Free Chasing Gold by Catherine Hapka Page A

show off what a good team she and her pony had become.
    Kind of like me and Wings, she thought as she scrolled down to the next post. I just hope Zina Charles sees that next weekend!
    She shivered, thinking of the clinic, just one weekaway now! Then she returned her attention to the computer screen. She spotted her name in Maddie’s next post.
    [MADDIE] U can get some show pointers from Haley. She’s prolly been in more shows than the rest of us put together!
    [BROOKE] That’s for sure! I’ve only been in two—a student show where I used to take lessons, and then the one at the end of camp this summer.
    [MADDIE] I did a student show with Cloudy last spring too. Of course, Haley prolly thinks we’re all big wimps since the jumps in our shows fall down if we hit them, unlike those crazy XC things she and Wings jump!
    [NINA] lol, ya. Well, that’s why she’s getting ready to ride in a clinic with a future Olympic champion, and I’m just hopingI can hold on over a few crossrails w/o embarrassing myself or my pony! LOL!
    [BROOKE] LOL! Don’t worry, u can do it!
    Haley smiled. That was the latest post, sent just an hour or so earlier. Opening a new text box, she started typing.
    [HALEY] Nina, that’s awesome news! I know u will do great at yr show. Can’t wait to see pics of u and Breezy showing yr stuff!
    She sent the message. It appeared on the screen, blinking at the bottom of her friends’ long list of posts. Haley reached for the touch screen to sign off, but instead moved her hand back to the keyboard and opened another text box.
    [HALEY] btw, sorry I haven’t been posting more. It’s crazy how busy things are right now.I don’t know how ZC and other pro riders do it!!! I’ll prob be even busier for the next wk, but I promise to make up for it after the clinic!
    This time she did sign off as soon as the message showed up. Her friends were probably all in bed by now, so she shouldn’t expect a response until tomorrow.
    Besides, Haley already knew what they’d say. She knew they’d understand why she’d been a little out of touch—and they wouldn’t mind. After all, they all took turns posting more or less often on the Pony Post. When Maddie had been so busy trying to buy Cloudy, she hadn’t posted nearly as much as usual. And of course, Brooke hadn’t been able to log on very often when she and her pony, Foxy, were at that sleepaway riding camp over the summer. Nina had a fancy smartphone that let her check in easily anywhere, but even she sometimes got busy with school and art lessons and all the other stuff she did in her exciting big-city life.
    But no matter how busy any of them got, they all kept coming back to the Pony Post. Because even though they lived far apart and were very different in some ways, theirlove for their ponies was one thing they’d always have in common.
    After a shower and a quick dinner, Haley could barely keep her eyes open. She set her alarm, grimacing as she counted out the hours—not nearly enough—until she had to get up for her dressage lesson. She’d only managed to give her tack a quick once-over after that day’s ride, but she figured Jan would understand.
    She climbed into bed, her tired brain buzzing with everything she had to do tomorrow. If only she didn’t have to fit that stupid party in with everything else! For a second she thought about telling Tracey she couldn’t make it after all.
    But no. For some mysterious reason, that party seemed to be just as important to Tracey as the clinic was to Haley. All Haley had to do was get through it—and everything else on her overcrowded schedule—for a little while longer. Because exactly one week from tomorrow, the clinic would be here, and all the hard work and lost sleep would be worth it.

CHAPTER
8
    â€œGOOD BOY!” HALEY SAID AS Wings lengthened his trot stride along the fence. “Good, good