added.
“Since that’s why we’re in this, it’s the way that makes sense,” Stevie agreed.
The girls finished up their dinner, cleaned after themselves, and got into their sleeping bags. They weren’t tired yet, but the desert night was becoming cool. They could talk bundled snugly in their sleeping bags as well as they could sitting up and freezing, so that was what they did. They talked for hours on their favorite subject, horses.
When the talk had quieted down and the girls were ready to sleep, Lisa once again found herself gazing at the sky, now a deep black. She imagined she was riding a path through the stars on horseback, weaving and circling, flying with the clouds. Her horse seemed toanticipate her every command, turning faster than she could signal, going through the path at the speed of the wind. She never made a mistake. She never fell off.
Lisa drifted to sleep, dreaming of victory, glory, honor, shingles, toilets, Pictionary, and full bunkhouses. They would win. They had to win.
“H OLD WITH YOUR legs! Grip with your thighs!” Christine yelled at Stevie the next morning. Stevie held on for dear life. Stewball had just been bitten by the racing bug and he was running his heart out on the cactus race course that Kate had found for them.
Stevie could feel herself lose her balance as Stewball rounded the second cactus. The last thing she wanted was to be dumped on the hard desert. There were rocks, cacti, and snakes down there! She gripped harder, shifted her weight ever so slightly, and regained her equilibrium. Stewball galloped to the final cactus, circled it, and raced back to the finish line, where he came to a straight-legged halt.
“
Outstanding
!” Kate said, clapping Stevie on the back. “What was her time?”
Christine checked her watch. “Thirty-two seconds,” Christine said. “That’s almost a full fifteen seconds better than your last time, but you went around the final cactus the wrong way. It’s a left-hand turn, not right!”
“There’s instant penalty points for me. I can hear itnow. ‘Congratulations, you were the fastest, but you lost.…’ ”
“Right, left, left. Right, left, left,” Lisa said out loud. “I think I’ve got it.”
“All right, then it’s your turn,” Christine said, resetting the stopwatch.
Lisa mounted Chocolate. The horse shifted uneasily, as if she were about to do something naughty. Lisa twitched the reins ever so slightly. Chocolate’s ears perked up. She seemed alert. She was waiting for another signal.
“See, it works!” Kate said. “You’ve got her attention.”
Lisa now put all of her own attention to the job in front of her.
“Go!” Christine called out, clicking the stopwatch.
Lisa did just as she’d seen Jeannie do. She kicked Chocolate and used the end of her reins as a whip. Chocolate burst into a gallop. Lisa turned to the right and headed for the first cactus. Chocolate circled it smoothly and headed for the second. At the last second, Lisa remembered that they had to go around this one to the left. Chocolate followed her instructions, passed around it, and aimed for the final cactus. This time, Lisa remembered to keep the cactus to her left. They were so close to the bristles that she almost got scratched, but she didn’t and neither did Chocolate. The two of them sprinted for the finish line.
“Yahoo!” Carole, Stevie, and Kate cheered as Lisaapproached. Christine stared at the stopwatch. Lisa just knew her time was going to be excellent, better even than any of her friends’.
She wanted to end her ride with some style. She pulled on Chocolate’s reins, hoping she would perform the wonderful straight-legged stop that Jeannie and Stevie had done. It worked, in a way. Chocolate got her signal and came to an instant halt. Unfortunately, Lisa wasn’t quite prepared for it. She kept going, right up and over Chocolate’s shoulder and onto the hard ground.
“Great finale!” Stevie teased, giving her a
“Since that’s why we’re in this, it’s the way that makes sense,” Stevie agreed.
The girls finished up their dinner, cleaned after themselves, and got into their sleeping bags. They weren’t tired yet, but the desert night was becoming cool. They could talk bundled snugly in their sleeping bags as well as they could sitting up and freezing, so that was what they did. They talked for hours on their favorite subject, horses.
When the talk had quieted down and the girls were ready to sleep, Lisa once again found herself gazing at the sky, now a deep black. She imagined she was riding a path through the stars on horseback, weaving and circling, flying with the clouds. Her horse seemed toanticipate her every command, turning faster than she could signal, going through the path at the speed of the wind. She never made a mistake. She never fell off.
Lisa drifted to sleep, dreaming of victory, glory, honor, shingles, toilets, Pictionary, and full bunkhouses. They would win. They had to win.
“H OLD WITH YOUR legs! Grip with your thighs!” Christine yelled at Stevie the next morning. Stevie held on for dear life. Stewball had just been bitten by the racing bug and he was running his heart out on the cactus race course that Kate had found for them.
Stevie could feel herself lose her balance as Stewball rounded the second cactus. The last thing she wanted was to be dumped on the hard desert. There were rocks, cacti, and snakes down there! She gripped harder, shifted her weight ever so slightly, and regained her equilibrium. Stewball galloped to the final cactus, circled it, and raced back to the finish line, where he came to a straight-legged halt.
“
Outstanding
!” Kate said, clapping Stevie on the back. “What was her time?”
Christine checked her watch. “Thirty-two seconds,” Christine said. “That’s almost a full fifteen seconds better than your last time, but you went around the final cactus the wrong way. It’s a left-hand turn, not right!”
“There’s instant penalty points for me. I can hear itnow. ‘Congratulations, you were the fastest, but you lost.…’ ”
“Right, left, left. Right, left, left,” Lisa said out loud. “I think I’ve got it.”
“All right, then it’s your turn,” Christine said, resetting the stopwatch.
Lisa mounted Chocolate. The horse shifted uneasily, as if she were about to do something naughty. Lisa twitched the reins ever so slightly. Chocolate’s ears perked up. She seemed alert. She was waiting for another signal.
“See, it works!” Kate said. “You’ve got her attention.”
Lisa now put all of her own attention to the job in front of her.
“Go!” Christine called out, clicking the stopwatch.
Lisa did just as she’d seen Jeannie do. She kicked Chocolate and used the end of her reins as a whip. Chocolate burst into a gallop. Lisa turned to the right and headed for the first cactus. Chocolate circled it smoothly and headed for the second. At the last second, Lisa remembered that they had to go around this one to the left. Chocolate followed her instructions, passed around it, and aimed for the final cactus. This time, Lisa remembered to keep the cactus to her left. They were so close to the bristles that she almost got scratched, but she didn’t and neither did Chocolate. The two of them sprinted for the finish line.
“Yahoo!” Carole, Stevie, and Kate cheered as Lisaapproached. Christine stared at the stopwatch. Lisa just knew her time was going to be excellent, better even than any of her friends’.
She wanted to end her ride with some style. She pulled on Chocolate’s reins, hoping she would perform the wonderful straight-legged stop that Jeannie and Stevie had done. It worked, in a way. Chocolate got her signal and came to an instant halt. Unfortunately, Lisa wasn’t quite prepared for it. She kept going, right up and over Chocolate’s shoulder and onto the hard ground.
“Great finale!” Stevie teased, giving her a
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