rare for a horse and rider to bedoing everything right that I don’t think any of us have to worry about it.”
“But, Lisa,” Stevie whispered to Lisa, imitating Veronica’s whine, “if my father spends enough money, doesn’t that automatically mean that I’ll be perfect?”
“What was that you were saying, Stephanie?” a voice behind them asked.
Stevie and Lisa whirled around. “Gosh, Lisa, Stephanie, I didn’t mean to scare you,” a blushing Simon Atherton said. “Boy, am I excited to be in class with you two. I guess that means we’ll ride together all the time, huh?”
Now it was Lisa’s turn to sigh. “I guess we will, Simon,” she said, turning to mount Barq.
“Here, let me pull down your other stirrup for you,” Simon said. He grabbed for the outside stirrup, but Barq laid his ears back and sidled away.
Stevie laughed. Lisa and Barq were obviously in agreement.
“That’s okay, Simon, I’ve got it,” Lisa said. Before he could object, she had swung neatly up into the saddle and ridden away.
Simon stared after her, mouth open.
“Pretty impressive, huh?” Stevie said, her eyes dancing merrily.
“That was the best mounting job I’ve ever seen,” hesaid breathlessly. He turned to Patch and began sorting out his reins, half-dazed.
Wanting to catch up with Lisa, Stevie mounted quickly and urged Topside after Barq. Before she could reach her, however, Max began the class for real. “No need to hurry, Stevie,” he said. “Remember to always walk your horse quietly for several minutes to relax him and yourself.”
Stevie stiffened her shoulders grimly. Of course she knew that you should always start riding at a walk—any two-year-old knew that much!
And
she knew that Max knew that she knew—which meant that he also knew that she’d been trying to catch up with Lisa. And they
both
knew that talking was forbidden in class. So Stevie’s only option was to ask Topside to walk. Resignedly, she tightened the reins and sat deeply in the saddle. A glance in Max’s direction confirmed her suspicions: He was grinning.
Simon had more luck. By the time he got on, Lisa had completed one circle of the ring. “Hey, wait up, Lisa,” Simon called. Nudging Patch over toward Barq, he began to chat animatedly. “So here I am with you, Stephanie, Veronica—all the good riders—”
“We’re not supposed to talk in class, Simon,” Lisa said, cutting him off. If she couldn’t keep him from talking to her, maybe Max’s rules would.
“Gosh, I was so excited, I forgot! I’ll just follow you and try to watch you so I can improve.”
Lisa shrugged. She couldn’t just tell Simon to get lost. Another Pine Hollow tradition was for the better riders to help those less experienced. And because the classes were usually divided by age and not ability, riders of all levels often rode together. Lisa had been riding only about a year, but she was a dedicated student and had learned quickly. Beside her, Simon looked like the stark beginner he was.
Still, Lisa thought suddenly, she might be able to shake him
and
teach him something at the same time. “I’m going to practice halting,” she said. “Make sure you keep Patch walking—don’t let him just copy Barq.”
“Gosh, I’ll try, Lisa,” Simon said, concentrating hard.
Lisa asked Barq to halt. He stopped squarely. Patch stopped beside Barq, ignoring Simon’s feeble kicks.
“Not bad, Lisa,” Max said, coming over toward her. Lisa smiled at Max’s words. He rarely gave compliments, so any word of praise was precious. “I’m glad to see you two are paired up. I didn’t know if you heard me say to find partners.” He nodded to Lisa. “It will be good for Simon to ride beside you.”
Partner? Pairs? Lisa groaned inwardly. She
hadn’t
heard Max say anything about riding in twos. If she had, she would have galloped pell-mell toward Topside. Nowshe was stuck with Simon Atherton for the entire lesson!
As Max walked away, she gave Simon a
“But, Lisa,” Stevie whispered to Lisa, imitating Veronica’s whine, “if my father spends enough money, doesn’t that automatically mean that I’ll be perfect?”
“What was that you were saying, Stephanie?” a voice behind them asked.
Stevie and Lisa whirled around. “Gosh, Lisa, Stephanie, I didn’t mean to scare you,” a blushing Simon Atherton said. “Boy, am I excited to be in class with you two. I guess that means we’ll ride together all the time, huh?”
Now it was Lisa’s turn to sigh. “I guess we will, Simon,” she said, turning to mount Barq.
“Here, let me pull down your other stirrup for you,” Simon said. He grabbed for the outside stirrup, but Barq laid his ears back and sidled away.
Stevie laughed. Lisa and Barq were obviously in agreement.
“That’s okay, Simon, I’ve got it,” Lisa said. Before he could object, she had swung neatly up into the saddle and ridden away.
Simon stared after her, mouth open.
“Pretty impressive, huh?” Stevie said, her eyes dancing merrily.
“That was the best mounting job I’ve ever seen,” hesaid breathlessly. He turned to Patch and began sorting out his reins, half-dazed.
Wanting to catch up with Lisa, Stevie mounted quickly and urged Topside after Barq. Before she could reach her, however, Max began the class for real. “No need to hurry, Stevie,” he said. “Remember to always walk your horse quietly for several minutes to relax him and yourself.”
Stevie stiffened her shoulders grimly. Of course she knew that you should always start riding at a walk—any two-year-old knew that much!
And
she knew that Max knew that she knew—which meant that he also knew that she’d been trying to catch up with Lisa. And they
both
knew that talking was forbidden in class. So Stevie’s only option was to ask Topside to walk. Resignedly, she tightened the reins and sat deeply in the saddle. A glance in Max’s direction confirmed her suspicions: He was grinning.
Simon had more luck. By the time he got on, Lisa had completed one circle of the ring. “Hey, wait up, Lisa,” Simon called. Nudging Patch over toward Barq, he began to chat animatedly. “So here I am with you, Stephanie, Veronica—all the good riders—”
“We’re not supposed to talk in class, Simon,” Lisa said, cutting him off. If she couldn’t keep him from talking to her, maybe Max’s rules would.
“Gosh, I was so excited, I forgot! I’ll just follow you and try to watch you so I can improve.”
Lisa shrugged. She couldn’t just tell Simon to get lost. Another Pine Hollow tradition was for the better riders to help those less experienced. And because the classes were usually divided by age and not ability, riders of all levels often rode together. Lisa had been riding only about a year, but she was a dedicated student and had learned quickly. Beside her, Simon looked like the stark beginner he was.
Still, Lisa thought suddenly, she might be able to shake him
and
teach him something at the same time. “I’m going to practice halting,” she said. “Make sure you keep Patch walking—don’t let him just copy Barq.”
“Gosh, I’ll try, Lisa,” Simon said, concentrating hard.
Lisa asked Barq to halt. He stopped squarely. Patch stopped beside Barq, ignoring Simon’s feeble kicks.
“Not bad, Lisa,” Max said, coming over toward her. Lisa smiled at Max’s words. He rarely gave compliments, so any word of praise was precious. “I’m glad to see you two are paired up. I didn’t know if you heard me say to find partners.” He nodded to Lisa. “It will be good for Simon to ride beside you.”
Partner? Pairs? Lisa groaned inwardly. She
hadn’t
heard Max say anything about riding in twos. If she had, she would have galloped pell-mell toward Topside. Nowshe was stuck with Simon Atherton for the entire lesson!
As Max walked away, she gave Simon a
Similar Books
