Free Gold Medal Rider by Bonnie Bryant

opera,” Nigel replied. “Dorothy!”
    “You’ve got over half an hour,” Dorothy said soothingly. “Plenty of time. Relax.”
    “Good.” Nigel took Campfire out of the stable,mounted, and rode off with an expression of fierce concentration.
    “He isn’t always quite like this,” Dorothy said, watching him go with a thoughtful expression. “Nigel hasn’t said so to you, but this is an important event for Campfire. It’ll tell us a lot about how good he can be.”
    “Nigel’s just so
busy
,” Stevie said. “I didn’t expect it.”
    “Yes. Well.” Dorothy smiled. “Despite the fact that Kate needs coaching, Nigel isn’t really all that busy. Imagine riding several horses and having three or four of your students ride, too. That’s what our spring events are like. Of course, Drew comes with us then. Why don’t you girls head for the dressage ring? The competition’s going to start soon. I have to put together a grooming bucket to take to the ring, but I’ll be there in a minute.”
    The Saddle Club walked off together. They could see a small crowd of people gathering at the dressage ring. Beyond that, a larger crowd of riders worked their horses in the warm-up ring. “I don’t see Kate,” Stevie said. She stood on her toes, craning to see around a very large horse who was blocking the way. “Didn’t Nigel say near the show-jumping arena?”
    “There’s the arena,” Carole said. They dodged their way through the people and horses until they reached the fence surrounding the arena. Empty bleachers stood on both sides.
    “There she is,” Lisa said, pointing at a lone horse andrider who were cantering slowly in the deep grass of an adjoining field. Even from a distance, they could tell that Kate’s position was beautifully correct and that Southwood was listening to her and responding well. “They look great,” Lisa said, “but lonely.” She corrected herself. “I mean, alone. Not lonely.” But as she looked at Kate, she realized that “lonely” was exactly the right word. Kate seemed isolated, in her own world.
    Carole sighed. “I feel a little lonely myself,” she said. “I didn’t expect this to be such a big deal. Riding is hard work.” The thought surprised her. It was certainly never one she’d had before. She looked up at her friends, a half-frightened look on her face.
    “No, it isn’t,” Stevie said firmly. She put a reassuring arm around her. “Showing is hard work. Riding is hard, if you want to do it right, but it’s not work. It’s the most wonderful fun you can have—especially when you do it with friends!”
    Carole felt much better.

I N THE CENTER of the dressage arena, a woman on a sleek brown Thoroughbred drew to a square halt. She paused, her horse’s neck finely arched to the bit, then let the reins run loose through her fingers. She gave the horse a pat, and he stretched his neck long and walked out of the arena.
    “Ohhh,” Stevie breathed. “That was beautiful. Did you see her extended trots? That horse—”
    “Shhh,” Lisa said, sitting up straight to see over the people in front of them in the stands. “Here comes Kate.”
    The Saddle Club watched, mesmerized, as their friend rode into the arena. They had already seen Nigel ride a clean, precise, preliminary-level test, and they knew he was pleased. They had also seen enough of the advanced-leveltests to know how good Kate and Southwood needed to be:
very
good.
    “Is that really Kate?” Carole murmured. It was hard to recognize their friend in the championship rider they saw entering the ring.
    Kate halted and dipped her head for her opening salute. From the halt she sent Southwood into a brisk working trot, and from there she rode the same pattern as all the other advanced-level riders: collections and extensions, trots and canters, tight circles and serpentines. Southwood’s movements seemed to flow one into another. His body bent and straightened to Kate’s nearly invisible commands.