Free Gold Medal Horse by Bonnie Bryant Page B

across Prospero’s withers. “You’re right, it was luck. He’s always been a great horse, and now he’s a lucky one, too.”
    T HAT NIGHT THEY ate dinner at a pizza parlor in Lexington. Nigel ordered a superlarge thick-crust pizza with everything, but when it arrived he hardly nibbled on one slice.
    “Ummm—looks good!” Carole said, even though she hated anchovies and couldn’t believe Nigel had orderedthem. “Here, Stevie,” she added, picking through the toppings on her slice, “you can have my anchovies.”
    “Only if you take my olives,” Stevie muttered. “I hate olives.”
    “I don’t know why you two are so picky,” Lisa said cheerfully. “This looks wonderful!” She took a big bite, chewed, choked, and turned red. She swallowed hard and gulped some water. “So that’s what anchovies taste like,” she said. “I never had them before.”
    “I’ll show you what they look like,” Carole offered. “That way you can pick them off your pizza.”
    While they were poring over Lisa’s slice of pizza, Stevie looked at Nigel. He was sipping his iced tea with a tight, thoughtful expression on his face. He still hadn’t eaten anything.
    “I wonder how Prospero is,” Stevie said. Since noncompeting horses weren’t allowed to stay in the Kentucky Rolex stables, Drew and Eddy had taken Prospero back to the horse hospital for the weekend. Drew and Eddy were there now, making sure Prospero was comfortable. Stevie knew that Prospero would be comfortable. She also knew that Drew just wanted to stay with Prospero. She didn’t blame him. Somehow, they still hadn’t been forced to meet Dready Eddy.
    “He’s wonderful,” Carole said. “He’s happy.”
    Nigel pushed his plate away. Dorothy gave him a sympathetic look but didn’t say anything. The Saddle Club didn’t say anything, either. They all understood the enormous test that Nigel and Southwood were going to face the next morning on the cross-country course. Even the easy routes over the fences were fantastically difficult. No wonder Nigel seemed so nervous.
    T HAT EVENING AFTER dinner Dorothy and Nigel wanted to return to the Rolex stables to finish getting Southwood ready for the morning. They offered to take the girls back to Blue Hill. “We’d rather wander around the horse park,” Carole said. “No one will care, will they?”
    “Just stick to open areas,” Nigel said. “We’ll be ready to leave in an hour.”
    “Let’s go back to the hospital,” Carole suggested, after they had walked past the start box and the first few fences, all set and ready for the morning. “Let’s just look in on Prospero.”
    “Eddy,” Lisa objected.
    “We wouldn’t have to go into the stable,” Carole said. “We could just peek in and be sure he’s okay. I mean, I know he is,” she added, “I just want to look at him. I don’t know why. I’m so amazed that Ghost is really him.”
    Stevie checked her watch. “We’ll have to hurry.” Theywalked quickly across the park. The setting sun shone golden on the grass. They reached the hospital grounds and walked to the stable where Prospero was staying. The large main door was open a crack. Stevie peeked inside, then jumped back.
    “Duck!” she whispered.
    “Is it Eddy?” asked Lisa.
    “No! It’s Nigel!”
    “Nigel?” Lisa asked. She and Carole peered inside. Prospero stood in his usual stall, his head over the half door. Nigel stood alone in front of the old gray-white horse. His hands were on his hips, and he appeared to be talking quietly and earnestly.
    “Who’s he talking to?” Stevie whispered. She’d come forward again and joined Carole and Lisa at the door. Nigel didn’t notice them.
    “Prospero, I guess,” Lisa said.
    “Why?” asked Stevie. None of them knew the answer. Nigel quit talking. He and Prospero stood silently, regarding each other. Nigel put his hand out to stroke the horse.
    “Nigel!” a voice shouted from the other end of the stable. “How much grain do