Astra (15 page)

Dr. Dale was the head veterinarian at the race and the control judge. If a horse's heartbeat or breathing took too long to come down when checked, or if they were injured during the race, they'd be disqualified. Dr. Dale's word was final.

Lily spotted Sharon, the lady she had crewed for in the previous race. She was parked several trailers down with her chestnut gelding. She waved.

“How nice to see you!” Sharon called. “Good luck today. If you need anything, just let me know. You were such a help to me last ride.”

“Thanks,” Lily said. “Good luck to you, too. I'll see you on the trail.”

“Ten-minute warning!” someone hollered. Lily took several deep breaths, then went to do a last-minute check of her saddle pack, making sure there were plenty of water and energy bars for herself and carrots and treats for Astra. She pulled out the photo of her mom on Astra and kissed it for luck, then tucked it back into her pocket.

“Let's mount up,” Mr. Henley said.

Lily gathered Astra's reins and tried to put her foot in the stirrup, but the mare kept turning in circles around her, anxious to be off for the race. “Astra Atomica, hold still!” Lily scolded.

“Here, let me help.” Devin took hold of Astra's bridle, forcing her to stand still while Lily made her way onto the saddle.

“Thanks.” She tried to smile, but her teeth stuck to her lips.

“Take a big breath,” Devin advised. “You're going to do fine. You've been waiting a long time to do this. Relax and enjoy the ride.”

“You're right.” She took a deep, calming breath and remembered all the hard work she'd done to get to this point. Now it was time to prove herself and Astra.

Trying to get 110 horses safely across the starting line proved to be a bit of a challenge. Everything seemed to be in a state of chaos. Some riders got off and walked until most of the masses had thinned out. Other riders, whose mounts got too excited, ended up being dumped in the dirt before they'd even crossed the starting line.

“Easy, girl,” Lily crooned to Astra as they trotted toward the trailhead. She could hear the quiver in her own voice. Her hands were shaking and she couldn't seem to control them. Astra tossed her head, prancing with her feet high and her tail in the air. Mr. Henley reached over and grabbed hold of Astra's bit, keeping her steady as they found their place in the herd of horses and riders.

After about a mile, everyone found their race pace and the crowd thinned out. Lily was finally able to control Astra on her own. The mare still had a full head of steam and wanted to surge ahead, but Lily kept a firm hand on the reins and followed behind Mr. Henley.

The first ten miles of the race passed in a haze as Lily worked to stay focused and keep Astra under control. The problem with Arabians, especially those in good shape, was that it was difficult to wear them down. When the trail was wide, Devin or Meloney rode beside Lily, giving her pointers and helping to keep Astra focused.

Charlie raced past them, grinning, but his father made him get back in line.

“Derringer isn't in good enough shape to be setting the pace,” Mr. Henley warned. “You and Jill might have to slow down a bit on the second leg of this race.”

“No way,” Charlie said. “Derringer's fine. We've got a race to win!” He looked over at Lily and smirked.

Once again, Lily wished she could beat the obnoxious boy. But at this point, her main concern was being able to finish the race and not let anyone down—including her horse.

When they came into the first watering stop, Lily stepped off Astra's back. Her legs were a bit stiff, but she felt pretty good, considering they'd already covered about fifteen miles. Astra showed no sign of being interested in water, despite the rapidly warming day. Instead, she pulled Lily over to the area where several bales of grass hay had been scattered for horses to browse on.

Mr. Henley and Dr. Dale had taught her that horses needed to eat and drink along the way so they'd have enough energy for the long race. During a vet check, a stethoscope was put to a horse's belly to listen for gut sounds that indicated his system was functioning properly. The horse's mucous mebranes were also examined to determine if the animal was well hydrated. If there were any problems, a horse could be pulled from the race.

“Wow, did you see all of that beautiful scenery?” Meloney said. She walked Jasper over to eat beside Astra.

“Scenery?” Lily asked. She'd been concentrating so hard, she'd barely taken her eyes off the horse in front of her.

Devin chuckled. “Lighten up, Lily. Getting to look at the awesome wilderness we pass through is part of the fun. We get to see stuff most people will never get a chance to. Some of these areas aren't open to motorized vehicles.”

“Okay, gang, let's go,” Mr. Henley ordered. “We've got another twelve miles until we hit our first vet check and required rest.”

Astra stood this time while Lily mounted. She settled into the saddle and promised herself that she'd pay more attention to her surroundings on this leg of the route. She urged Astra into a strong trot and found her place in line behind Mr. Henley and in front of Meloney and Jill. Devin and Charlie were the last to mount up. They rode several yards behind the girls and Mr. Henley.

“You tired yet?” Charlie challenged as he cantered past Lily.

She had to pull Astra aside to keep from being bumped.

Then Charlie cut in front of his father's horse, causing Contina to stumble.

“Charlie!” Mr. Henley hollered. Lily gasped as the mare took several bad steps and then righted herself. They all pulled down to a halt while Mr. Henley got off to check his mare.

“I'm sorry, Dad,” Charlie said, his face turning red.

Mr. Henley examined Contina's leg. “She's got a small cut on the bulb of her hoof where she grabbed it with a hind foot,” he said. “Charlie, get to the back of the line. If you pull a stunt like that again, I'll have you pulled from the race.”

Charlie made a face but did as he was told.

“Is Contina going to be okay, Dad?” Jill asked, sounding concerned.

“I think so,” her father replied. “I'll need to get a bell boot out of the trailer to protect that hoof when we get back to camp.”

They rode for several more miles at a steady trot, heading up into the hills. Lily and Meloney got off and walked their horses up the steep parts, then, still on foot, trotted down the other side of the hill. Lily was breathing hard and sweating in the heat, but she didn't mind. They could go almost as fast running beside their horses downhill as they did while riding them. And the horses got a break from carrying the weight of the rider.

Contina was in such great shape that Mr. Henley remained on her back, but he walked up the hills so they could all stay together.

Half a mile from the vet check, the group came across a small spring that flowed across the path. The clay-based dirt and hoofprints of all the horses that had been there before them made the ground slick. Lily kept a steady hand on the reins while Astra waded through.

Contina hesitated at the water's edge and danced about, trying to turn around. All of the other horses had made it across but her, and that seemed to make Contina more nervous. Mr. Henley steadied her, then gave a small boot in the mare's sides, asking her to cross the stream. Contina danced about again and slipped on the muddy footing, falling forward into the shallow spring. She flailed about for several steps, and then lunged out of the water.

“Whoa!” Mr. Henley cried. Contina snorted and took several faltering steps. The ranch owner got off and checked her. “Great!” he said with a sigh.

“What is it?” Lily asked, getting off Astra and holding onto Contina so that Mr. Henley could examine her more easily.

“She tore that cut on her foot wide open,” Mr. Henley said in dismay. “I'm going to have to walk her into the vet check.”

Devin and Meloney exchanged glances, then cut their eyes to Lily.

“What does that mean? Why are you looking at me that way?” Lily asked.

Meloney gave her a look full of sympathy. “If Mr. Henley has to pull Contina from the race, then you're done, too. You can't go on without a sponsor.”

Lily sucked in her breath. She'd come so far and they were actually well placed in the pack. Mr. Henley had guessed they were only half a mile from the vet check.

While the rest of their group rode on ahead, Lily loosened Astra's cinch and fell into position beside Mr. Henley for the walk in. This would be the longest half mile of the entire race.

Eighteen

Contina was limping badly by the time they made it to the vet check. Dr. Dale rushed up to meet them. “Lily, you can go through the same vet as Charlie.” He pointed over his shoulder to the station. “Dr. Atkinson will help you. Have your ride card out and ready for him.”

Mr. Henley looked surprised. “Charlie's still here? He and the others rode on ahead of us. He should have been through the vet check fifteen minutes ago.”

Dr. Tison shook his head. “Derringer's pulse won't come down. His gut signs and hydration are a little off, but good enough to pass. He just needs to get that pulse down.”

“Go on through the check, Lily,” Mr. Henley said. “Charlie will help you. We've walked long enough that Astra should go right through now with no trouble.”

Lily hesitated.

Dr. Dale looked up from the foot he was inspecting. “What is it, Lily?”

She bit her lip. “Mr. Henley's my sponsor. Everyone says that if he gets pulled, I can't go on.”

The vet stood and wiped his hands on his pants, a frown upon his kind face. “That's right, I'm afraid. Unfortunately, there's no way I can pass Contina through this vet check. She might even need stitches. I'm really sorry, Lily. I know how hard you've trained for this race. It's pretty much impossible to find another sponsor in the middle of a ride.”

Lily hung her head.

“I really am sorry, Lily.” Dr. Dale put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “There will be other rides coming up soon. You'll get your chance then. Go ahead and go through the vet check. The experience will be good for you. Besides, you need to become familiar with your horse's vital signs. It will help you with training schedules in the future. And this pull won't count against Astra since it isn't her fault.”

Lily smiled her thanks sadly and went to join Charlie. “Sorry to hear about Derringer,” she told him. “Hopefully, he'll pass now.”

Charlie motioned for her to go ahead of him through the checkpoint. “The others are back at the camp, eating lunch and helping Thomas take care of the horses,” he said. “Thomas has Astra's hay net ready for her.”

Lily did everything the vet instructed. She held Astra while he checked her pulse and gut sounds. “You did really great today,” she whispered to the mare, rubbing Astra's forehead. “You could have stayed with Contina and maybe even have gotten a place if we'd been allowed to continue.”

“Trot her up about twenty steps and then back again for me,” the vet said.

Lily followed his instructions. When she came back, the man smiled and handed her Astra's card. “Congratulations,” he said. “Your horse gets all A's on her ratings.”

“Thanks.” Lily took the card. It was a bittersweet victory. Astra got excellent marks, which proved that the training program she'd designed had worked and the mare had been ready to race. But now she'd have to wait until the next race before she could try again. And who knew when Contina would be well enough for Mr. Henley to sponsor her again? She turned to Charlie. “Your turn. Good luck. I'll see you back at camp.” She turned to leave, but Charlie called her back.

“Hey, Lily…I really am sorry that you don't get to finish the race today. That really stinks.”

“Thanks.” Lily smiled. Charlie could be an okay guy when he wanted to—which wasn't often.

“It would have been a whole lot of fun to beat you, Lil-Pill,” he called after her.

Lily just rolled her eyes and kept walking. She'd changed her mind. Once a jerk, always a jerk. One of these days she'd learn not to fall for Charlie's nice-guy routine. She laughed at herself as she hurried back to camp. By now the others would be finishing lunch or getting ready to head out again.

Race rules stated that everyone had to remain at ride camp for thirty minutes of required rest before continuing.

As Lily entered the camp, the chatter suddenly grew quiet.

“We heard about Contina getting pulled,” Meloney said. “I'm really sorry, Lily.”

Jill and Devin nodded in agreement.

Lily shrugged. “I'm really bummed, but it's not like it's the last time I'm ever going to get to ride. There will be other races.”

Sharon stopped by when she saw Lily tying Astra to the trailer. “How'd your vet check go? We passed ours with no problem. I'm getting ready to head out for the last part of the journey.”

“Astra got all A's,” Lily said proudly. She didn't feel like talking about it being all for nothing since she wouldn't be able to ride the rest of the race.

“That's great!” Sharon said. “Not only are you a great little rider—and race crew—but it looks like you might be learning a thing or two about training.” She looked back toward her trailer. “I sure missed you crewing for me this time. That kid I hired isn't very good.”

Thomas stepped up and removed Astra's bridle. “There's plenty more food left,” he told Lily.

“I could finish crewing for you,” Lily offered.

Sharon frowned. “You can't do that, Lily. You've got a race to ride.”

Lily lowered her head and kicked at the dirt beneath her feet. “My sponsor, Mr. Henley, was pulled because Contina got hurt. I can't ride without a sponsor. I'm done for the day.”

Sharon stood quietly for a moment or two. She cocked her head as if deep in thought. “You might not be finished yet, Lily. You go get some lunch and get that horse of yours taken care of, and I'll be right back.”