Lauren and Lucky Read Free Page B

wasn’t one of the leaders any more, when it was HER who’d made a fuss. I knowshe’s a bit of a perfectionist about the dressage, but that’s no reason to be so horrible!
    The rest of the lesson went OK, but it was hard to forget about what Arabella had said and I couldn’t concentrate as much as usual. Maybe poor Lucky was upset, too, because he didn’t seem himself either. Between us we were even sloppier about making transitions exactly at the markers and we didn’t get our canter in the AF corner either, so I had to ride another 20 metre circle in trot and ask again.
    But we did finally cheer up a bit when we got to the pairs work, ’cos Lucky really went blazing round after Flame and Paula. I think Flame’s showmanship must have inspired him, because he did everything with a lot of style – Sally was right, it is easier with someone to copy. She said how good we were, and how much we’d come on already and I couldn’t help grinning. It really boosted my confidence after what Arabella said.I don’t care what she thinks – I’m so proud of my lovely boy! 

    In the second half of the lesson, we all went out of the gate and stood by the fence. Then one by one we went back into the manège and tried out our routines. Lydia came and sat on the spectators’ stand and called out our sequences for us. It was all very rough and messy, and we kept stopping when things didn’t work and changing them, with Sally’s help, and Lydia wrote the new things down on our papers.
    Lucky tried hard, but he got a bit confused because some of the things I’d put down were quite awkward for him. So my routine changed a lot in the end as Sally and I found ways to make it smoother. When Lydia gave me mypaper back it was very scribbly, so I redrew it up neatly, like this:

    Oh, I just have to also write that Leonie’s routine was amazing! She’s got these serpentines in it that look really beautiful and she even had a go at counter-canter. Because she did it so well, Sally said she could leave it in.

    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 tospend 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