasize how off Stevie’s was. “Hey, in there!” Kate shouted. “Knock it off! You’re frightening Southwood!”
“Sing along, Kate!” Stevie said. “That way he’ll know there’s nothing to be afraid off!”
Kate poked her head into Campfire’s stall. “What gave you the urge to sing so early in the morning, anyway?”
“Patriotism!” Stevie replied with a grin. Carole came out of Southwood’s stall and laughed. All four girls burst into song. “Oh, say, can you se-e-e—”
“Honestly!” Nigel walked into the aisle, shaking his head in indignation. “I’m surrounded by Yanks!” He stopped, put his hand over his heart, and began to sing “God Save the Queen” loudly enough to drown the rest of them out. Nigel ended triumphantly, “…
God save the
Queen!”
just as the rest of them hit “… home of the
brave!”
They looked at one another solemnly for a long moment, and then burst out laughing.
“Now we know she knows the words,” Stevie whispered to Lisa with satisfaction as they returned to their pitchforks and bucket. “That’s one big step toward winning an international competition!” They giggled at Stevie’s silliness.
H ORSE INSPECTION TOOK place on a stretch of asphalt road near the dressage ring. Carole knew that the horses were being watched for signs of lameness or illness that would indicate they shouldn’t compete that day. Kate trotted Southwood up and back across the asphalt, then held him while he was briefly examined by a veterinarian. Southwood passed with flying colors. “Unless a horse gets injured trailering here,” Dorothy explained, “there’s almost no chance he’ll fail the first inspection. The important inspection comes tomorrow, after cross-country.”
As soon as their horses completed the inspection, Kate and Nigel left to walk the cross-country course one last time. Dorothy looked at Southwood and Campfire. “Well,” she suggested to The Saddle Club, “it might help these two to graze a little. It would relax them. Could you guys find them a quiet spot with some nice grass?”
“We’d love to,” they said. Stevie found a spot close to the stabling yet secluded from the bustle around the dressage ring. Carole and Lisa led the horses to it.
“Do you think Kate is catching the Olympic spirit?” Carole asked.
“It’s hard to tell,” Lisa answered. “I think we’ll know better after we watch her jump the cross-country course. But she’s really working hard at this competition, and I think that’s a good sign.”
Stevie leaned against Southwood’s flank. “We need to start thinking about where to get an Olympic horse for Kate.”
“Well …” Lisa paused. “I know Olympic horses are special, but the Devines already have so
“Or the Olympics,” Lisa said seriously, with a nod of her head. “This is definitely small compared to the Olympics.”
“Okay,” Kate said. She was smiling now, and she definitely looked more relaxed. “When I’m galloping up to that giant log pile on the course I’ll just say to myself, That’s nothing—in the Olympics they have much bigger fences.’ That’ll sure make me feel better.”
T HE STABLES WERE lit by rows of bright yellow lightbulbs. In the early morning darkness, the lights and the stable tentcombined to give the event a carnival atmosphere. All the riders were there early. The Saddle Club helped feed Campfire and Southwood, then began to clean their stalls while Kate groomed Southwood.
Stevie hauled a muck bucket into Campfire’s stall. “Oh, say, can you see-e-e,” she began to sing as she forked old bedding into the bucket, “by-y the dawn’s ear-ly light—”
“Stevie!” Lisa covered her ears.
“C’mon, sing along,” Stevie urged her. “We need to make sure Kate knows the words!”
Reluctantly, Lisa agreed. “Start over,” she said.
This time the effect was worse. Lisa was a much better singer than Stevie, but her voice only seemed to emphasize how off Stevie’s was. “Hey, in there!” Kate shouted. “Knock it off! You’re frightening Southwood!”
“Sing along, Kate!” Stevie said. “That way he’ll know there’s nothing to be afraid off!”
Kate poked her head into Campfire’s stall. “What gave you the urge to sing so early in the morning, anyway?”
“Patriotism!” Stevie replied with a grin. Carole came out of Southwood’s stall and laughed. All four girls burst into song. “Oh, say, can you se-e-e—”
“Honestly!” Nigel walked into the aisle, shaking his head in indignation. “I’m surrounded by Yanks!” He stopped, put his hand over his heart, and began to sing “God Save the Queen” loudly enough to drown the rest of them out. Nigel ended triumphantly, “…
God save the
Queen!”
just as the rest of them hit “… home of the
brave!”
They looked at one another solemnly for a long moment, and then burst out laughing.
“Now we know she knows the words,” Stevie whispered to Lisa with satisfaction as they returned to their pitchforks and bucket. “That’s one big step toward winning an international competition!” They giggled at Stevie’s silliness.
H ORSE INSPECTION TOOK place on a stretch of asphalt road near the dressage ring. Carole knew that the horses were being watched for signs of lameness or illness that would indicate they shouldn’t compete that day. Kate trotted Southwood up and back across the asphalt, then held him while he was briefly examined by a veterinarian. Southwood passed with flying colors. “Unless a horse gets injured trailering here,” Dorothy explained, “there’s almost no chance he’ll fail the first inspection. The important inspection comes tomorrow, after cross-country.”
As soon as their horses completed the inspection, Kate and Nigel left to walk the cross-country course one last time. Dorothy looked at Southwood and Campfire. “Well,” she suggested to The Saddle Club, “it might help these two to graze a little. It would relax them. Could you guys find them a quiet spot with some nice grass?”
“We’d love to,” they said. Stevie found a spot close to the stabling yet secluded from the bustle around the dressage ring. Carole and Lisa led the horses to it.
“Do you think Kate is catching the Olympic spirit?” Carole asked.
“It’s hard to tell,” Lisa answered. “I think we’ll know better after we watch her jump the cross-country course. But she’s really working hard at this competition, and I think that’s a good sign.”
Stevie leaned against Southwood’s flank. “We need to start thinking about where to get an Olympic horse for Kate.”
“Well …” Lisa paused. “I know Olympic horses are special, but the Devines already have so
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