Free Horse Trade by Bonnie Bryant Page B

looked directly at Stevie, who was sitting on No-Name next to Phil on Teddy.
    Uh-oh, Stevie thought, remembering that Hollie andThe Saddle Club had been talking and giggling during most of Ms. Windsor’s talk at Pine Hollow. I’m truly a dead duck, Stevie thought. Ms. Windsor was, in fact, staring directly at Stevie, her long nose quivering with distaste.
    “We’ll start with a medley of dressage steps by members of Cross County and end with a duet by Phil Marsten and Stevie Lake, which incorporates these steps into a choreographed event,” Mr. Baker said.
    Stevie and Phil looked at each other. A choreographed event! This sounded like a big deal.
    Music blared from the public-address system as three Cross County horses and riders entered the ring.
    “Riders will demonstrate the countercanter,” Mr. Baker explained.
    The horses cantered to the left with their right legs leading. This was the opposite of what they instinctively wanted to do. At first the horses and riders showed great skill, but then one horse broke into a disunited canter.
    In a disunited canter a horse has his left legs tucked under him and his right legs spread in full gallop position. This is one of the silliest-looking things a horse can do. It’s also dangerous because a horse can easily lose its balance.
    Carole watched the disunited canter and shook herhead. “Once one horse gets off the gait, the rest will go too.”
    Sure enough, the second horse broke into a disunited canter and then the third.
    Abruptly the music stopped and Mr. Baker spoke over the microphone, “That was a good beginning. A few more practice sessions and the horses will have it. Perhaps Ms. Windsor has something to say.” He passed the microphone to Ms. Windsor.
    “A fine attempt,” Ms. Windsor said. “I can see that this Pony Club takes dressage seriously.”
    Stevie was surprised the woman didn’t say more. Maybe she was saving her most critical comments for Stevie and Phil.
    The next demonstration was of the serpentine. This time the horses and riders rose to the occasion, weaving around the edge of the ring with grace and speed. After that five horses pirouetted to the left and then to the right. Stevie noticed that Mr. Baker looked very pleased.
    And then the whole of Cross County did left half passes and right half passes, getting their horses to walk sideways by crossing their legs. As they backed toward the center, so that together the horses looked like the rays of a sun, the audience burst into applause. Ms. Windsor took the microphone and said, “A very creditable exhibition.A Pony Club shows its true stamina and class when it refuses to let itself be daunted by an initial mishap.”
    There was a pause while the audience digested this thought, and then there was a round of applause.
    “And now Stevie Lake and Phil Marsten will perform a dressage duet to the music of”—Mr. Baker looked at the slip of paper in his hand more closely—“ ‘Almost,’ which will be sung by Lisa Atwood, the star of a recent local production of
Annie
.”
    Stevie swallowed. Never had she been in an exhibition when there were so many uncertainties. For a second—just a second—Stevie wished that her parents weren’t there. Her father was smiling proudly and had his camera raised.
    But then Stevie looked over at Max, who was standing at the rail next to Mr. Baker. Max’s blue eyes seemed to be staring right into her, making her calm.
    Lisa sang,
    “You belong to me … almost.”
    Stevie and Phil raised their hats to each other and rode in opposite directions in a sitting trot. They met on the word “almost” and leaned toward each other, almost touching. Then they headed into a serpentine, and when they neared each other, they reached out their hands,barely missing on the word “almost.” The crowd was into it now, laughing and clapping. Phil and Stevie spun off into giant figure eights that got smaller and smaller and closer and closer, until it seemed as if