The Thirteenth Horse Read online

  ‘Come on,’ she said impatiently. ‘Let’s do this!’

  NORAH TURNED a ghostly shade of white when she saw how many people had turned out for the Mayor’s first New Year’s Eve show.

  ‘There are millions here!’ she cried.

  ‘Not millions, sis. Maybe a couple of thousand,’ said William.

  Norah tugged on Silver’s reins, stopping the little grey gelding in his tracks. ‘I don’t think I can do it,’ she whispered.

  ‘Don’t be silly. Of course you can. Anyway, you’ve got no choice. You’re our leader. You need to lead us into battle.’ William smiled encouragingly at her.

  Kristy met Sofia’s gaze and raised her eyebrows. She had no idea Norah would be the one to suffer from nerves. She was always so assertive, so certain of herself. But William seemed to know how to handle her.

  She checked her watch. It was five to eleven. ‘Emma says we’re last on. Let’s watch a couple of the other teams before we get changed.’

  The others followed her to the arena, where families were already taking their seats. At eleven o’clock on the dot a man wearing a pinstripe suit, a bowler hat and a flamboyant gold chain of office walked over to the raised platform and fiddled with the microphone.

  ‘It’s the dressage marker man!’ Kristy said in surprise.

  ‘The who?’ said William.

  ‘I met him earlier. I didn’t realise he was the Mayor.’

  The audience fell silent as the Mayor started speaking. ‘Welcome everyone, to our very first quadrille competition, although I very much hope it won’t be our last.’ He smiled at them all. ‘When I first decided to hold a New Year’s Eve show to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another, my fellow councillors couldn’t understand why I wanted to include a quadrille. What on earth have horses and riders in fancy dress riding to music got to do with New Year’s Eve, they asked me.

  ‘But what they didn’t know is that once, a very, very long time ago, I competed in a quadrille competition just like this one. It was one of the best times of my life. Hard work, but such fun!’ His eyes took on a faraway look. ‘Unlike my team-mates I didn’t have my own pony so I had to borrow one from the local stables. And the experience was enough to give me a lifelong love of horses. So, when I was thinking of events for our show I knew we had to have a quadrille. It was, as you young people say, a no brainer.

  ‘And so, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our first quadrille team in this inaugural competition. Please give a huge round of applause to the ladies from the Southfield Riding Club!’

  Two black horses and two dappled greys walked sedately into the ring to the sound of a wedding march. The women riding the greys were dressed in black morning suits, top hats and stick-on moustaches and the women atop the black horses wore meringue-like wedding dresses.

  ‘They look amazing,’ breathed Sofia.

  ‘They should have spent more time practising than they did on their costumes,’ said William sagely, as one of the black horses broke into an extended trot across the diagonal, forcing the others to canter to keep up. As they rode up the centre line in pairs one of the grey mares snaked her head and bared her teeth at the black gelding beside her. He skittered away, almost unseating his rider. The crowd roared with laughter.

  ‘Looks like they might be heading for the divorce courts before too long,’ William joked.

  ‘They’re not a very forgiving audience,’ Norah fretted.

  Kristy knew Norah was worrying about the vault. She reached over and touched her arm. ‘You’ll be alright. It’s all in the bounce, remember.’

  Norah gave her a brief smile. ‘I know.’

  Emma marched over, four white sheets under her arm. ‘Come on, we’d better get you in these costumes.’

  They followed her to the Land Rover and took it in turns to change inside. Norah said she couldn’t paint their faces as her hands were shaking too much, so Sofia took over, while Kristy and William fitted the horses’ sheets and fixed their white exercise bandages.

  Cardboard carrots on their noses and their top hats over their riding helmets, they knotted their scarves and re-checked girths and stirrup leathers. As they led their horses over to the arena they heard the recognisable notes of the Harry Potter theme tune.

  ‘Coldblow must be before us,’ said Sofia.

  Sure enough, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore were trotting into the arena on their four identical dark bay ponies and the Mill Farm team, standing in the small collecting area, had an uninterrupted view of their routine.

  Kristy was surprised to realise that the Coldblow riders weren’t as perfect as she remembered. On several occasions, their over-rehearsed ponies anticipated the transitions before their riders had given them the aids, which messed up their crossover and almost resulted in a two-way collision.

  ‘They don’t look very cheerful,’ said Norah, surprised.

  ‘Would you, if you were about to be on the receiving end of a dressing down from Karen?’ said Sofia. ‘I almost feel sorry for them. Almost, but not quite.’

  The music built up to its crescendo and one of the ponies peeled off into a pirouette seconds before the others. His rider, a stocky boy with a face like thunder, gave the pony a sharp rap with his crop. Several people in the audience gasped and one man called out, ‘Hey, that’s not very sporting!’

  The applause was muted as the Coldblow riders gave their mechanical bows to the Mayor and trotted out of the ring, staring straight ahead with granite faces as they passed the Mill Farm team.

  Sofia, William and Kristy lined up behind Norah. Emma ruffled Silver’s forelock and regarded her team. ‘Unlike my sister, I don’t care if you’re first or last. I just want you to enjoy yourselves. You deserve to, after all your hard work. I’m super proud of you all. So, go out there and have fun. If you enjoy it, the audience will too. Good luck!’

  The deep, rich sound of a cello cut through the air. It was their cue to go.

  ‘Good luck everyone!’ shouted Kristy, her eyes shining with excitement as she bounced on the balls of her feet. ‘Let’s smash it!’

  NORAH RAN INTO THE ARENA, Silver trotting by her side. Kristy could see the tension in her friend’s shoulders and she willed Norah to relax and enjoy herself. To believe in herself.

  ‘You can do it!’ she whispered. Norah grabbed a handful of mane, matching Silver stride for stride. Bounce, bounce, boing! Kristy breathed a sigh of relief as Norah heaved herself into the saddle and trotted towards the judges. The crowd broke into applause.

  One down, three to go.

  With an effortless leap, Sofia was in the saddle. William shot a look over his shoulder.

  ‘Good luck,’ he mouthed, holding up crossed fingers.

  Kristy gave him the thumbs up and laced her fingers through Cassius’s mane to stop them trembling. Adrenalin was whizzing through her nervous system like a bullet through the barrel of a gun. She knew it was her fight or flight reflex and that she had to channel her nerves or the wobble in her fingers would travel down through her legs and all would be lost.

  She focused on William as he flung his right leg over Copper’s saddle with the casual ease of a cowboy.

  ‘Our turn,’ said Kristy. Once again Cassius seemed to be getting taller by the minute. Kristy clicked her tongue and he broke into a trot. It’s all in the bounce, all in the bounce. The words echoed around her head as she ran alongside the Percheron.

  She took a deep breath and imagined she was a rubber ball, her legs as bouncy as elastic. One, two…three! And suddenly she was kicking her legs up and sailing into the air, as light as a snowflake.

  Time stood still as she reached the highest point, suspended in mid-air over Cassius’s withers. But instead of landing in the saddle as she had done so many times before, her superhuman bounce propelled her right over the gelding’s back and she landed with a stumble on his far side.

  Someone in the audience shrieked with laughter and Kristy’s cheeks burned under the layer
s of white face paint. It was her worst nightmare come true. All she needed now was for Cassius to turn into a broom.

  Mortified, she glanced at the others, still trotting towards the Mayor, blissfully unaware of the catastrophe unfolding behind them. Would they notice if she slunk out of the arena and left them to it? Norah had been right all along. She was the weak link in the team. They were better off without her.

  Cassius had slowed to a halt and Kristy gazed into his cloudy right eye, wondering what to do.

  In a second, she made up her mind. She was being pathetic. Cassius was so brave. If she ran away now she’d be letting him down. Letting the team down. She turned towards the Mayor and gave him a rueful smile.

  ‘I think I might try that again,’ she said loudly.

  The audience cheered and a woman whooped and shouted, ‘You go, girl!’

  Kristy darted back to Cassius’s nearside and once again grabbed a handful of his mane. This time, as she planted both feet on the ground, her timing was perfect. And, as she vaulted into the saddle as gracefully as an Olympic gymnast, the crowd went wild.

  24

  A NEW OWNER

  A fterwards, if anyone asked her how their quadrille went, Kristy could only reply, ‘It began with a nightmare and ended like a dream’. For it was true. Once she’d caught up with William and Copper she forgot her disastrous start and began to enjoy herself. All the hours of rehearsals paid off, and from their first serpentine to the moment they cantered out again, their faces flushed with pleasure, it was just brilliant. Better than she could have imagined in any daydream, in fact. And Kristy loved to daydream.

  That is not to say the rest of the routine was perfect. Cassius swung his quarters in a couple of times on his right rein, making their circles a bit egg-shaped, and Jazz rolled her eyes and shied dramatically at a toddler’s pink cloud of candyfloss, much to the amusement of the people sitting nearby. Norah forgot to change her diagonal a couple of times in all the excitement and William’s top hat fell off as they threaded the needle. But it was so obvious to everyone watching that the four children, the three ponies and the noble black Percheron were having the time of their lives, that their mistakes were forgiven and forgotten. And when they stood in a row and saluted the Mayor the crowd gave them a standing ovation.

  Kristy caught the Mayor’s eye as she patted Cassius’s neck over and over.

  ‘Well done,’ he mouthed.

  She nodded her head. ‘Thanks.’

  BACK IN THE collecting ring a small knot of people had gathered to congratulate them. Kristy’s dad produced a carrot from his pocket and gave it to Cassius. Kristy’s mum gave the Percheron a hesitant pat.

  ‘It’s alright, Mum, he won’t hurt you. He’s the kindest horse in the world. He’s -’ Kristy broke off. Her throat throbbed with unshed tears. She brushed a hand across her face. All around people were congratulating them, but Kristy’s heart was about to be broken. There was no way Emma wouldn’t sell Cassius after their performance today. He’d probably be gone by the end of the week. The thought that she might never see him again was unthinkable. Emotion threatened to overwhelm her. She needed to be on her own.

  Her eyes blurry with tears, she jumped off Cassius and threw his reins at her dad. As she ran towards the town hall she heard her mum say, ‘What did I do?’

  She huddled on the cold concrete steps of the town hall and let the tears fall. She loved Cassius with all her heart. He trusted her. She protected him. Would his new owner look after him like she did? Would they always approach him on his good side so he could see them coming? Talk to him when they went somewhere new so he didn’t get frightened? Would they know that he liked being rubbed on the silky soft bit just under his ears? That he adored carrots but wasn’t so bothered by apples? That he was a bit stiff on his left rein and needed longer to warm up? That if you blew softly into his nostrils he would blow warm, hay-scented breath back, tickling your neck until you giggled?

  In the distance, she heard the Mayor’s voice on the tannoy system, but the sound was distorted and impossible to make out over the noise of families chattering and laughing. Applause crackled like static but Kristy ignored it, hugging her knees, her body bunched as tightly as a knot.

  ‘There she is!’ cried a familiar voice. Sofia.

  Kristy turned to face the wall, flinching as hands grabbed her shoulders.

  ‘Kristy, why did you run away?’ The concern in Norah’s voice was tinged with exasperation.

  She rubbed her eyes and slowly turned towards her three friends. They stood in a semicircle around her.

  ‘Come on, Kristy! We’ve got to ride our lap of honour,’ said William.

  ‘What do you mean?’ she mumbled.

  Sofia held out a hand and pulled Kristy to her feet. She was grinning like a loon. ‘We’ve only gone and won!’

  HER DAD WAS STILL HOLDING Cassius and gave her a leg up. She followed the others into the ring and one again they lined up in front of the Mayor. Behind them, the nine other teams filed into the arena. Clasping a large silver cup, a small white envelope and four red rosettes, the Mayor strode over.

  ‘Well done, snowmen! Who shall I give the cup to? Who’s the team leader?’

  ‘Norah!’ Kristy, Sofia and William chorused. Norah turned crimson but took the cup and envelope graciously. The Mayor fixed the rosettes to the brow bands of the three ponies. When he reached Cassius, Kristy couldn’t stop herself from asking, ‘Why us?’

  The Mayor scratched Cassius’s poll. ‘Because you reminded me of my team all those years ago. I saw what good friends you all are, how hard you must have worked. I was impressed that you had the courage to carry on, despite your setback at the start. But most of all I saw how much you were enjoying yourselves. That’s what this was all about,’ he explained, waving his hands at the arena. ‘I wasn’t looking for professional dressage riders. I just wanted people to have fun.’

  Their lap of honour was a bittersweet moment, and one Kristy knew she would remember forever. Cassius’s ears were pricked and his neck was arched as he cantered sedately behind Copper. He was having the time of his life. And Kristy sat tall and proud in the saddle, enjoying his rocking horse canter for what she knew might be the last time.

  All too soon they were cantering out of the arena to cheers and applause. The competition had been a huge hit with the crowds and Kristy had a feeling it was likely to become an annual event. She was glad, even though she knew she wouldn’t be taking part again.

  They decided to ride home in their costumes, waving at everyone they passed. Children stopped and stared, open-mouthed, as the four snowmen on horseback ambled by. By the time they turned down the drive to the stables Kristy’s jaw was aching from smiling so much. But it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

  Back in the yard she busied herself untacking Cassius and making sure he had plenty of hay and water. Once she was satisfied he was settled, she joined the others in the tack room for a well-earned hot chocolate.

  Their silver cup had pride of place on the makeshift coffee table. Kristy curled up in an armchair, her fingers clasped around her mug, and listened while the others relived their day.

  ‘You’re quiet,’ said Norah suddenly.

  Kristy felt three pairs of eyes probing her. She was about to bat off Norah’s question but then remembered, these were her friends. It was OK to tell them how she was feeling.

  ‘It’s Cassius. Emma’s going to sell him easily after today, isn’t she?’

  Kristy stared into her hot chocolate. She didn’t notice the other three exchange glances.

  ‘That reminds me,’ said Norah briskly, reaching for the envelope tucked in the cup. ‘We need to share out our winnings.’

  She handed them each £250 in crisp, new notes. Kristy had never seen so much money in her life. But it was worthless to her if it couldn’t buy Cassius.

  ‘You could start saving for your own pony,’ said Sofia.

  Kristy shook her head. ‘I don’t want
another pony. I just want Cassius.’

  ‘Do you even know if anyone’s phoned about him?’ said William.

  ‘I was too scared to ask Emma earlier,’ Kristy admitted.

  ‘Come on, let’s go and find her. At least you’ll know one way or the other,’ said Norah.

  ‘I suppose,’ she said doubtfully, following the others into the yard.

  Emma was unpacking the Land Rover. Sofia gave Kristy a gentle shove towards her and said, ‘Go on, ask her.’

  Kristy took a deep breath. ‘Emma, have you had much interest in the advert for Cassius?’

  Emma slung a haynet over her shoulder. ‘Ah, I was going to talk to you about that.’

  Kristy went weak at the knees as she braced herself for the worst news. ‘You’ve sold him, haven’t you?’

  ‘Yes, I’m afraid I have. But he’s going to a four-star home, I promise.’

  Kristy thought she heard one of the girls giggle but when she shot a look over her shoulder they were poker-faced. ‘Who’s bought him?’ she said flatly.

  Emma rolled her eyes at Sofia. ‘Please put the poor girl her out of her misery.’

  ‘You have,’ said Sofia.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You’re Cassius’s new owner.’

  ‘What?’ said Kristy.

  ‘We’re giving you our winnings so you can buy him.’

  ‘You’re what?’

  ‘We took a vote yesterday, actually. Of course, we wouldn’t have been able to if we hadn’t won. Fortunately, we did. The thirteenth horse was our lucky charm,’ grinned William.

  A maelstrom of emotions was whirling in Kristy’s head. ‘It’s so kind of you. But I can’t take your money.’

  Norah stepped forward. ‘We wouldn’t have stood a chance of winning without you,’ she said. ‘I would never have been able to vault if you hadn’t taught me how.’

  ‘Copper could have been off work for months if you hadn’t found him when you did,’ added William.