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Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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he needs to not want to knock the fences down.”
“Not want to knock them down?” Stevie repeated, intrigued despite her desire to get out of Eddy territory. “You mean he wants to leave them up?”
“That’s right,” Nigel answered. “Show jumping is onephase where some event horses have an almost critical failing. They never hit the solid fences on cross-country day, but it doesn’t seem to bother them when they hit the flimsy show-jumping rails.” He laughed. “Wait till Sunday and you’ll see. I happen to know that one horse here is exactly like that. He’ll probably do well on cross-country, but he’ll be lucky if he hits less than half a dozen jumps on the show-jumping course. He makes a mess!”
“I didn’t think three-day event show jumping was supposed to be all that hard,” Carole said. “The fences aren’t as big as the cross-country ones.” She had always been told that the true purpose of the show-jumping phase in an event was to prove that the horse still had stamina left after cross-country day.
“That’s what I mean,” Nigel said. “In many cases, event horses that do poorly at show jumping aren’t bad jumpers or even tired, they just aren’t bothering to be careful. Good show jumpers need to be careful all the time.”
They watched a horse leave the stables. This one, like Southwood, was full of energy and ready to go. “How about Southwood?” Lisa asked. “Is he careful?”
Nigel laughed. “Very,” he said. “He seems upset whenever he touches a rail, even if it doesn’t fall down. He really loves to jump, too.”
“Does he get tired?” Carole asked.
Nigel shook his head. “I know how to get him in good shape and keep him there, but beyond that, Southwood’s really an exceptional athlete. You know, he’s never had a single fault in show jumping—never a single rail down.”
Carole thought about this. To Carole, Southwood sounded—and looked—like a natural. “I don’t understand,” she said quietly.
“Meaning,” Nigel asked, “that you still don’t understand why I’m not trying for the Olympics?”
All three of the girls nodded. Nigel sighed. “I know it’s hard for you to understand,” he said. “It’s a tough decision to make. I think, though, that I’m making the right choice in saving Southwood for future events. Southwood is only seven years old. That’s the minimum age a horse can be and still compete internationally. Because he’s so young, he hasn’t gotten much exposure to difficult events. The fences here are going to be a step up for him. The Olympic course will be even harder. Like I told you earlier, I do want Southwood to have a chance at the Olympics—just not this Olympics.”
“I know you’ll do what you think is best,” Carole said, “and I know you know what you’re doing, so I can’t argue with you. It’s just that we want Southwood to have a chance, too. Drew says that his Prospero never got a chance. And I keep thinking that Ghost, the horse we rescued the other day, maybe never got a chance, either.”
Nigel nodded. “I want Southwood to have a chance, too,” he repeated. “How is Ghost?”
“The trail guide had said that maybe she could find him a home,” Lisa reported. “But today she said that she couldn’t after all. Her friends with a farm don’t have room for another horse.”
“We went back to the hospital this morning,” Stevie said. “Ghost looks great, but Dr. Lawrence says he can’t keep him there much longer. They’ve gotten in three more horses that are really sick, and they need the space.”
Carole sighed. “Dr. Lawrence is going to bring Ghost here in a trailer this afternoon so that Mrs. Harrington can see him when she’s done with her meeting. If we can find a place for quarantine, Ghost might be able to go to Blue Hill.”
Nigel nodded. “Quarantine can be hard to arrange,” he said. “Dorothy and I will do what we can, and you girls keep looking, too. All horses
“Not want to knock them down?” Stevie repeated, intrigued despite her desire to get out of Eddy territory. “You mean he wants to leave them up?”
“That’s right,” Nigel answered. “Show jumping is onephase where some event horses have an almost critical failing. They never hit the solid fences on cross-country day, but it doesn’t seem to bother them when they hit the flimsy show-jumping rails.” He laughed. “Wait till Sunday and you’ll see. I happen to know that one horse here is exactly like that. He’ll probably do well on cross-country, but he’ll be lucky if he hits less than half a dozen jumps on the show-jumping course. He makes a mess!”
“I didn’t think three-day event show jumping was supposed to be all that hard,” Carole said. “The fences aren’t as big as the cross-country ones.” She had always been told that the true purpose of the show-jumping phase in an event was to prove that the horse still had stamina left after cross-country day.
“That’s what I mean,” Nigel said. “In many cases, event horses that do poorly at show jumping aren’t bad jumpers or even tired, they just aren’t bothering to be careful. Good show jumpers need to be careful all the time.”
They watched a horse leave the stables. This one, like Southwood, was full of energy and ready to go. “How about Southwood?” Lisa asked. “Is he careful?”
Nigel laughed. “Very,” he said. “He seems upset whenever he touches a rail, even if it doesn’t fall down. He really loves to jump, too.”
“Does he get tired?” Carole asked.
Nigel shook his head. “I know how to get him in good shape and keep him there, but beyond that, Southwood’s really an exceptional athlete. You know, he’s never had a single fault in show jumping—never a single rail down.”
Carole thought about this. To Carole, Southwood sounded—and looked—like a natural. “I don’t understand,” she said quietly.
“Meaning,” Nigel asked, “that you still don’t understand why I’m not trying for the Olympics?”
All three of the girls nodded. Nigel sighed. “I know it’s hard for you to understand,” he said. “It’s a tough decision to make. I think, though, that I’m making the right choice in saving Southwood for future events. Southwood is only seven years old. That’s the minimum age a horse can be and still compete internationally. Because he’s so young, he hasn’t gotten much exposure to difficult events. The fences here are going to be a step up for him. The Olympic course will be even harder. Like I told you earlier, I do want Southwood to have a chance at the Olympics—just not this Olympics.”
“I know you’ll do what you think is best,” Carole said, “and I know you know what you’re doing, so I can’t argue with you. It’s just that we want Southwood to have a chance, too. Drew says that his Prospero never got a chance. And I keep thinking that Ghost, the horse we rescued the other day, maybe never got a chance, either.”
Nigel nodded. “I want Southwood to have a chance, too,” he repeated. “How is Ghost?”
“The trail guide had said that maybe she could find him a home,” Lisa reported. “But today she said that she couldn’t after all. Her friends with a farm don’t have room for another horse.”
“We went back to the hospital this morning,” Stevie said. “Ghost looks great, but Dr. Lawrence says he can’t keep him there much longer. They’ve gotten in three more horses that are really sick, and they need the space.”
Carole sighed. “Dr. Lawrence is going to bring Ghost here in a trailer this afternoon so that Mrs. Harrington can see him when she’s done with her meeting. If we can find a place for quarantine, Ghost might be able to go to Blue Hill.”
Nigel nodded. “Quarantine can be hard to arrange,” he said. “Dorothy and I will do what we can, and you girls keep looking, too. All horses
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