Back in the Saddle (15 page)

“She isn't doing this for a ribbon,” Andrew reminded her. “She's training Cancun, remember? The only thing she cares about is giving him a good experience his first time out. And if she'd pushed it with the cow thing, well . . .”

Haley frowned, but she realized he had a point. “Still, it's too bad.” She watched Jan and Cancun, who were close to the end of the course by now. They stopped beside fence thirteen, an inviting roll top, and Jan spoke to the judge there. A moment later she circled around, sent Cancun into an easy canter, and popped him over the jump.

“Good,” Andrew said. “See, she ended the course on a good note.”

Haley nodded and checked her watch, realizing she needed to go get Wings tacked up soon for her own round.
She still thought it was too bad that her trainer had decided to retire on course, but suddenly she realized there was a silver lining.

With Jan out, that means we're definitely riding to win!
Haley thought with a shiver of anticipation as she slid down from the fence and hurried toward the trailer.

Before Haley knew it, her ride time was almost there. She and Wings had had a good warm-up and were waiting near the start box when Riley rode into view. The older girl was starting two riders ahead of Haley, and Haley was glad she'd get to see Riley's first few fences.

That way I'll have a better sense of how much we need to do to beat her,
she thought, smiling at Riley as the older girl rode past.

Riley didn't seem to notice her. She had her hands full—Athena was on her toes, snorting and jigging as they approached the start box.

“Wow, she looks tense,” Haley murmured, patting Wings, who was alert but calm as they waited.

Moments later Athena trotted out of the start box,
skittering sideways a few strides, before Riley got her cantering toward the first fence. The mare took off from an awkward short spot but still cleared the barrels with at least a foot to spare. The next jump, the coop, went better; Athena met it out of stride and jumped cleanly and quickly.

Wings was getting restless, so Haley circled him. When she came back around, she was just in time to see Riley and Athena's approach to the next obstacle, a double hanging log at maximum height. Haley thought that jump was one of the most imposing on the course—it was big and solid and dark, set on a slight uphill approach that made it look even bigger. It looked as if Athena didn't like the looks of it either. The mare was tossing her head, seeming agitated and trying to veer out to one side. But Riley kept her going, and their approach to the logs looked pretty good—until a large bird suddenly flew up from some tall weeds nearby with a flurry of wings.

The big mare spooked and spun, then let out a hard buck—flinging Riley headfirst into the solid jump.

CHAPTER

“OH NO!” HALEY
blurted out, clutching her reins so tightly that Wings backed up a few steps. People were pouring toward Riley from all directions. The jump judge was at the girl's side in seconds, kneeling down beside her still form.

Please be okay, please be okay,
Haley chanted in her head.

“Hold on course!” the man running the start box yelled, though Haley didn't know why he'd bothered—it was pretty obvious to everyone.

“Loose horse!” someone else shouted.

Again, that seemed obvious. But a second later Haley saw Athena galloping in her direction with her reins trailing
and stirrups flapping. Haley had been so focused on Riley that she'd lost track of the mare for a second, but it looked as if Athena was still pretty freaked out. A few people darted out and tried to grab her or head her off, but Athena dodged them all easily and kept going, charging up the slight hill in the direction of the start box and the trailers beyond. Haley gulped, picturing the carnage the panicked mare could cause to herself and others in the crowded, cluttered parking area.

“Come on, boy—get up!” Haley didn't stop to think as she booted Wings into a canter, heading to cut Athena off from the quickest path to the trailers.

The rider waiting to go just before her, a young woman on a compact little bay gelding, caught on quickly. She sent her horse out as well, angling to block Athena's escape in the other direction.

Athena saw them coming and slowed slightly, veering suddenly off to the right. Haley didn't even have to tell Wings what to do—he spun to cut her off, head lowered and ears flattened.

Just like when we're chasing cows,
Haley thought with a small smile.

“Send her this way!” the other rider hollered.

Haley nodded, sending her pony spurting forward to turn the bigger horse back toward the bay gelding. Athena broke to a trot as she headed in that direction, then suddenly stopped and spun over her hocks like a reining horse.

Haley pushed Wings forward, leaning out of her saddle as far as she could. She held her breath and grabbed for the mare's swinging reins, letting out a gasp of relief as her fingers closed around them.

“Gotcha!” she cried, sitting up and back in case the mare tried to pull away.

But now that Athena had been caught, the horse's panic seemed to leave her all at once. The big mare's head dropped, and she let out a long sigh.

One of the volunteers from the start box jogged over. “Thanks for catching her. That was great,” the woman exclaimed. “I can take her back to the trailers, have the vet take a look just in case.”

Haley handed over the reins. She patted Wings on the neck, proud of him for doing what needed to be done.

“Come on,” she told him. “Let's go see if Riley's okay.”

She kicked him into a trot, and then slowed to a walk when they neared the crowd by the log fence. Tracey spotted her coming and hurried to meet her.

“Oh wow, that was crazy!” she exclaimed. “Good thing Owen and Vance know first aid.”

“Huh?” Haley stood in her stirrups to peer over the heads of the crowd. She was relieved to see that Riley was sitting up, though she was leaning against the jump and looked pretty dazed. The two boys were kneeling on either side of her.

“Where's my horse?” Riley's weak voice drifted toward Haley on the breeze. “Is she okay?”

“Don't try to talk,” Vance told her. “I'm sure your horse is fine.”

Haley jumped down from the saddle and tossed the reins at a surprised Tracey. “Here, hold him a sec,” she ordered. Then she pushed her way through the crowd.

“Athena?” Riley was saying, struggling to sit up straighter. “Where'd she go?”

“Seriously, don't do that, okay?” Owen said, putting a
hand on the girl's shoulder. “The doctor's coming.”

“We got her, Riley,” Haley blurted out when she reached them. “Athena's fine. Someone's taking her back to the trailers right now.”

Riley slumped and sighed. “Good,” she whispered. “Thanks, um . . .” She blinked, looking confused.

“Haley,” Haley supplied. “And you're welcome.” She hesitated. “Um, listen, I'm sorry about what happened. Especially since you were probably going to win.”

The last few words almost stuck in her throat. But she had to say them—they were the truth.

A ghost of a smile flitted across Riley's pale face. “Thanks,” she said again. “But, you know—that's eventing for you. Anyway, I probably should've withdrawn after dressage. I could tell Athena wasn't herself today.”

“Really?” Haley remembered what Kyle had said about Riley having trouble in dressage.

“Yeah. But I figured I could ride through it.” Riley sighed. “Obviously not.” Her eyes met Haley's, and she tried again to smile. “Guess today was my day for bad luck, like yours last time, huh?”

Haley didn't know how to answer that. Bad luck? Was that what Riley thought had caused Haley's fall last time?

“Anyway, good luck with that cute pony today,” Riley said, her voice so soft now that it was hard to hear. “Hope this doesn't throw you off, but I can tell you guys are a great team.”

“Oh—thanks!” Haley said in surprise. “I, um . . .”

“Excuse me, coming through.” A man carrying a black leather bag with a red cross on it pushed his way between Emma and another spectator. “Doctor, coming through, please.”

Owen and Vance stepped back. Owen said a few words to the doctor, who nodded.

“Thanks, young man,” he said. Then he kneeled beside Riley.

Owen walked over to Haley. “You okay?” he asked. “That was kind of scary.”

Haley didn't answer. She was still thinking about what Riley had said. Luck?
Could
it really just have been bad luck that had struck her and Wings last time? It wasn't as if Haley had figured out any other way to explain it. Still,
this sport was all about preparation, boldness, athleticism. How could luck possibly play such a big part?

“Haley?” Owen poked her in the shoulder. “You there?”

She blinked at him, then swatted his hand away. “Yeah, I'm here.” She turned and looked for Tracey and Wings, squaring her shoulders with determination. “I've got to go find Wings and get ready to ride.”

“You sure about this?” Jan squinted up at Haley, who was back in the saddle watching the young woman on the bay gelding ride out of the start box. The EMTs had taken Riley away to the hospital to x-ray her ribs and shoulder and check for a concussion, and now the event was back under way.

Haley's eyes followed the young woman on the bay horse, watching them leap easily over the first jump.

“Yeah,” she said. “I'm sure. I want to go.”

Jan slid her hand under Wings's girth, making sure it was snug. “Okay. I'm just saying, there's no shame in withdrawing after witnessing a fall like that.”

“I know. But I'm okay.” Haley shortened her reins as the starter glanced her way. “I'd better get over there.”

“All right. Good luck.”

Haley winced at the word “luck.” She still didn't know how to feel about what Riley had said. But she could worry about that later. Right now she had a course to ride.