Showjumpers (13 page)

T
he scarlet shirts of Badminton House marked Georgie, Alice and Daisy out from the rest of the first years as they walked up the driveway on Saturday morning.

“I don’t know why we even came,” Alice complained as she sat staring at the bacon and eggs that were congealing on her plate. “I’m way too nervous to eat.”

“Do you mind if we join you?” The girls looked up to see Cameron and Alex standing there holding their breakfast trays.

“Sure,” Alice said, “as long as you tell us your team’s secret tactics for the finals.”

“Ahhh,” Cameron said. “Can’t do that, I’m afraid. In fact our captain sent us over here to get your tactics.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Not really,” Alex smiled. “The team wanted us to come over and talk to you, and Cameron agreed because he thought it would give him a chance to apologise to Alice for being such a numnah about the dance.”

Cameron glared at Alex. “That was a private plan! You’re not supposed to tell the girls the plan!”

“Oh,” Alex shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Well, at least you’re all riding,” Emily said. “I’ll be on the sidelines not knowing who to cheer for – Badminton or Luhmuhlen.”

“What?” Alex looked upset. “You’re cheering for me, of course. I’m your boyfriend!”

The others looked at him in astonishment. They knew Alex was taking Emily to the ball, but not that things had progressed to boyfriend/girlfriend status.

“Alex,” Cameron shook his head in amazement. “You’re just full of information this morning. Maybe we’d better go back to our team table before you give away all our secrets.”

“No,” Alice smiled at Cam. “Stay.”

“You’re not going to throw food on my head again, are you?” Cam asked.

“Nah,” Alice said. “I’m not wasting a good breakfast.”

“Yeah,” Georgie agreed. “You need to keep your strength up so we can beat these boys in the showjumping ring.”

Emily frowned. “I hope this showjumping competition isn’t going to come between us. We’re still in eventing class together, remember?”

“Not all of us,” Alex said, nodding at Georgie as he munched on a piece of wholemeal toast. “And another one of us will probably get the chop next term.”

The others stared at him in disbelief and Cam reached over and picked up Alex’s glass of orange juice and gave it a suspicious sniff. “Man, what have they put in this? Truth serum or something?”

“Well,” Alex shrugged. “I’m right, aren’t I? I mean, if she got rid of Georgie, then no one is safe.”

“It’s only an eventing class,” Alice said. “Not life or death.”

“OK,” Daisy said to her. “You quit then.”

Alice went quiet. “Exactly,” Daisy said. “It might not be life and death. But it’s what we’re all here for.”

She looked at Georgie. “I’m sorry, but it’s true, isn’t it?”

Georgie looked down at her breakfast. She used to think Tara’s class was the only thing that mattered, that it was her whole reason for being at Blainford, but now… now she wasn’t so sure. But whatever her future held, right now Georgie was part of the Badminton House showjumping team and she was determined to get out there today and win.

The girls had two hours to groom and plait up before they were due to meet the rest of the team. Georgie was relieved when she brought Belle in from the paddocks and the mare wasn’t caked in mud for once. As she pulled off her rugs she could see that the clip she had given Belle was already growing back again and her shorn belly had a fuzzy feeling to it.

Georgie worked briskly, beginning with Belle’s body and then moving on to do her plaits. When she was done with the mane she wound white tape around the plaits again, but on Belle’s legs she swapped to red tape on the gamgee bandages to match Badminton’s house colours. The mare looked amazingly glossy and shiny considering it was her winter coat. Georgie had even put quarter-markings on her rump – a diamond pattern that had been brushed into her coat and then hairsprayed to keep it in place.

“Are you ready?” Alice led Will out of his loose box and tied him up alongside Belle.

“Yep,” Georgie said, painting the last bit of hoof oil on to Belle’s near hind. “I just need to tack up.”

The two girls walked together to the tack room. Their gear was stored on saddle racks at the side of the room, and as soon as Georgie caught sight of her saddle she could see something was attached to it. A white envelope had been sellotaped on to the stirrup leather. Georgie ripped it off. Her name was written on it in green pen.

“What’s that?” Alice asked.

“I don’t know,” Georgie said as she opened the envelope. Inside there was a letter, handwritten in the same green pen:

Georgie was incapable of speaking. She handed the letter to Alice, whose eyes widened as she read it.

“Ohmygod, Georgie,” she said. “Do you want to get back with him too?”

“I don’t know,” Georgie answered. “Yes, no… kind of…”

“He says he wants you to meet him at Drover’s Dell before the showjumping,” Alice pointed out. “It’s already nearly eleven now!”

Georgie lifted up her saddle, grabbed the bridle off the rack and headed for the door.

“Georgie,” Alice said nervously. “Where are you going?”

“Where do you think?” Georgie said. “I’m going to meet James.”

“But Georgie!” Alice’s voice was filled with panic. “We’re due at the arena.”

“You go,” Georgie insisted as she flung the saddle on to Belle’s back. “Tell Tara I’m going to be a little late, but I’ll be there for my round.”

“You’re kidding! Tara will kill you when she finds out!”

“Then she’d better not find out,” Georgie said. She cinched up the girth and slipped the bridle over Belle’s head. “Listen,” she told Alice. “I’m the last one to go in the team, right? That means there’ll be all of you guys and the Luhmuhlen and Adelaide riders before me – I won’t be due to ride for ages. It takes no time at all to get to Drover’s Dell from here. I can talk to James and come back again before the competition has even got going.”

“Yeah, but what if he convinces you not to come back?”

“Alice,” Georgie said firmly. “I’m coming back. I’ll be at the arena in time to ride. You just have to cover for me for a little while, OK?”

The grass verge that ran alongside the oak trees on the driveway from the school to the front entrance gates was wide enough to trot a horse. Georgie had to keep ducking underneath the lower branches from time to time, but even so she didn’t lose stride, keeping Belle to a steady rhythm. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this. It was irresponsible charging off at the last minute just before the competition was about to get underway, but she knew she could make it. Besides, the trot would loosen Belle up. The mare would be warmed up and ready to compete by the time they arrived back at the showjumping arena. Georgie would just have to pop her over a practice jump or two and they’d be fine.

Georgie looked at her watch. It was eleven-fifteen. She could see the gates up ahead and not far beyond was the grove of trees, Drover’s Dell. She just hoped that James was still there, that he hadn’t given up on waiting and left already.

“James?” she called out. There was no answer as she headed into the trees, down one of the narrow winding paths. Several of these paths wound their way through the woods, intertwining back and forth across each other before they all came out again on the other side of the copse. It was possible that James was on a different path from her, but the woods were only tiny. He should be able to hear her no matter where he was.

“James!” she yelled out again. “I’m here. Where are you?”

She was almost in the centre of the woods when she saw something moving, just a flash of a horse-shape in the shadows, to her right, out of the corner of her eye.

“James!” she called out again, “I’m over here!” She was certain now that the shape had been a horse – she could hear hoofbeats and the sound of a rider, pushing back branches to fight his way through the trees.

And then she realised something strange. The rider and the horse had been moving through the trees –
but not towards her.
They’d been going around, circling her. And now they’d gone back out of the woods and were heading towards the school gates. Georgie heard horse shoes chiming on metal and then, the sound of the heavy wrought-iron gates, creaking and moaning as they swung shut!

“Hey!” Georgie called out, “don’t close those gates! I’m still out here!” She turned Belle around and trotted the mare as fast as she dared, back along the narrow path between the trees, the way she had come. As she emerged into the sunlight, she blinked and adjusted to the brightness. Ahead of her she could see that the gates had been drawn shut. But the rider on the other side wasn’t who she’d been expecting at all.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Conrad Miller said as he turned the key in the lock. “Thanks for coming.”

Back at the showjumping arena, Tara Kelly was less than impressed to hear that a member of her team wasn’t turning up on time.

“What’s she doing that’s more important than this?” Tara snapped at Alice.

“She… ummm… she had an appointment she couldn’t cancel. But she’s not far away. She’ll be here by eleven thirty,” Alice said.

“She better be,” Tara said. “Or I’ll have her guts for garters!”

As Tara stalked off to go and talk to the rest of the team, Alice noticed Kennedy Kirkwood smirking at her.

“What is it, Kirkwood?”

“Why didn’t you just tell her the truth?” Kennedy said. “Why didn’t you tell Tara that Georgie had gone off to meet her so-called boyfriend?”

Alice froze. “How do you know where she’s gone?”

“Oops,” Kennedy gasped in mock concern. “I shouldn’t have said that, should I?”

“What do you know about this, Kennedy?” Alice was furious.

“I know where she’s gone because I’m the one who wrote her the note.”

“That is so lame,” Alice said. “Georgie will just turn around again when there’s no one there to meet her.”

“Who said,” Kennedy purred, “that there’s no one to meet her?”

“Please, Conrad!” Georgie was begging now. “You’ve got to let me back in!”

“Sorry, Parker,” Conrad said. “No can do. You’ll have to wait out there until the competition is over.”

He stood on the other side of the gates, the gate keys dangling from the loop in his hand, just temptingly out of reach.

“Conrad,” Georgie tried to reason with him. “You’re not even in the competition any more.”

Conrad stepped up to the bars. “We should be!” He glared at Georgie. “Burghley House has been in every House Showjumping final for the past twenty-three years. You ruined our record.”

“It’s a bit late for that now!” Georgie pointed out. “Keeping me from the finals won’t win you back the trophy!”

“No,” Conrad agreed, “but this way at least Kennedy will win it for Adelaide. Which is better than you losers in Badminton House getting your hands on it.”
Of course!
Georgie realised at last. Now she knew who was taking the red-haired super-witch to the Formal! It was too awful, but it all made sense at last. Kennedy Kirkwood was dating Conrad Miller.

“C
onrad Miller is your boyfriend?” Alice pulled a face. “No wonder you wouldn’t tell us who was taking you to the Formal. I’d keep it quiet too if I was going out with a numnah like Conrad!”

Kennedy’s smirk disappeared.

“I’m telling Tara what you’ve done,” Alice continued. “You’re so in big trouble.”

“I’m not the one who’s in trouble,” Kennedy countered. “Georgie is already on a warning for being out of bounds. Mrs Dubois told her that if she got caught outside again she’d have all her weekend leave suspended.”

“Tell Conrad to let her back in then!” Alice demanded.

“Sure,” Kennedy said. “I’ll do that just as soon as he gets back. Of course, by then it’s going to be too late for Georgie to compete in the showjumping. The finals will be over and you’ll have lost…”

“Alice Dupree!” It was Tara Kelly calling her.

“Alice!”

Tara had a face like thunder. “You’re due in the arena now. What are you doing?”

“I’m. I’m sorry, Tara,” Alice said.

“What is wrong with you girls today?” Tara was exasperated. “You should have been warming up instead of talking to Kennedy. And where on earth is Georgie?”

Georgie Parker was precisely where Conrad Miller had left her, on the wrong side of the front gates of Blainford Academy. Despite her pleas and, in the end, her threats, Conrad had left her there. He’d pocketed the keys and ridden back up the driveway towards the school, ignoring her cries. Georgie sat on her horse, trapped on the other side of the wrought-iron gates, feeling like a complete and utter fool.
Why hadn’t she realised that Kennedy and Conrad were behind the letter?
She realised now how completely ridiculous and irresponsible it had been to abandon her team and race off to meet James right before the competition. Kennedy and Conrad might have set this up, but it was her stupid fault for falling for it! She had let Tara down and she had let Badminton House down. And now here she was, locked out and helpless with the clock ticking.

The really frustrating thing was that Georgie could actually see the showjumping competition taking place in the distance. If she looked across the post-and-rail fences, grazing paddocks and the outlying cross-country course, she could just make out the arena where the showjumps were set up. Her team mates would be waiting for her to turn up. Only she wasn’t going to.

It was unbearable. Sitting there on Belle, forced to watch as their chances slipped away. They must be almost halfway through the competition by now. If only someone would turn up to open the gates. But everyone was already on the sidelines, watching the showjumping. There was no way she was getting back in through those gates now.

And then it came to her. She couldn’t get in through the gates, but there was another way.

“Come on, Belle.” Georgie turned the mare away and headed back towards Drover’s Dell.

She rode Belle into the woods and back down the same narrow path they’d followed earlier, looking for James. They trotted through the trees, Georgie ducking and swerving beneath the branches as she negotiated the narrow track, until they emerged on the other side of the dell.

On the edge of the woods, a wide grass verge ran alongside the road next to the black post-and-rail fence of grounds. Georgie began to circle Belle at a trot. She was figuring out her striding, choosing the perfect spot.

“Get ready, Belle,” she told the mare as she urged her into a canter, and stood up in the stirrups in two-point position. “We’re going home.”

As Georgie circled Belle, she took the mare all the way to the very edge of the grass verge. Belle’s hooves struck briefly against the hard tarmac and then Georgie turned the mare as hard as she could so that they were facing straight at the post-and-rail fence.

Clucking the mare on, she rode her head-on at the fence. There was only room for two very short strides on the grass verge before they reached the fence. Georgie knew she couldn’t afford to make a mistake. The rails were a massive metre-sixty high and these school fences were rock solid. They weren’t made for jumping – they were made for keeping horses in. There was a moment when Georgie felt fear tying a knot in her belly. But she steeled herself and kicked on. Belle responded to her rider’s unswerving determination. The mare never hesitated, taking the post-and-rail fence on a perfect forward stride and landing neatly on the other side before cantering on.

“Good girl!” Georgie gave her a slappy pat as she rocked back up into two-point position again and pushed Belle into a gallop. Their ride for home was still far from over. From here the open grazing pastures were split into two broad fields. There were still more fences to jump as well – and the first of these was coming up fast, another post-and-rail, just like the one before.

As Belle galloped across the pasture, Georgie was aware that the mare’s hooves were suctioning deep into the grass. Tara had closed the cross-country course after Monday’s lesson because she was worried about the rain making the ground too soft. There was much more risk of slipping on soggy, wet grass and if Belle lost her footing then she would slide right into the railings. Luckily showjumping studs were already fixed into the mare’s shoes, so at least she had some traction.

Georgie realised just how treacherous the ground was as they took the second post-and-rail fence. Belle jumped cleanly enough, but when she landed on boggy mud on the other side she stumbled, tipping her nose almost to the ground. Georgie had kept her seat securely over the fence so was able to sit back and use the reins to pull Belle’s head up and stop her from falling any further.

They were galloping once more and Belle was getting strong against the reins. When Georgie tried to steady her back before the next jump the mare fought her, putting her head up and opening her mouth wide, resisting Georgie’s hands.

Don’t fight her,
Georgie told herself. If Belle approached a fence in wet conditions with her nose in the air, it could be lethal. She needed the mare to look ahead at the jump, not struggle against her hands.

Besides, with over a mile to cover to get back to the showjumping arena, she couldn’t afford to exhaust the mare by staging an ongoing battle of wills. It was like Riley said – the best way to conserve Belle’s energies was to let the mare have her own way and run at her own pace.

So Georgie let the reins slacken off and crouched like a jockey riding trackwork, absorbing Belle’s strides and staying with the mare.

As they came up to the next fence, a massive brush that divided the last of the grazing paddocks from the crosscountry course, she knew they were going far too fast. Georgie desperately wanted to take a pull on the reins, to slow Belle down. But she resisted the urge.
Let Belle find her own stride,
she thought to herself.
Trust your horse.
They were three strides out from the brush fence when Georgie realised the scale of the jump in front of her. The hedge was utterly massive! It must have been almost a metre-seventy!

If Belle put a foot out of line, suddenly threw in an extra stride, or, worse still, decided to refuse, then there would be no hope for Georgie. She would be thrown headlong at the jump.
Stop thinking the worst,
she told herself.
Look to the next jump and kick on.

As Georgie approached the brush fence she pushed the fear out of her mind through strength of willpower alone. She gritted her teeth and instead of pulling back in fear she kicked on instead. They flew the hedge in full gallop and as Belle soared through the air, Georgie felt herself becoming a true cross-country rider.

They were out of the grazing paddocks now, but there were still three more fences to clear. A low spar divided one cross-country course from the next, then a stone wall and finally one more post and rail fence before they reached the warm-up arena.

Urging her mare on, Georgie stayed in two-point position and rode both the spar and the wall with as much conviction as the other jumps, not allowing herself to relax and make a mistake now. Just as she had done before, she let Belle gallop freely at her own pace. The mare felt strong, but Georgie noticed a froth of white sweat was building on Belle’s neck. She hoped that once they reached the arena the mare wouldn’t be too tired to compete. “Come on, Belle,” she said, giving her another slappy pat on her wet neck, “Not much further, girl, I’m right here with you.”

“Where is she?” Tara Kelly was furious. Badminton House’s fifth rider, Karen Lockhart, was about to complete her round in the arena. She would be followed by the last riders from the Luhmuhlen and Adelaide teams, and then, after that, it was Georgie’s turn. The only problem was, Georgie still wasn’t here.

Alice didn’t know what to say. She’d managed to stall and cover for Georgie for as long as she could, but things were getting desperate. Perhaps Alice needed to confess the truth to Tara and tell her where Georgie had gone.

“Daisy!” Tara instructed. “Go back to the stables and see if you can find her! This is crazy! If she doesn’t turn up in the next five minutes we’re going to have to forfeit the competition…”

“No!” Alice shook her head. “Tara. I know where she is.”

“Well?” Tara looked at Alice. “Don’t keep us in suspense. Where is Georgie?”

“I’m here!”

Tara Kelly turned around. Galloping towards her, having flown the last post-and-rail fence just as easily as the first, Georgie Parker was back at Blainford.

“What th—” Tara was horrified. “Georgie, what’s been going on?”

“Conrad Miller locked me out of the school gates,” Georgie panted. “I jumped Belle back in over the fences.”

Tara didn’t ask for any more information. There was no time. The last of the Luhmuhlen riders had just entered the arena.

“Is Belle sound?” asked Tara.

“She’s fine,” Georgie said. “She flew the last two fences as if they weren’t even there.”

“Get down off her,” Tara instructed. “Keep her moving and lead her around to cool her down. She needs to get her wind back. There’s only one more rider to go and then you’re due in the arena.”

“So you’re going to let me ride?” Georgie asked.

“Georgie, we’re currently in the lead by five points,” Tara said, “and if I don’t field a team of six riders, we’re eliminated. Of course I’m letting you ride!”

As Georgie led Belle around, Tara gave her directions for the jumps. Georgie hoped that she could remember them – there was no way for her to walk the course this time.

Meanwhile Alice and Daisy were sent off for supplies. They returned with buckets of water and Georgie stripped off the saddle so they could sponge the mare down.

“Alice – make sure you use the sweat scrapers to get the water off,” Tara instructed. “Careful, Daisy! Try not to get her leg bandages wet.”

The beautiful red and white bandages that Georgie had applied so perfectly were filthy with mud from Belle’s wild gallop.

“Never mind how she looks,” Tara put a fresh numnah on her and threw the saddle back on. “The main thing is how she feels.”

She gave Georgie a leg up. Belle was ready just in time: the last Adelaide rider was about to finish their round.

“You don’t need a practice jump,” Tara said. “You’ve already done enough of those to get her here.”

She stepped up to Belle and checked the girth again. “Now remember, the corner is tight into the fifth fence, so go wide on the oxer. You only have one fence in hand, so you can only afford to drop one rail.”

Both of them knew what a big ask this was. Georgie had just ridden Belle over a mile at a flat gallop, taking massive fences. It was like riding the Grand National and then expecting to take your horse straight into the ring at Olympia and jump a clear round. Did Belle have enough reserves left in her to get around the showjumping course?

“It’s up to you, Georgie,” Tara said. “Good luck.”

As Georgie entered the arena, she caught sight of Kennedy and couldn’t help but feel triumphant at the look of surprise on the showjumperette’s face. She gave her a nod of acknowledgement as if to say, “That’s right – I’m back” and then she rode in to the sound of the cheering from the Badminton House supporters and the ring of the judges’ bell.

Georgie looked straight at the first fence and felt the knot in her stomach tighten.

Her nerves tensed as she approached the first jump and she gave in to a moment of panic, holding Belle back. The mare fought against Georgie’s hands and stuck her head in the air, mistiming the jump. She leapt from too far out and Georgie heard the loud “ohhhh” from the crowd as Belle knocked the top rail of the first fence with her hind legs.

It had fallen! She’d already got four faults! There were no more chances now. If they were going to win, then from here on in they had to go completely clear.

Georgie tried to block out the pressure and noise of the crowd.
You can do this,
she told herself.
Focus!

Belle was still remarkably fresh after her wild gallop and it had taken that first fence for her to realise that she was in the showjumping arena. Now, the mare seemed to settle down and listen to Georgie.

Don’t use you hands, steady her back with your seat,
Georgie thought, remembering Riley’s advice. She sat back and looked for the stride into the second jump and this time Belle put in a perfect stride to clear the jump beautifully. The Badminton supporters let out a cheer.

At jumps three and four Georgie was back in control. Belle was alert and listening, popping them neatly. Georgie remembered what Tara had told her just in time as she came to the oxer, swinging wide enough to get in two perfect strides, and taking the fence cleanly. Then they were on and over the next three jumps with no problems.

The very last fence loomed ahead of them. The jump was a big one. But to Georgie, who had just jumped a metre-seventy brush fence, it looked like a piece of cake.

Belle didn’t hesitate and arced the jump beautifully. Then Georgie was leaning low over the mare’s neck and urging her on, well within the time, to the finish flags ahead. The crowd were on their feet and going berserk as Georgie, exhausted and elated, raised a fist in victory and punched the air. They had four faults and that was good enough for glory. Badminton had won the House Showjumping!