Liberty and the Dream Ride (10 page)

“Steady, girl,” Issie said firmly, giving the reins a quick tug in the hope of alerting Liberty to the fact that she was the one in charge here. But Liberty ignored Issie's tugs. In fact it didn't make a blind bit of difference what Issie did. Liberty had no intention of slowing down. She came at the jump in a gallop, barrelling at top speed at the fence. And then, when she was just three strides out from the jump, Liberty suddenly spied the ditch.

“Don't look down into the ditch!” Marcus called out to Issie. “Drive her on with your legs and look up!”

But it was too late. Issie's eyes were drawn down and so were Liberty's. They both stared into the chasm in front of the hedge and Liberty sensed her rider's hesitation and stopped galloping. She skidded to a stop so suddenly that, despite being in the classic eventing rider's safety position, Issie was flung forward with such force that she was catapulted out of the saddle.

Issie flipped in a complete somersault through the air, and then she was coming down, bracing for the unavoidable impact as the ditch rushed up to meet her and she fell into the void below.

Twenty thousand spectators had gathered in the grandstands of the main arena at the Kentucky Horsepark to watch the first, crucial phase of the Three-Day Event. Already that morning, the crowd had watched as fifty-three of the world's greatest eventers performed their dressage tests. Now, the crowd was hushed in tense silence as a teenage girl on a 14.2 skewbald pony warmed up around the dressage arena and prepared for her moment in front of the judges.

“This is the one we've all been waiting for.” The crisp, British voice of the announcer, Mike Partridge, crackled back to life over the Tannoy.

“It certainly is, Mike,” his co-announcer, the famous American former showjumping star Betsy Bevan agreed. “We're about to see the young rider who's got everyone talking here in Lexington.”

“She's only seventeen,” Mike Partridge continued, “so what an experience to be competing here at the famed Kentucky Horsepark. Making her Four-Star eventing debut, ladies and gentlemen, this is Isadora Brown riding Blackthorn Comet.”

As she took her last warm-up lap round the edge of the dressage arena Issie tried to ignore the announcers and the buzz of the crowd. The last thing she needed right now was to get anxious and lose the plot. This morning she'd sat on the sidelines and watched some of her heroes perform, the superstars of the eventing world. She'd been in awe of Gerhardt Muller and his black stallion, Avatar, who had performed one of the most brilliant dressage tests she'd ever seen. And now, here she was, a kid from Chevalier Point Pony Club. What made her think she could foot it with these Four-Star professionals?

But if Issie had doubts, Comet never questioned their right to be here. He was a star and he knew it. As they trotted round the arena, Comet snorted and strutted, eager and ready to perform, and Issie suddenly knew in her bones that this was going to be one of his good days.

Dressage was always the hardest phase for the little skewbald, but Francoise and Issie had worked hard together over the past few months at Laurel Farm, improving his education, and Comet was now in credibly well schooled. He still didn't like dressage much, but Issie knew that today she had a secret weapon on her side. If there was one thing that Comet loved, it was performing in front of a crowd. When he entered the arena and saw twenty-thousand pairs of eyes watching him from the stands it was like an electric current had run through him. Suddenly he was super-charged. Every muscle in his body was quivering, his neck was beautifully arched and his tail lifted like an Arabian's so that it flowed out behind him. As far as Comet was concerned he was no longer an ill-bred wild pony from the hill country of Gisborne, he was a fabulous, international dressage schoolmaster!

Now it was up to Issie to keep the little skewbald under control and stop his high spirits from going over the top, while giving him all the right cues to complete his test.

As she entered at A and cantered up the centre line she felt her heart racing as she saw the judge staring back at her. She pulled Comet to a brilliant square halt at X to salute, the judge raised her hand back, and then, it began.

Issie had run through this test so many times in her mind, she knew every single movement off by heart. There was the working trot to begin with, and then the extended trot down the long side of the arena. Comet flung his forelegs out in front of him as if he were flying. His nostrils flared and his veins bulged as he put everything he had into every stride.

“Look at this pony move!” Mike Partridge enthused in reverent tones to the crowd. “That was a perfect extended trot, and now we see Isadora performing the one-time flying changes across the arena.”

“That's right, Mike,” Betsy Bevan joined in the commentary. “The horse must keep the rhythm and change canter leads with every single stride. This is a true test of control.”

“Magnificent one-time changes!” Mike Partridge raved. “And we're back into the canter – and the pirouettes down the centre line. This pony hasn't put a hoof wrong! And there we have it, the half-pass in trot across the diagonal and up the centre line for the final salute.”

“It was a great test, Mike,” Betsy Bevan said. “For a first-time effort she has to be happy with that.”

“I'm no judge by any means, Betsy,” Mike added, “but I'm betting that this puts her in the top ten – what a fabulous effort!”

As Issie and Comet rode out of the arena the crowd erupted in applause. It had been a fantastic dressage test, the best that Comet had ever done, and Issie looked thrilled to bits as Avery and Stella met her in the collection ring at the far side of the grandstands.

“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!” Avery gave her a round of applause.

“Comet, you are such a star!” Stella took the skewbald's reins. “You are totally getting extra barley in your hard feed tonight!”

“Oh man, I am exhausted after that!” Issie took off her silk top hat and slid down out of the saddle. She gave a grunt of pain as her feet hit the ground. Her face suddenly turned pale and she made a grab at her ribs.

“Are you OK?” Avery asked.

“I'm fine,” Issie said unconvincingly.

What nobody in the crowded stands at the Kentucky Horsepark realised was that underneath her dressage jacket Issie was bruised the colour of an aubergine.

When she had fallen into the ditch yesterday her protective cross-country air jacket had inflated instantly on impact and puffed up round her torso like the airbags of a car. It had prevented her spine from suffering serious injury, but it still hadn't been enough to cushion her completely.

Issie had insisted to Avery and Tara that she was OK, although the truth was that she suspected one of her ribs might be cracked. But what was the point in mentioning it? There was no treatment apart from a few bandages for cracked ribs. The bones would eventually heal themselves. She had told Stella about it – well, actually Stella had caught sight of the bruises when they were getting ready for bed last night, so she had no choice. But Issie made her friend promise not to tell Avery. He would only worry about her – he might even make her withdraw from the competition and there was no way she was doing that.

The fall had been a bad moment in the training session on Liberty. Avery, however, had been insistent that Issie's failure to get the mare over the jump wasn't a portent of doom. “It's always strange schooling a horse over cross-country fences in cold blood. It's a totally different story to riding the real thing,” he said, reassuring her. “When your blood is up and Liberty is feeling psyched then the extra adrenalin will kick in and that will change everything.”

There was no point in worrying about the cross-country now – she had to get Liberty through the dressage phase first. The mare was due to perform in the arena in an hour. Issie would have to get onboard soon and begin warming up for her test.

“How are you feeling?” Stella asked as she came to take Comet back to his stall.

“I'm good,” Issie said.

“No, really,” Stella looked concerned. “Do your ribs hurt?”

“Only when I breathe or move,” Issie replied.

“Maybe you should tell Avery,” Stella said. “It's too much riding both of them in your condition.”

“No,” Issie shook her head, “I can't quit, I promised Marcus I'd ride her. It's too late to back out now.”

In the practice arena Issie let Liberty have a long rein at first, encouraging the mare to stretch her neck and relax. She was the opposite of Comet and needed to be treated so differently to get the best out of her. Issie was able to gather Comet up almost straight away into a trot when she was warming him up, but with Liberty she kept the mare in a walk for ages, talking to her softly as she rode, trying to calm and relax her before finally shortening up the reins ready to trot.

It was a painfully slow way to warm up, but it worked. By the time Issie asked Liberty to trot on, the mare was no longer acting like she was walking on hot coals. As Issie collected her up and began to do the more advanced manoeuvres, Liberty responded beautifully. Marcus was right, she was an extremely sensitive and schooled mare. The problem was that she was almost too well schooled and if you put one foot or hand in the wrong place Liberty might misread your instructions and suddenly you'd be doing a pirouette!

Avery watched as Issie worked the horse in, offer ing the odd comment to help out. Then, when the moment of truth drew near, he headed over to Issie and gestured at the clock above the warm-up arena.

“Time to go,” he said. “You're due in the main arena.”

Issie nodded. “We're ready, Tom.”

As Issie rode Liberty towards the main arena, with Avery striding along at their side, Stella came running up to them.

“Comet's dressage scores have been posted!” Stella panted. “Issie, you got thirty-six!”

Issie was gobsmacked. Thirty-six was the best score she'd ever had in her life! In three-day eventing the scoring system worked backwards, which meant that the lowest dressage score was the winning score, and thirty-six was super-low. It might even put her in the top ten!

“I just thought you'd like to know before you went back in there with Liberty,” Stella beamed up at her. “Good luck!”

The news of Comet's amazing score was just the confidence booster that Issie needed. As she headed back into the main arena to complete her second dressage test of the day she suddenly found herself sitting up a little bit straighter and prouder in the saddle. She had aced this once – now all she had to do was make the right moves once again on Liberty.

“She's back, ladies and gentlemen,” Mike Partridge announced gaily over the Tannoy. “You've already seen this young girl put in a fabulous test on The Pony. Now here she is, on a chance ride that she only got handed yesterday, this amazing silver dapple mare from the Valmont Stables in California. This is Isadora Brown, back in the arena once more on Valmont Liberty!”

As she cantered up the centre line, Issie knew she was on a hair trigger with this horse. Riding Liberty was like being perched on a volcano and any little thing might set her off. Issie had to handle her absolutely perfectly or it would be a disaster.

As she made her salute for the second time that day, the crowd was hushed and reverent, saving their applause until she finished the test so that they wouldn't upset the horse. Even Mike Partridge seemed to understand that this mare was a potential time bomb, and was whispering his comments over the loudspeaker.

“A magnificent entrance,” he said. “A lovely extended trot, and look at those paces!”

As Issie trotted up the far side of the arena she was completely focused on keeping Liberty in a perfect extended trot. The mare was round and supple, they were a perfect team. And then suddenly it all fell apart.

This was a world-class, Four-Star event so there were cameramen positioned at the far end of the arena filming the competitors with a massive camera mounted on a tall mobile crane. Liberty hadn't noticed the cameramen before, but as the crane began to move, the mare suddenly spotted it and gave a massive spook! She bounded sideways into the middle of the arena and it took all of Issie's skill, strength and determination to force the quivering, terrified Liberty back to where she was supposed to be.

“Bad luck!” Betsy Bevan commiserated from the announcers' booth. “Liberty has shied at the TV cameras. Let's hope this untested combination can remain on track for the rest of the dressage test.”

In the arena, Issie was trying to refocus. She'd completely blown her points on that particular manoeuvre – but a dressage test was always judged as a series of separate movements. Just because the mare had wigged out for one movement didn't mean they couldn't still pull themselves together and continue on to get a good score. Issie had to keep Liberty calm. They had reached the next marker now and Issie had regained her composure. She confidently asked the mare to move into her one-time canter changes and Liberty responded on cue, doing the movements perfectly.

There was a moment when they came up the centre line once more to perform the pirouettes and Liberty once again saw the TV cameras ahead of her. Issie sensed the mare's apprehension and spoke softly to reassure Liberty that the camera wasn't going to eat her. The mare seemed to understand. She didn't spook as they rode past the camera this time. After that, the rest of the test was a breeze. Issie continued to ride the silver dapple mare so pitch-perfectly that Liberty never had a reason to go wrong. As they came back up the centre line one final time for their salute to the judges the crowd held their breath, breaking into deafening applause as Issie and Liberty left the ring.

“Disaster at first, but what a remarkable recovery!” Mike Partridge enthused. “What a crowd favourite this seventeen-year-old girl is proving to be!”

Issie had never been so relieved to finish a test! As she rode out of the main arena she saw Tara and Marcus waiting for her in the wings with smiles on their faces.

“I'm really sorry,” Issie said as she joined them. “I never even considered that she might shy at the cameras.”

“There was nothing you could have done about it,” Tara reassured her. “The great thing is that you didn't lose your cool when it happened and you finished with a great test!”

“Miss Brown!”

Issie looked up and saw Tyrel Valmont walking briskly towards her.

“Good work,” Valmont said. “Unfortunate camera incident, but you rode the mare well.”

“Thank you, Mr Valmont,” Issie didn't know what to say. “It's down to Marcus really. He's got Liberty so well schooled that all I had to do was press the right buttons.”

“I wouldn't be too hasty to give someone else the credit,” Valmont said gruffly. “It was good riding on your part. I'm sure you'll give it everything you've got on the cross-country course tomorrow.”