Crown Prince Challenged (40 page)

Sarah left the warm-up ring when she saw Jack motion to her. As she walked Prince to the entry point with him, the rider in seventh place was about to start her ride. Waiting on deck was a pretty girl on a chestnut Thoroughbred who was in sixth place, which meant Sarah would go after her. Prince wasn't as hyper as he'd been when they first arrived to warm-up, but his ears flicked in all directions as he looked at the course. He also checked out the bleachers mobbed with spectators and umbrellas. Her parents were there, watching her with worried eyes. To keep Prince's attention, Jack had her walk her horse in a small circle while they waited.

I hope I'm not overfacing Prince!
Sarah thought, as she looked out at the sea of jumps positioned on the rain-sodden grass.
Is it fair to ask him to do this?
She had a moment of doubt.

The girl in front of her rode to the judge's stand, and after saluting, began her round. Minutes later, her horse came off the course with three rails down. Sarah gathered her reins, waiting for the announcement. As they stood motionless, she felt the raindrops begin to fall, softly at first, and then progressively harder until there was a steady, soaking rain coming down. Prince shook his head, annoyed by the rain, and stepped sideways. Sarah reached down to stroke his neck.

“In fifth place is Sarah Wagner riding Crown Prince,” the announcer's voice droned, as if he hadn't noticed the heavens had opened up and it was raining hard. The show would go on. Sarah pressed her legs on Prince's sides and asked him to trot to the judge's stand. Once he had halted, she curtly saluted the judge and then turned her horse to face the course. The whistle blew, and they were off.

After picking up canter, Sarah focused on the brush box so she could bring Prince into it straight. She felt hesitation and uncertainty in his gait. Her legs pressed hard on his sides while her reins channeled him toward the jump.
Yes, Prince, we can do it,
she spoke with her aids. Then they were in the air, landing, and heading for the second fence. Now he knew what they were here for. Prince took the bit, moving strongly toward the jump. All thoughts about the rain were gone.

The route after the second fence doubled back toward the start, and as Sarah turned her horse in that direction, she felt him stiffen, his strides slowing and becoming more deliberate. The ground was giving way under his feet as he turned, and Prince was working hard to keep his balance. This was the area of the course Kayla had warned her about! Finally the line straightened to an oxer, and once over it, the in-and-out combination loomed ahead. Sarah looked beyond the two fences, as she asked Prince to keep his pace coming into them. He jumped the first element easily, and after one stride, pushed off cleanly over the second.

So far so good. Now they were turning again, this time toward a jump in the middle of the diagonal. The footing on this end wasn't nearly as soggy, and with Sarah being careful to sit tall, Prince negotiated the turn without a problem. He jumped the next fence well and continued over the triple bar that followed it. But again they were heading into the soggy section, and Prince moved cautiously along the course. He was aware how slippery the going had become, and as they approached the wettest section, instead of the smooth, green lawn it had once been, the takeoff area in front of the next jump was black churned-up earth. When Sarah felt her horse begin to lose forward impulsion, she sat deeply to urge him forward and pressed her legs hard on his sides.
You can do it!
her heart cried out to her horse, and he responded with a powerful thrust through the mud and into the air. As they descended, Sarah heard a dull thud from behind them. Had Prince knocked down a rail with a hind leg? But she mustn't think about that now!

Somehow they made it to better footing, but ahead Sarah could see the fence she dreaded most! The Liverpool was next, and the steady rain made the countless ripples in the water tray ping-pong up and down. On this jump she couldn't wait! While they were still some distance from the Liverpool, Sarah sat deeply and with her legs asked Prince to attack this jump with all his strength and resolve. Together they could do it! As they got closer, she felt a gathering of powerful muscles and then her upper body was moving forward with her horse in the air over the jump.

After making it successfully over the next two jumps, Sarah knew another huge challenge was ahead. They were turning, with deliberate, cautious strides, into the triple combination, the three separate fences in a row that were only a few strides apart. She remembered Jack's words. He had said them so many times. “Sit up and wait for your horse.” With Prince firmly between her hand and her leg, Sarah rode him toward the triple. Prince got into the first element well, which set him up for the second element and then the third. Sarah felt like hugging her horse!

Now the final jump was ahead of them, the last jump on the course, and Sarah was apprehensive. She remembered what Jack had told the class: “'Tis easy to think 'tis almost over. Riders relax too much, and their horses often have a rail down on the last fence.” Sarah aimed her horse squarely for the vertical jump with standards designed to look like lighthouses and pressed her legs against his sides. She felt his muscles gather as he took off perfectly and soared over the jump. In spite of the rain and the soggy going, they had finished the course! But had they jumped clear? Did they have a rail down?

Sarah brought Prince back to trot and headed for the exit. He was prancing and pulling a little when the announcer's voice boomed out. “Number 21, Sarah Wagner riding Crown Prince, has no jumping or time faults.” Despite the rain that was coming down harder by the minute, the stands erupted in applause. Sarah's eyes were shining and her face radiant as she looked for her parents in the crowd. When she spotted them, they were waving wildly. She waved back.
Now they've got to truly believe in my horse,
she thought.

THE RAIN HADN'T LET UP
as Sarah guided her prancing horse to where Jack was talking to Tim on Rhodes. The rider in fourth place was starting now, so it wouldn't be long before Tim would ride. Tim gave her a thumbs-up as she got closer.

“Brilliant ride!” Jack said, his face dominated by a big smile. “One rail rattled in its cups, but it didn't come down. Do you have any thoughts on the course that would be useful to Tim?”

“Just what Kayla told me. The back section is, like, totally soggy, very slippery. On the turns, Prince was working hard just to stay upright.” She reached down to pat his neck. “The approach to one fence in that area is really chewed up.”

They were interrupted by the loudspeaker. “Number 24, Emily Barrett riding Make It Snappy has four jumping faults and no time faults.”

Tim's eyes widened and Jack smiled again. “You've moved up to fourth place, Sarah,” Tim said. “She must have had a rail down.”

Jack accompanied Rhodes and Tim to the start. They would go next. As he had suggested to Sarah, Jack had Tim walk Rhodes in a small circle while they waited. Sarah could see the jumping course perfectly, sitting astride Prince as she walked him in a circle. It seemed as if the horse ahead of Tim had barely gotten started on jumping the course when they heard groans coming from the bleachers. The horse had slid to a stop in front of Fence Four, his hind legs leaving huge gouges in the grass. A refusal! The rider turned her horse away from the jump, picked up canter, and approached the jump again, this time pushing hard with her seat and giving her horse a smack on his side with her crop. No amount of hard riding worked, and the horse refused the fence a second time. Immediately the judge's whistle sounded. The rider knew what that meant, and she trotted her horse off the course. “Number 18, Brittany Sanchez riding Lord Bellamy, has been eliminated,” boomed the loudspeaker.
Oh, my God!
Sarah thought.
That means I'm in third place now.
She looked back at Tim.
If only the rain would let up for him,
she thought.

“Take it slow,” Jack said, as Tim gathered his reins to begin the course. “Help your horse stay balanced. Sit tall.”

Tim trotted Rhodes to the judge's stand, and after saluting, began his course. He cantered a straight line to the brush box and Rhodes jumped it well, moving eagerly to the second fence. He jumped this fence in good form also, his knees up and even, and his back rounding over the fence. They were heading into the rain-sodden section, but Rhodes didn't seem to mind the mushy going, moving forward at a fairly rapid pace.
It looks like he's handling the footing,
Sarah thought. Tim guided his horse around the 180-degree turn, his eyes focused on the third jump.

Then it happened. As Rhodes turned on the half-circle to head in the opposite direction, suddenly his hind legs seemed to slip out from under him. His hindquarters slid down first, followed by the rest of his body, and in a split second he was flat on the ground. Tim flew from his horse, landing in a crumpled heap not far from where Rhodes lay on his side.

Tim didn't move, but Rhodes quickly scrambled to his feet. He stood for a moment, looking disoriented, and then took off at a gallop, his reins dragging and stirrups flying. The crowd immediately parted to make way as he headed for the gravel roadway leading to the stabling tent.

All eyes were now on Tim, who lay motionless on the rain-soaked grass. Before the ETs from the ambulance could swing into action, a slight figure darted from the grandstand and ran across the wet grass to his side. It was Paige, and Sarah could see she was crying as she knelt beside Tim. The spectators were hushed, every eye glued to the downed rider.

Just as the two ETs reached Tim, he sat up, shaking his head. “Don't move,” an ET said. “Do you feel any pain anywhere?”

Tim looked at them blankly for a moment and then moved his arms and legs. “I'm okay,” he said. “I guess I got the wind knocked out of me.” He looked at Paige, who was holding his hand. “Where's Rhodes?” he asked.

“He took off,” Paige said, pointing to the road Rhodes had followed.

“Let's make sure you're all right before we worry about the horse,” one of the young men said. “The way that horse was running when he left here, I doubt there's anything wrong with him.”

Jack and Tim's father arrived at that moment, alarm written all over their faces. “I'm okay, Dad,” Tim said. “I'd like to get up to show all of you I'm fine.” He smiled up at Paige. “I hope this girl will give me a hand.” A few minutes later Tim and Paige, arm in arm, were making their way off the show jumping course ahead of the others.

Sarah rode Prince to meet them. Paige usually wore her hair in a ponytail around the barn, so it seemed different to see her beautiful blonde hair down and loose over her shoulders.

“Tough luck,” Sarah said to Tim. “You're okay?”

Tim looked at Paige and then back at Sarah. “Honestly? I haven't felt this good in a long time,” he said, grinning.

Kayla came running up to them, gasping for breath. “Rhodes is okay, Tim,” she said. “He went back to the tent. Kathleen and Kelly are with him right now.”

“Hey, Sarah,” Tim said. “After Rhodes and I bombed out, you and Prince are in second place. You better watch this round.”

Just then the announcer's voice came over the loudspeakers. “Our last entry, currently in first place, is Colin Dahlberg riding Senator.” All eyes turned to watch Colin, sitting alert and confident on his big chestnut horse.

After saluting the judge, he sent Senator toward the brush box, riding conservatively at a fairly slow pace. The horse jumped the brush boldly and moved steadily to the second jump. Once over it, Colin steered his horse in a large arc to follow the course, sitting tall and moving cautiously over the rain-sodden grass. With one careful turn after another, he maneuvered his horse to all the jumps on the course, not missing a beat at the Liverpool or the two combinations. When Colin and Senator sailed clear over the last fence, the Castleton Stable spectators in the bleachers and along the sides of the rope barrier went wild, giving each other high fives as they danced up and down.

As the cheering subsided, it suddenly hit Sarah. Out of thirty-two competitors, she and Prince were in second place! They had finished with their dressage score. She would take a red ribbon home with her. Of course, as proud as she was of her horse and his spectacular performance, she couldn't help feeling bad for the other riders on her team who would go home empty-handed. But there was something else to celebrate—it looked like Tim and Paige had patched things up.

The announcer spoke again over the loudspeakers to announce the final placings. Colin's team, the Castleton Stable team, had finished in first place and would take the Wexford Cup home with them. In addition, Colin received a large blue ribbon for being the individual winner. And Sarah rode Crown Prince to the judge's stand to receive the biggest, most beautiful red ribbon she'd ever seen.

Before going back to the tent, Sarah rode Prince to where Colin's friends were swamping him with handshakes and slaps on the back. Colin waved to her when she got closer. “Congrats to you and Senator. Way to go!” Sarah called over the celebration. “Thanks, and right back at ya!” Colin shouted back.

The Brookmeade fans had climbed down from the bleachers, and they rushed over to congratulate Sarah. Mrs. DeWitt could hardly contain her excitement. “I wish I could pull you off that wonderful horse to give you a hug!” she called out. Abby was bouncing up and down as she and the Wagners came toward them, looking proud and happy. Mrs. Romano, following behind, blew her a kiss.

Mr. DeWitt cupped his hands around his mouth so Sarah could hear him. “Was everything you went through to keep Crown Prince and train him to be an event horse worth it?”

Sarah's big smile said it all. She gave him a thumbs up. “Absolutely,” she called back. “Not a doubt in my mind!” The rain had finally stopped, and as Sarah slowly walked her horse back to the stabling area, a sliver of sun poked its way through the clouds.