Lauren and Lucky (5 page)

At the end of the lesson Sally said well done to all of us and also that now is the time to start sorting out our music. Jody's going to help us with that tonight – so hopefully I'll get inspired when I hear a few different things!

On the yard Arabella kept trying to chat to me, but 'cos I didn't really feel like talking to her she started going, “What's wrong?” And I kept saying “Nothing” because I couldn't be bothered to go into it – I just wanted to focus on Lucky.

Then she said, “Oh Lauren, it's not that little thing I said in the lesson, is it?”

I got really cross then because it wasn't a little thing, it was a great big GIANT thing. I stopped sweeping and leaned on my broom and said, “You say you're my friend, but you're so mean to me … and to Lucky.”

Arabella rolled her eyes. “'Course I'm your friend, silly!” she insisted. “You can't get cross just because I want the best possible chance to win the competition. As we're friends, you should
want
me to do well. Don't be so sensitive!” then and it took me a few seconds to be able to speak. By the time I did, she'd flounced off somewhere else. When she didn't come back I filled up Gracie's water bucket and finished off combing her mane. It wasn't fair for her to suffer just 'cos Arabella was having a sulk! It's so strange how she doesn't seem bothered about looking after Gracie. She's such a sweet and gorgeous pony – if she was mine I'd want to
spend every single second I could with her!

So it isn't surprising that I didn't sit with Arabella at tea! Instead I went out to the picnic tables, and luckily Leonie called me over to sit with her and Paula and Marie. We had fun talking through our freestyle routines and I did my best not to look at Arabella, who was sitting with the younger ones on the next table. When she walked past us to get seconds from the buffet in the kitchen she did this deliberate looking the other way thing. Leonie did this sort of “ooooh” raised eyebrows thing at me and I did it back.

Oh, I wish Arabella would lighten up! I've been dreaming about my holiday at Pony Camp for months, ever since Mum said I could go, and in my imagination there certainly wasn't a moody girl making things difficult for me. This is my chance to be one of the girls and I want us all to be a big, happy group hanging out together – I'm not going to let Arabella spoil everything! 

I'm writing this in bed
, after my shower and hot chocolate, waiting for Jody to come and turn the lights out

Last night at this time we were all chatting away, but tonight Millie's already fast asleep and Arabella's reading a magazine. She's turning the pages really loudly to show how much she's ignoring me. Oh well, I don't care – I wanted time to write in here anyway.

I still haven't had any inspiration about my music. Leonie played me a few songs on her iPod, but none of them were quite right. I also had a look through Millie's CDs, but nothing stood out. It was really funny helping the others choose, though. We had songs playing through the computer in the games room and when Paula and Marie picked
theirs (which are these two pieces of flamenco music for Paula and this song about being in trouble for Marie) we were working out which bits went with which movements.

The younger ones wanted to join in too, so me, Leonie and Marie gave Polly, Bea and Jojo piggybacks around the room, pretending to be the ponies while marking out the dressage steps that Paula was calling out.

Arabella was a bit on her own, but then Millie started asking her about her routine and stuff, and helping her choose some music from Jody's Popular Classics CD set, so she wasn't completely left out. Anyway, it's not up to me to worry about her – not after how she's been!

Then Jody said we could just about squeeze in a swim if we were quick and we all decided to carry on playing ponies in the pool. I gave Jojo a piggyback this time (much easier in the water!). We pretended the pool was the manège and Leonie played the part of Sally and stood in the middle giving us instructions.

Arabella gave Millie a piggyback for a while, but then she decided she wanted to do some serious swimming to get fit for the dressage comp, so Leonie took Millie round instead. Then we persuaded
Jody
to be Sally and do the calling out, even though she thought we were all completely mad!

I feel so much better now I've spent more time with the other girls. It's a shame that Arabella was a bit left out, but it was her choice.

Oh, Jody's coming up the stairs! Time for lights out. Goodnight!

There were no yard duties this morning as we had to head straight off in the minibus, but we did take some carrots up to the pony field first, so I got to see my gorgeous Lucky before we left.

I sat next to Marie on the way. She let me listen to one headphone of her iPod, but I didn't get any inspiration for my dressage music from it (I did have an idea later, though!). It took us about an hour to get to the show, and Arabella just sat on her own with her mags spread out on the seat next to her and she didn't talk to anyone the entire way. But when we got there she was going, “Wow!” like everyone else because the show was far bigger
than we'd imagined, with tons and tons of people everywhere, and loads of cute dogs.

When we first got there we had a wander round the stalls. There was this one with gorgeous silver jewellery on it, and we all tried on different rings and necklaces and stuff, until Jody had to drag us away!

Then Sally called us over to the Barn Owl Trust stand, where we got to see Barney. He was gorgeous and really soft, and we had to be very quiet because he was also quite shy. Then we looked at the Handmade Soap Co. stand, where they had all these lovely wedges of soaps. They looked like sweets and smelt delicious – like, there were berry ones, and peppermint ones and even chocolate and toffee.
I used some of my spending money to buy one for Nana and one for Mum. Smelling the toffee soap made us want some real toffee so Jody took us over to the Dorset Fudge Company stand and we all bought something to munch on as we went round (I got vanilla flavour).

When the dressage comp started, loads of people came over to watch. Sally explained that dressage to music is really popular, even with people who aren't into horses.

The competition was fantastic – the riders were so smart and the horses were beautifully turned out. They did amazingly tricky movements like piaffe and passage and even some one-time changes, which are so cool 'cos it looks like the horse is skipping. We all had our faves who we wanted to win – mine was this lady called Felicity Harper on this gorgeous bay, Chakaboom. I liked them because she was a fab rider and Chakaboom was quite cobby,
like Lucky. They did really well and the crowd all loved them (
so there
, Arabella!). And guess what, they came second – not quite top, but pretty fab!

Afterwards, Jody had arranged for us to go into the horsebox area and meet some of the competitors. I was really nervous and I didn't think I'd know what to say, but then I spotted Felicity sitting on the steps of Chakaboom's trailer, cleaning his tack. I was so keen to tell her how fab I thought she was that I completely forgot about feeling shy and just walked over there. I got her autograph, which I'm sticking in here for safekeeping:

Before I knew it, I was telling her about how I really want me and Lucky to do well on Friday, but how I don't think we will, not with him being so laid-back.

She said, “Chak can be a bit like that, too, but just be positive and confident and I'm sure you'll inspire Lucky to do his very best. If you play to his strengths, you'll be fine.”

So that got me thinking, and then in the minibus on the way back I got struck with inspiration! We were all having a singalong of songs from our fave musicals and after we'd done that “oh oh ooooh!” song from
Grease
, Leonie started us all off singing “I'd Do Anything” from
Oliver
. I suddenly realized
that
would be the perfect dressage song for me and Lucky, because we really
would
do anything for
each other! Lucky is such a scruffy urchin he'll make the perfect Oliver (and it fits his character because he's honest, loyal and doesn't give up). I'm going to be Nancy and I might even come into the arena twirling an old umbrella, which also shows off the fact that Lucky isn't easily spooked!

When we got back I told Sally my idea and she thought it was fab! I'm so excited that I've found the perfect song! Jody downloaded it on to the computer for me and we had a listen while I helped her set out some squash and biscuits (we were thirsty after all that singing!).

Oh, guess what? Sally's just come in and said we can go and see our ponies up in the field – bye!