Abbey Leads the Way (2 page)

From the middle of the paddock, Pop yelled, ‘Gavin, who’s first?’

The girls all started shouting at once. After what seemed like forever, Matilda’s dad chose Kate.

Abbey groaned. She had so wanted to be first. She leaned on the paddock fence and watched Kate.

Kate had been to Pony Club and had done heaps of riding with Matilda, and it showed. Abbey thought Kate was almost as good as Matilda.

When Matilda’s dad was choosing the next rider, Abbey made sure she was the loudest. ‘Me, me, me!’ she shouted, hopping up and down on the spot.

But he chose Maddie, who was closest to the paddock. Then, after Maddie, he chose Olivia, who had strapped on a riding helmet before Abbey realised what was happening.

Abbey clicked her tongue and frowned.

Matilda saw her bestie’s grumpy face. ‘Don’t worry, Ab. You’ll get your turn.’

Abbey shook out her arms and legs, preparing for her big ride. She
had
to be next.

‘Emma, your turn,’ Matilda’s dad shouted.

Abbey sighed deeply.
I guess someone has to be last
, she thought. Then Abbey realised she was
lucky
last. She smiled to herself and leaned on the fence to watch Emma ride.

‘And who are you supposed to be?’ Pop was asking Emma. He looked surprised at Emma’s all-pink outfit and sparkly necklace.

‘I’m Emma!’ Emma said, sitting up in the saddle.

‘Girls,’ Pop shouted, ‘see your friend’s riding posture?’ He pointed at Emma’s back. ‘She’s straight from ear to shoulder to hip to heel. Perfect!’

Before Emma had even dismounted, Abbey was racing out onto the paddock.

‘Well, Sparkles, you just might be a natural rider,’ Pop was telling Emma.

Abbey grinned as she grabbed the riding helmet from Emma. She was determined to show Pop that she was a natural rider too!

Abbey sat up in the saddle as straight as she could.

‘OK,’ Pop told her, ‘nudge Rosie gently with your heels to get her walking.’

After all of that waiting, Abbey didn’t want Rosie to walk. Instead of nudging her gently, she dug her heels into the pony’s flanks. She pushed Rosie straight into a trot!

Abbey was so excited that she forgot to rise to the trot by lifting herself up and down in the saddle. Instead, she bounced around on Rosie’s back like a sack of potatoes.

‘Stop!’ Pop yelled.

Abbey pulled Rosie to a stop.

As soon as Pop started explaining how to rise to the trot, Abbey remembered that Matilda had shown her how to do it before. Abbey was very quiet as she practised rising to the trot for Pop, but her cheeks burned.

‘You need to take riding slowly,’ Pop told Abbey as he helped her off Rosie. ‘Don’t run before you can walk.’

Abbey wasn’t exactly sure what Pop meant, but she was pretty certain he didn’t think
she
was a natural rider.

The girls headed back up to the farmhouse to pack their picnic while Matilda’s dad and Pop went to prepare the ponies for the girls’ ride. As they walked together, Kate suggested they ask if they could go on the trail ride on their own, just the six of them.

‘
Kate, Abbey, come on then,’ Matilda said. ‘Let’s go ask Dad.’

At first, Matilda’s dad wasn’t sure. He knew that Matilda was an excellent rider and Kate was very good, but the other girls were less experienced. Matilda reminded him that she had helped Pop lead lots of beginner trail rides around the farm before. After some thought, he agreed to let them go by themselves on the condition that they took a phone with them and they were
very
careful. The three girls promised straightaway.

Abbey, Kate and Matilda came running up just as their friends were carrying their backpacks onto the porch. The other girls were so excited when they heard they could go riding by themselves.

‘OK, girls, come and get your ponies!’ Matilda’s dad yelled over their squealing.

Only Matilda was riding a horse – her own horse, Cody. The other girls were given ponies.

Olivia was given Rosie. Maddie had asked for the smallest pony, so she was given Tiny.

Abbey hopped from foot to foot. She really hoped the black pony was hers.

‘White Lightning is for you, Sparkles,’ Pop told Emma. ‘And, Miss Pony Club, this is Black Thunder, ’ Pop said, handing the reins of the black pony to Kate.

‘And for Miss Trotter,’ Pop said to Abbey, ‘we call this one Snail.’

Abbey’s cheeks burned.
How embarrassing!
she thought. She had so wanted that black pony with the cool name, but she’d ended up with Snail.
Snail! What could be slower than a snail?

Snail nuzzled her. He was a handsome pony, brown with a white star on his nose.

‘Well, you don’t look slow,’ Abbey whispered to Snail.

Matilda’s dad yelled to get the girls’ attention. Matilda and Abbey ran over.

‘Here’s the phone, Matilda,’ her dad said. ‘It has my number and Grandma’s number in it. Remember, we’re only a phone call away if you need us for anything at all.’

‘Thanks, Dad,’ Matilda said, sticking the phone in her pocket.

‘So take the girls on the beginners’ trail ride,’ Matilda’s dad told her. ‘The one along the stream path. Follow it to the picnic paddock, about half an hour from here.’

‘Oh, yes,’ Matilda nodded, ‘I know. And then half an hour past the picnic paddock is the bridge.’

‘Yes, that’s right, Matilda,’ her dad said, pleased. ‘Go past the bridge and follow the stream path to the right until you reach the old oak tree.’

Matilda nodded. Abbey listened too. The other girls were busy. Kate was adjusting their helmet straps.

‘At the old oak, the path leads away from the stream and takes you across the grazing paddock and back to the farmhouse,’ Matilda’s dad said.

‘Got it, Dad!’ said Matilda.

Her dad smiled and went to help Maddie onto her pony.

‘What’s up, Ab?’ Matilda said, noticing the concerned look on Abbey’s face.

‘Matilda, are you sure we shouldn’t ask your dad to draw us a map?’ Abbey asked.

‘It’s OK,’ Matilda said. ‘I’ve been on this trail ride
heaps
. I know exactly where to go.’

Abbey nodded and put on her backpack.

The girls mounted and Matilda led Cody to the front. Matilda threw her arm up in the air and shouted, ‘Follow me!’

The Forever Clover girls were off on a trail ride adventure!

Abbey quickly worked out why her pony was called Snail. He kept stopping to eat grass! She yanked hard on the reins to pull Snail’s head up from the ground, but he was very stubborn.

Abbey growled. ‘They really should call you Stop, or Greedy Gobbler,’ she told him.

She could see her friends riding together further down the track. She felt angry and left out.
Why did I get the slow pony?
she wondered. In frustration, she nudged Snail’s flanks over and over.

Snail started walking, but he soon stopped.

Abbey sighed. ‘Yes, Greedy Gobbler, it must be time for another snack.’

She loosened the reins to let Snail eat. Abbey looked around, at the glittering stream, the green paddocks and the rocky face of Mount Padbury. It really was a beautiful day. She spotted a few dark clouds near the top of Mount Padbury, but the sun was still shining brightly.

So if Mount Padbury is north
, she thought,
that means we must be travelling west
.

Abbey looked down at Snail. He was busy gobbling as usual. She quickly pulled off her backpack and got out her keyring compass.

After she put her backpack on, she nudged Snail’s flanks. He walked slowly, but Abbey didn’t care about that now. She was checking her compass. Yes, she was right. They were heading west.

Abbey began enjoying the ride, holding out her compass in different directions.

So now we’re moving a little to the south
, she thought, watching the needle on her compass move down a little. ‘West-southwest, to be precise,’ she told Snail.

Up ahead the other girls had reached the picnic paddock and were dismounting.

Soon Abbey and her friends were enjoying sandwiches, scones and fruit. They chatted nonstop about their ponies. Abbey told them all about naughty Snail.

After lunch, Abbey sat yanking angrily at Snail’s reins. He was up to his old tricks again.

Her friends were heading very slowly down the track. She knew it was because of her and her silly snail of a pony. All at once Abbey felt embarrassment and annoyance bubbling up inside her. Hot tears pricked her eyes.