Starting Gate (7 page)

“What?” Lisa frowned, puzzled.

Carole started to laugh. “I get it!” she said. She grinned at Skye. “
He
can ride in Veronica’s place. The entry form just said four riders. We didn’t have to give any names!”

“What about a helmet?” asked Lisa.

“Max brought Veronica’s,” said Carole. “And her head’s so big her helmet would fit anybody.”

“Oh, you guys are brilliant!” Stevie threw her arms around Skye and gave him a hug. “Just take out those false teeth so you won’t look quite so weird. I’d hate to have you scare the horses!”

“Okay.” Skye spit out the goofy-looking teeth and removed his clip-on bow tie. Except for the pizza shop logo on the pocket of his shirt, he looked like a normal rider.

“Great!” Carole beamed. “Let’s go get our numbers and find the horses Max borrowed for us.”

A little while later, four Horse Wise team riders were lined up behind the starting line, big red 5s pinned to the backs of their shirts.

“Do you think anybody noticed you?” Stevie whispered to Skye as she looked at the other riders waiting for the races to begin.

“I don’t think so.” Skye pulled Veronica’s helmet down lower over his dark wig. “It looks like everybody’s
concentrating on the races. I just hope I’m good enough to help you guys out.”

“You’ll do fine,” Carole assured him, smiling. “Just hang in there and don’t get nervous. We’ll tell you what to do. You know how to pretend you know what you’re doing, don’t you?”

“That’s why they pay me the big bucks,” he said, grinning.

The first race was announced. It was a keyhole race, where riders rode down a long straight path, turned their horses in a tight circle, then galloped back to the finish line. The Horse Wise team took their place behind the starting line.

“Who wants to go first?” asked Stevie.

“I will,” volunteered Carole. “That way Skye can see what I’m doing. Then, Skye, you go. Then Lisa. Then, Stevie, you can bat cleanup.”

“Let’s just hope this horse can clean up,” Stevie laughed, giving the fat little gray she was riding an affectionate pat.

The gun went off, and so did Carole. She rode her pinto mare straight down to the circle, then reined her up hard. Turning in almost a dressage pirouette, she maintained her seat perfectly, then thundered back home.

“Got it?” Stevie asked Skye as Carole raced toward them.

“Got it!” he called as Carole slapped his hand. He
kicked his buckskin gelding into a quick gallop and they were off. He didn’t ride as fast or turn his mount as tightly as Carole did, but he held on and soon slapped Lisa’s hand, sending her on her way. A moment later it was Stevie’s turn. As the crowd cheered and riders shouted encouragement to their friends, she flew down the track. The gray turned nimbly as a cow pony, and soon they were galloping back, crossing the finish line in a blur. A moment later, she heard the announcer on the loudspeaker.

“Congratulations to the Horse Wise team from Willow Creek, Virginia, who came in first in the keyhole race!”

Stevie rode over and high-fived Carole, Lisa, and Skye. Everyone grinned, then they concentrated on catching their breath for the next race.

“Now we’re going to do something a little different,” the announcer called. “We’re going to use the same keyhole course, but this time we’re going to ride it sidesaddle. All riders have to throw their right leg and stirrup over their horses and complete the course riding modified sidesaddle.”

A buzz of excitement went through the crowd as the riders adjusted their seats and tack.

“Think you can do this?” Carole asked Skye as she threw her right leg across the front of her saddle.

“I don’t know,” he answered in a high, feminine voice. “I’ve never ridden like a girl before.”

“Actually, I’ve only done it a couple of times, so it’s pretty new to me, too,” said Lisa as she adjusted her stirrup iron and shifted her rear end over the right side of the saddle.

“It’s really not that hard,” Stevie said. “The trick is not to trot. Stay at a walk or canter and you’ll be fine.”

When everyone was seated sideways on their horses, they went back to their places behind the starting line.

“Who wants to go first this time?” asked Carole.

“Why don’t you let me,” said Skye. “I’ll probably have to go slower. You guys can make up for my lost time.”

“Okay,” the girls agreed.

They pulled their horses slightly behind Skye’s and waited for the race to begin. With everyone looking at the distant end of the field, the starting gun fired. Skye and his horse leaped forward.

At first the buckskin seemed confused by the odd distribution of weight in his saddle. He started off at a canter, then pulled down into a trot. For a horrible moment the girls watched Skye bobble, out of balance in the saddle, and the other horses thunder past.

“Canter!” yelled Stevie above the crowd.

She saw Skye’s elbows flap out once, then he leaned forward. The buckskin took off like a rocket, his hooves kicking up little mounds of dirt. Everyone
held their breath as Skye wobbled through the turn, then the buckskin dug in and they raced toward the finish line.

“Go next, Lisa!” cried Stevie as Skye came toward them with his hand extended.

Lisa rode fast, making up some lost time for Skye, then it was Stevie’s turn. She, too, edged up a little on the competition, then Carole rode the anchor lap. Even riding sidesaddle, she sat her horse like a dream, but her mare stumbled coming out of the turn. By the time they crossed the finish line, the team in the next lane had taken off their helmets in triumph.

“And that race goes to the Ingleside team from Valparaiso, Indiana,” the announcer proclaimed. “We’ll take a fifteen-minute break here, folks, then our next race will be the costume change.”

“Well, I should be more help to you with that,” laughed Skye as they dismounted to let their horses drink some water. “If there’s anything I learned in the theater, it’s how to change costumes fast between acts!”

Fifteen minutes later, everyone lined up again. At the far end of the field stood several boxes of clothes.

“Okay, contestants. You must ride your horse to one of the boxes at the end of the field, put on pants, shirt or jacket, and a hat, and then gallop back to the starting line and tag one of your teammates. The first team that can clothe all four riders wins.”

“Who wants to go first?” asked Carole.

“Let me,” said Lisa. “I’m the slowest dresser. Let Skye ride anchor this time.”

“Thanks.” Skye grinned. “I’m glad you have so much confidence in me.”

Lisa was about to say something else when the starting gun went off. She turned her pony and galloped down to the end of the field. Stevie, Carole, and Skye watched as she pulled up next to a box, got off her horse, and dug around for some clothes. Soon she’d pulled on a pair of painter’s coveralls, a baseball jacket, and a stocking cap. Leaping back on her horse, she galloped back toward them.

“Go!” she said, as she crossed the starting line and slapped Stevie’s hand.

Stevie raced down to the box. She returned wearing a pair of warm-up pants, a baggy sweater, and a football helmet crammed on top of her riding hat. Next it was Carole’s turn. She galloped down the field, aware that the team from South Carolina was riding with them neck and neck. Quickly, she dug an old pleated skirt, frilly blouse, and woolly hat out of the clothes box, donned them, and jumped back on her horse. By the time she slapped Skye’s hand, the last rider from South Carolina was halfway to the box.

“Hurry!” she cried. “They’re about to beat us.”

Skye squeezed his horse into a gallop, arriving at
the clothes box just as the other rider was beginning to pull on a pair of pants. In a flash, he was on the ground. Almost before anyone could blink their eyes, he was back in the saddle, wearing a suit coat and pants and a silvery top hat over his riding helmet.

“Come on, Skye!” Carole and Lisa yelled. “Hurry!”

With a final nudge at his horse, he crossed the finish line half a length in front of the rider from South Carolina.

“All right!” Stevie cried, holding her arms high above her head.

“Congratulations to the Horse Wise team,” said the announcer. “Those quick-change artists are in first place as we head into our final race.”

“Oh boy,” said Lisa, her cheeks rosy with excitement. “Just one more race to go.”

“Wonder what’ll be next,” said Carole. “We’ve done just about everything.”

“Our final event will be the old egg-and-spoon race,” said the announcer. “Whoever has the softest hands and steadiest nerves will win this one. Riders, be ready in about five minutes.”

Skye looked at the girls. “Egg and spoon?” he asked with a frown.

“You have to carry an egg in a spoon all the way down to the end of the arena and back,” explained Lisa. “If you drop it or you break your egg, you’re out of the race.”

“Ugh,” said Skye. “That sounds a lot harder than any of the others.”

“It is,” agreed Stevie. “Particularly for people who don’t ride every day.” She frowned. “I just wish there was some way we could even the playing field, to give you a fighting chance.”

Suddenly she snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it! You guys wait right there! I’ll be back in a flash!”

Skye, Carole, and Lisa watched as Stevie trotted up toward the announcer’s stand. She smiled and waved at people she didn’t know, stopping to chat with some and pointing over toward the far end of the track with her crop. In a few moments, she trotted back, a wide grin on her face.

“What did you do, Stevie?” Carole frowned with suspicion. “You’ve got that funny grin on your face.”

“Nothing,” Stevie replied innocently. “Just talked to some of the other contestants. Did you know there’s a rumor going around?”

“No.” Lisa leaned forward. “What kind of rumor?”

“Oh, that a famous movie star is here, competing in disguise.” Stevie grinned. “Somebody thought they saw him, way down at the other end of the field.”

Everyone looked where Stevie pointed. Sure enough, there was a small cluster of girls and a few boys gathered around some helpless boy on a black horse.

“Stevie!” cried Carole. “You didn’t!”

Stevie shrugged. “Who knows how rumors get started?”

A woman came by and gave them each an egg and a spoon, then the announcer called for attention.

“Okay, riders, the last race is about to begin. Be the first team to ride four unbroken eggs down the arena and back, and you’ll win. Is everybody ready?”

Actually, only half the competitors were ready. The other half was peering at the boy on the black horse at the far end of the field.

The starting gun went off. By the time everyone realized that the race was truly under way, Skye had carried his egg halfway down the track.

“Hurry!” Lisa called. “Only hurry carefully!”

Skye rounded the barrel at the end of the arena, then started home. Soon, with his egg safely in his spoon, he crossed the finish line and tagged Lisa. She cantered away, rounding the barrel with her own egg barely wobbling. She came back and tagged Carole, who never made a false move. Then it was Stevie’s turn.

“
Yee-hii!
” Stevie gave a wild Western yell as she urged her pony into an easy canter. Her egg wobbled once, but she settled down deep in the saddle and carried it without another bounce. She rounded the barrel smoothly, then cantered toward the finish line, the egg hardly moving in the spoon.

“Come on, Stevie, come on!” yelled Carole and
Lisa, aware that the fourth Sunnyside rider was gaining fast.

“Coming!” said Stevie. She looked over her shoulder once, then gave her horse an extra squeeze. They bounded over the finish line, the egg still unbroken.

“We’ve got our winner, folks!” the announcer cried over the speaker as Stevie accepted the congratulations of her friends. “It was close, but four blue ribbons go to the Horse Wise team from Willow Creek, Virginia, our first-place winners for the day!”

“And an extra blue ribbon for Stevie Lake,” whispered Skye. “Our prizewinning gossip for the day!”

“H
EY, GUYS
!” M
AX
’s voice rang out over the crowd. “Congratulations!”

The Horse Wise team turned. Max and Deborah, carrying Maxi, walked toward them, big smiles on their faces.

“I’m so proud of you!” Max leaned forward and shook Skye’s hand. “Nice job of filling in at the last minute, Skye.”

“Mostly I just did what the girls told me to do,” Skye admitted shyly. “And hoped I could hang on!”

“You looked like a real pro out there.” Deborah gave Skye a warm smile, but there was a troubled look in her eyes.

“Is everything okay, Deborah?” Stevie asked, holding out her arms for Maxi.

“I may as well tell all of you the bad news now,” Deborah said as she placed Maxi in Stevie’s arms. She sighed. “I’m afraid that our horses are still somewhere between here and Willow Creek. I was supposed to meet the van an hour ago at the stable, but it hasn’t shown up. I’ve called the shipping company, but all I get is an answering machine. Mrs. Reg is calling from Virginia, too.”

“Oh no,” said Stevie, wincing as Maxi tugged on a lock of her honey blond hair. “I knew something like this would happen. I knew that van driver was an idiot!”