Free The Prize by Stacy Gregg Page A

strangely attractive, Georgie supposed, in a weird Conrad-ish way.
    â€œWhat are you reading?” Georgie tried again and Conrad held up the cover of the book so that she could see it. It was the famous German dressage rider Reiner Klimke’s best-selling book: Cavaletti – schooling horses over ground poles .
    â€œI’ve got that book,” Georgie said. “It’s good.”
    Conrad’s scowl deepened. “You haven’t studied this yet. This is a senior text,” he said.
    â€œI have a copy of my own that my mum gave me,” Georgie said. “I like the chapter about different ways of using cavaletti stacked on a circle.”
    Conrad’s scowl eased. “Have you tried riding the jumping exercises?”
    â€œNot yet,” Georgie admitted.
    â€œWe’ve been doing them in class with Bettina Schmidt,” Conrad said, looking genuinely excited. “Bettina’s really into Reiner Klimke. She’s got the video that goes with the book – it’s brilliant.”
    â€œI’ve seen him ride,” Georgie said. “Well not in real life obviously, but there’s some great old footage of him competing at the Olympics when he was young – he was pretty cool.”
    â€œHis daughter is an eventer,” Conrad said, “She rode at Badminton last year…”
    For the next hour as she cleaned tack, Georgie found herself doing something she never thought possible – enjoying a conversation with Conrad. There was something so touching in the way he talked about his riding, and especially his new horse, a big grey called Sauron.
    â€œSauron is really sensitive,” Conrad said. “He bucked me off twice this week – but it wasn’t his fault…”
    Conrad spoke about Sauron the same way that Georgie did about Belle and suddenly she realised that he had a genuine love for his horse.
    They had been talking about horses for almost an hour when Conrad shifted the subject to Riley.
    â€œAre you still going out with that guy?” he asked Georgie. “You know, the one with the attitude problem?”
    â€œHis name is Riley,” Georgie said. And then, letting her guard down, she added, “and, no, I don’t think I am. I think we just split up.”
    â€œYou think?” Conrad pulled a face. “Don’t you know?”
    Georgie sighed. “He kind of split up with me. Just before, in fact, when I was on my way here.”
    â€œWell… he’s an idiot,” Conrad said. And then he added. “A girl like you is way out of his league. If he had half a brain he’d realise that.”
    As they’d talked, Conrad had been watching Georgie struggling to reattach a pair of stirrup leathers to the stiff bars of the saddle.
    â€œâ€œLet me give you a hand with those,” he said.
    â€œNo, it’s OK. I’ve got it…” Georgie tried to force the leathers back but her hands were so cramped and sore she could barely move her fingers. The leathers were stiff, despite the saddle soaping and she couldn’t get them through.
    â€œHere, let me help,” Conrad put his book down and came over to help her.
    â€œNo, honestly, I can do it,” Georgie insisted, gripping the saddle and trying to force the leather. Conrad reached down to take the saddle out of her hands and Georgie pulled it back towards her again.
    â€œWhy do you have to be so stubborn all the time?” Conrad said, still hanging on.
    â€œAnd why are you always trying to push me around?” Georgie wasn’t letting go.
    She was standing there, face-to-face with Conrad, defiant, looking him in the eye. He leaned closer and took a firm grip on the saddle, his hands clasping over her own. “Come on, Georgie, stop being silly.”
    It was the way he said her name. Not Parker. Georgie . She released the saddle and as she let go, she expected Conrad to back away but he didn’t. Instead he moved